Is Natural Birth Control Right for You? Honest Considerations for Women Who Want Hormone-Free Contraception
Natural birth control is becoming a popular alternative for women who want to avoid hormones, understand their bodies, and take a more active role in their reproductive health. But “popular” does not always mean well understood.
Most women are given either a romanticized version of natural birth control or a fear-based dismissal of it. Very few are given the information they actually need to decide whether it is a good fit for them.
This article is meant to offer you clarity and an informed, grounded look at whether natural birth control - specifically the science-backed Fertility Awareness Method - is right for you at this point in your life.
What People Mean by “Natural Birth Control” (and What I’m Actually Referring To)
When people say “natural birth control,” it can mean any number of very different things. Some are referring to the rhythm method, calendar counting, or period tracking apps that predict ovulation based on past cycles. Others mean some variation of a fertility awareness based method.
When I refer to natural birth control, I am specifically talking about the science-backed sympto-thermal Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). This method has been studied for decades and relies on real-time biological markers - including cervical fluid, basal body temperature, and cycle patterns - to identify fertile and infertile phases of the cycle (because biologically women are only potentially fertile for about a week out of any given cycle).
This is not guesswork, and it is not an app making predictions for you. It is a learned skill that takes, on average, less than five minutes of focused attention per day once you know what you are doing.
Is Natural Birth Control Right for You If Avoiding Pregnancy Really Matters?
One of the biggest myths about natural birth control is that it is only suitable for women who “wouldn’t mind” getting pregnant. In reality, many women using FAM (myself included) are deeply committed to not getting pregnant. I am at a point of my life that I know I will not bring any more kids into this world, and I trust FAM and the other tools I teach to help me stay in integrity with that intention.
When learned and used correctly, 4 decades of research have proven the fertility awareness method to be 99.6% effective - just as effective as the pill. Bearing in mind no method of birth control (including getting your tubes tied) is 100% effective.
FAM works well regardless of where you are in your fertility intentions - from trying to get pregnant, to absolutely avoiding pregnancy. What matters is whether you are willing to learn and apply the method correctly. When avoiding pregnancy truly matters, a casual approaches probably wont work, but that’s true for any birth control method.
Fertility awareness is not a passive method so it works best when it is practiced intentionally, with clear rules and full accountability.
The Learning Curve
Natural birth control takes some time to learn, but once you pass the initial learning phase, it becomes a simple and intuitive part of your life. It takes 5 minutes or less of active attention per day to use it correctly.
There is an upfront investment of time and attention as you learn to identify fertile signs and apply the rules correctly. Once learned, most women find the daily practice straightforward and empowering rather than hard or complicated.
This method is best suited for women who want to be active participants in their health and fertility rather than having it “done for them” by a device, pill, or doctor.
Partner Support & Success with Natural Birth Control
Fertility awareness is not something a woman should feel like she is doing alone if she is in a sexual partnership.
Partner support matters. That can include anything from willingness to learn the basics of the cycle, respect fertile windows, use protection or alternate forms of intimacy when pregnancy risk is present, and share responsibility for pregnancy prevention. There are a surprising number of ways that male partners can support women using FAM, depending on the dynamics and desires of both partners.
This is why the Natural Birth Control Blueprint includes a dedicated partner guide. When partners understand what is happening and why, the method becomes collaborative instead of stressful.
A key question to ask yourself is whether you and your partner are on the same page about discipline during the fertile window. Are you able to have conversations about contraception and make shared agreements to work toward your common goals?
Fertile Windows, Boundaries, and Intimacy
Using fertility awareness means accepting that fertility is cyclical. There are times when pregnancy is possible and most of the time it’s not.
During the fertile window, couples must be willing to either abstain from intercourse, use alternative forms of protection such as barriers and/or withdrawal or choose alternate forms of intimacy. This requires communication, trust, and working together.
