Organic Birth Control - Is there really such a thing?

About a year ago, I went on the hunt for a different option for the classic, doctor prescribed methods of birth control. After having a baby and three years of dispelling baby weight, changing eating habits and such, also subjecting myself to the shot, the patch and the pill, I decided it was time to take a leap off of the bridge and go solo. No birth control.

This is definitely a strange decision for someone who is quite happy with one child and one, maybe two dogs. Being young enough, I haven't started pressing my husband with the vasectomy idea because well, it is his choice. And getting my tubes tied is not an option. I watched my mother SUFFER after making such a decision and I am firm believer that we do, follow our maternal bloodlines when it comes to health. So, after a little research, I ran across the book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler.

Aside from the fact I couldn't put the book down, the entire time I read it, every page was an epiphany and I could not believe that our high school health class did not provide this book as required reading to all females. It would have provided me with answers to about 100% of the questions I have had over the years.

There are two ways to use this book: Determining when is the best time for you to conceive, if you are trying, AND when not to have sex if you are not.

In full, simple details, TCOYF offers you the answers to why your body does certain things during certain times of the month and when you are most likely to get pregnant.

Now, after a year, I just "know" when it is not a good time and when it is. I just "know" why I am crabby and when it is coming, so I can make sure during that time, I take it a bit easier with stress. I just "know".

For those of you who are looking for organic birth control, this is an excellent option. Take the time to read the book. Do the charts for at least six months. This is very important because when you come off of any type of medicine, your body reacts and can shake up your cycle a little bit. For some it doesn't but for those of you with sensitive bodies like mine, it takes a bit for your body to go back to normal. When your charts show serious consistency, you are good to go.

If you are a little hesitant or need to be on a schedule, TCOYF offers an online software program that allows you to track your cycle.

I feel so much better. The first thing that my body showed me was not only am I not on a typical 28 cycle, but sometimes, I do ovulate twice. Betcha didn't know that was possible? Yep. And taking birth control for all of these years, has been forcing my body to keep to the medical industry's schedule. No wonder my highs were high and my lows were low. No wonder I started losing hair because my natural hormones were being bombarded with manufactured police officers telling me when to ovulate.

For those of you who are looking to get pregnant, I am confident that if I wanted to get pregnant, and I had no problems before (even while on the pill), I could pin the man down, attempt to over take him and produce either a boy or girl of my choice. (Now, this is not 100% as the time to conceive a boy is really small and also depends on the swimmers who will be participating at that time.)

Other things you might not know: Did you know that drinking orange juice increases your acidity levels which in turn, kills sperm? So if you are trying to get pregnant and can't, evaluate your acidic food intake. Now, obviously, there are other reasons you can't get pregnant BUT, if you are aware of your body, these things will become very obvious to you and this book will become your manual.

Do I recommend this for girls becoming women and will my daughter be privy to her very own copy when she gets her first visit from Auntie Flo? Absolutely! As suggested in the book, there are those who believe that teaching young girls about their bodies only suggests to them that they can have sex all they want. Um. Ok. Maybe in the 1700's.

But if your daughters are going to be sexually active, which many will be no matter what we tell them, isn't it better they understand their cycles and when it is definitely not safe to have sex? Isn't it better to send our young women out into the world with an idea of why they might be showing certain signs during the month and that they in fact are not suffering from a yeast infection or something else? Wouldn't it be better to allow our daughters to develop healthy bodies without the intervention of a medicine?

We arm our sons with condoms... let's arm our daughters with knowledge!

Good luck to those of you who wish to get pregnant and happy organic birth control to those of you who wish to keep it the way it is!