How to avoid pregnancy naturally

Pregnancy is a new phase in a woman’s life. It brings more emotions, care and also responsibility of a new life to the pregnant woman. The phase or the duration of pregnancy is the most joyous and unique period in the life of a woman and also highlights their amazing and creative powers of nurturing and also providing a bridge to the future. It is important for the pregnant woman to stay healthy and well-nourished for the better growth of the child. It is possible at times that this great responsibility is endowed upon women who are not ready to bear it or do not wish to be pregnant at the age or at that point of time in their life. They take proper care and try to prevent pregnancy using various methods. These methods have to be highly safe so that they do not adversely affect the woman and her birth cycle, and do not lead to any complications during pregnancy or at a later stage. It is advised that a woman should use natural ways and remedies to avoid pregnancy and avoid artificial ways and medicines as far as possible.

How to avoid pregnancy naturally

How to avoid pregnancy naturally
Precautions
Myths & Facts
OTC products to avoid unwanted pregnancy
FAQs
References

How to avoid pregnancy naturallyThere are some natural ways and homemade remedies that exist which are helpful in avoiding pregnancy. The natural remedies are as follows:

1. A herbal tea made from parsley, also called ajamoda, is helpful in the prevention of pregnancy naturally.
2. Oxytocin is a hormone which causes childbirth. The roots of the cotton plant provide an effective way of preventing pregnancy by stimulating the release of this hormone. The roots are dried and cut into pieces and can be added to tea or can be taken after brewing in hot water. This should be consumed twice a day.
3. Angelica herb also called Dong Quai causes uterine contractions which are helpful in controlling unwanted pregnancy. This is highly effective if consumed within two weeks of the sexual activity.
4. A leafy plant Mugwort also called Indian Wormwood resembles the parsley leaves. It is consumed with a cup of water after it is dried to prevent pregnancy.
5. Dried spearmint is added to tea and consumed daily to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
6. Herbs called blue cohosh and black cohosh enhance and stimulate the release of oxytocin which cause uterine contractions. These herbs are brewed in hot water and made into tea. This tea is effective when consumed 2 to 3 times a day. However, the number of cups per day should be limited to 4.
7. Dried apricots are mixed with honey and warm water. This mixture is boiled for about 20 to 25 minutes and then cooled. This liquid is consumed twice a day for effective results against unwanted pregnancy.
8. Consuming dried fig after an intercourse helps in preventing pregnancy. 2 to 3 figs every day provide very effective results.
9. Eating papaya after sexual activity helps in preventing unwanted pregnancy and birth control. It should be consumed twice a day, for 3 to 4 days to avoid conceiving.
10. An ancient remedy of chewing seeds of wild carrots has proved effective for birth control. These seeds can be soaked in water and grinded to a paste. The paste can be consumed once a day with plenty of water.
11. Stone seed roots should be soaked in cold water for plenty of hours and should be consumed for 6 months continuously for effective results.
12. The Jack in the Pulpit root is a less powerful root that stone seed and can prevent conception for a week. One teaspoon of this root is mixed in half cup of water and the strained water from the mixture is consumed.
13. The herb thistles is placed in boiling water until it leaves a bitter taste in water. The bitter liquid when consumed after straining induces temporary sterility.
14. Quercetin, rutin and Gallic acid found in the weed leaves interfere in the process of conception and thus prevent pregnancy. Some weeds leaves are boiled in equal number of cups of boiling water and strained. The water obtained should be consumed until the woman gets her period.
15. Ginger is boiled in water and the mixture is strained. For effective results, two cups of the ginger water should be consumed every day.
16. Neem act as a natural control for birth. It prevents the fertilization by decreasing the motility of the sperm. The oil extracted from Neem can be injected at the junction of uterus and fallopian tubes so that the sperms are killed within 30 seconds.
17. 500 grams of buckwheat can be consumed every day to avoid conception.
18. Asafoetida is a herb which has a pungent smell. The juice of this herb is consumed with water and helps in preventing unwanted conception or pregnancy.
19. Cinnamon when consumed for a long duration of time causes miscarriage, thus preventing unwanted pregnancy.
20. Indian lilac is used as a herbal remedy against pregnancy. It decreases the motility of the sperms and thus fertilization does not occur. It is available in the form of oil, tablet, extracts and leaves. The lilac oil when injected in the uterus kills sperms within 25 to 30 seconds.
21. Dried pennyroyal is added to boiled spring water after removing it from the heat. This tea is strained after 10 minutes and honey is added to it. Consuming it after unsafe sexual activity helps in preventing pregnancy by promoting menstrual flow and restricting the fertilization of the egg.