Many couples find that this actually improves intimacy over time by reducing anxiety, increasing awareness, and allowing full sexual expression without fear during infertile phases. Many women are surprised that that for a large part of their cycles, their partner can ejaculate inside of her (if that is mutually desirable) without having to stress about unplanned pregnancy. This can deeply enhance the sacredness of the act of love-making.
Health Conscious Values
Women who are already prioritizing their health and wellness tend to do especially well with fertility awareness.
If you care about eating well, minimizing unnecessary pharmaceuticals, understanding your body, and/or making informed choices, you are more likely to have the value-based motivation that supports long-term success with FAM.
This method aligns well with a holistic approach to health and life rather than a convenience-first mindset.
Even if you don’t have such a heavy focus on health in general, if you’ve experienced side effects from hormonal contraception, or have other reasons to avoid it, this could be a great fit.
Irregular Cycles, Life Transitions, and Real Life
Another common misconception is that fertility awareness only works for women with “perfect” cycles.
In reality, it can be used during postpartum, breastfeeding, perimenopause, after coming off hormonal birth control, and during times of stress, imbalance and more. Though some of these phases bring their own unique challenges, and require proper education and support, none of them prevent the effective use of the method.
Occasionally, irregular cycles may have a physical cause such as a tilted uterus. Using FAM gives us an opportunity to make changes, and watch our cycles for tangible improvements as we go.
This is one of the reasons self-teaching or relying on apps alone can reduce efficacy and increase the risk of unplanned pregnancy.
Why Natural Birth Control Fails When It Fails
When unintended pregnancies occur with fertility awareness, it is almost never because the method itself is flawed. According to 40+ years of clinical research on hundreds of real women, the perfect use efficacy rate is 99.6%. That is for those who learn the method with a certified professional, and use it according to the simple rules.
Failures usually come from misunderstanding fertile signs, bending rules, relying on predictions instead of observations, or making guesses. Following the rules by the book becomes easeful and like 2nd nature, as long as you are willing to give yourself a little bit of time to integrate and embody them.
Understanding why failures happen helps you make decisions with informed consent, and is a part of understanding the efficacy of fertility awareness.
The Bigger Picture: Generational Healing & Reproductive Justice
Cycle literacy is not just personal, the ripples of this practice can absolutely change the world and heal the generations (and I promise that is not an overstatement).
When women understand their cycles, they are empowered to pass that understanding forward - to those we mother, or auntie or teach. This is our birthright. Think about the poor sex-ed most of us received - so many essential parts were left out, leaving the majority of us to figure it out on their own.
We become able to model informed choice, embodied health, and reproductive sovereignty for daughters, partners, and communities. We can take reproductive justice into our own hands and move it into reality now.
Fertility awareness reconnects us to knowledge that was once shared, observed, and respected, long before it was medicalized or dismissed.
Is Fertility Awareness the Best Choice for Every Woman?
This is a nuanced question. While Every woman would benefit from the knowledge of her body that comes with learning the fertility awareness method, and every woman would benefit from learning to see their cycles as their 5th vital sign, it is not the best birth control method for every woman.
Even though I am a fertility awareness educator, I will be the first to admit that this method is not the best form of birth control for every woman on earth. If you don’t have motivation to use a natural method - whether to avoid hormonal side effects, or just to have a method more in alignment with your values and lifestyle - it may impact efficacy.
If you are looking for a more hands off method of contraception, don’t have the time or inclination to learn the method well, or don’t feel you and/or your partner will be able to navigate a fertile window effectively, it may not be a great fit.
It’s unique to every person, but if you would like some personalized guidance and clarity, you can book a free call with me to get clear on whether natural birth control would be a great choice for you.
How to Learn to Use Natural Birth Control Effectively
This is exactly what is taught inside The Natural Birth Control Blueprint. I have brought together scientific wisdom and offer all the tips and tricks to maximize efficacy and understanding.
While many women enter the program for hormone-free birth control, the deeper value is body literacy itself.
Even if you are not currently avoiding pregnancy, learning fertility awareness gives you lifelong tools for understanding your health, advocating for yourself, and making informed decisions with clarity rather than fear.