PrecautionsAvoiding pregnancy without taking precautions can cause a lot of issues to women. There are many natural ways that exist that help in avoiding pregnancy. However, these should not be used if in case the test for pregnancy is positive. The doctor should be consulted in positive cases as using these remedies might lead to miscarriage which may result in complications. Thus these ways are only used to avoid pregnancy before it is determined positively. There are a certain number of precautions that need to be taken while avoiding pregnancy. These are as follows:

• Overdose of any herb should be avoided as it might lead to renal failures.
• Some natural substances should not be eaten after positive results for pregnancy test, as they may lead to complications and permanent inability of being pregnant again.
• Condoms should be used during any sexual activity as a primary precaution.
• Contraceptive pills should be taken daily without fail. If a woman fails to take the pills regularly, the effectiveness of these pills is reduced and there is an increase in the chances of becoming pregnant.
• The contraceptive pill should not be taken at inappropriate times. It is advised that the pill should be consumed at a fixed time daily, otherwise the flow is broken and the pill becomes ineffective.
• During the periodic cycle or menstruation, any kind of unprotected sexual activity should be avoided.
• A very important precaution is to avoid sexual activity when a woman is under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
• There should be no contact of the exposed genitals.
• The condom and the vagina should not be touched by hands after their contact with the penis.
• A diaphragm can be used to cover the cervix by inserting it into the vagina. This is a cup or dome shaped covering made from rubber which prevents the movement of sperms. This in turn prevents pregnancy as the egg is not fertilised because the sperm is stopped by the diaphragm.
• Depo-Provera is an injection given on the arms or the buttocks of the women. This induces a hormone similar to the progesterone and prevents pregnancy up to 3 months. This provides 99% effective results and protection.
• Implants can be used as a precautionary measure to prevent pregnancy for a duration of 3 to 5 years. It is a match stick sized device which is placed under the skin of the upper arm. This releases a contraceptive hormone called steroid levonorgestrel which prevents pregnancy. Nexplanon and Implanon are two most commonly used implants, but they should not be used frequently as they might have side effects like weight gain. They should only be used at intervals of 5 years.

Myths & FactsThere are certain myths and facts associated with the prevention and avoidance of pregnancy. Some myths related to avoiding pregnancy that are commonly believed are busted by reasonable facts as given below:

Myths Facts There are certain sexual positions which can prevent pregnancy. Anything that involves intercourse can cause pregnancy irrespective of the position. Thus precautionary measures should be used to prevent pregnancy while performing any position during the sexual act. Drinking mountain dew can lower the fertility in men. It is believed that high caffeine content in mountain dew lowers the sperm count in men for some time and thus intercourse after drinking that can prevent pregnancy. There is no proof or scientific study and research that declares mountain dew to be effective in lowering the sperm count and preventing pregnancy. Smoking marijuana or eating the seeds and stems can prevent pregnancy. There are no studies that indicate that marijuana can affect the ovulation cycle of a woman and prevent against pregnancy. There is no relation between drugs and pregnancy prevention. However, under the influence of drugs, unprotected sexual activity might lead to pregnancy. Women think that exercising or jumping after sex can help the semen to come out and prevent pregnancy. It is absolutely foolish to think that once the semen has entered the woman’s body it can be made to come out by jumping or exercising. Even if you run a marathon after sex, it will not do any good in getting the semen out. The reproductive organs are designed in a way that they hold the semen, so once it enters the vagina it cannot be forced to come out.

OTC ProductsApart from natural remedies, some over the counter products and medicines are available that are safe for avoiding pregnancy. These OTC products are also very effective and are available in the market at very affordable prices. Some over the counter products are listed below:

How to avoid pregnancy naturally – medicines

I Pill Emergency Contraceptive pill: It is the most widely used contraceptive pill in India. It contains the levonorgestrol hormone which provides maximum protection against pregnancy, if consumed immediately after the sexual activity. It is effective only when taken within 12 to 72 hours of the intercourse.
Unwanted 72: It is a drug which should be taken within 72 hours of the coitus. 1.5 milligrams of the drug is advised to be taken as a single dose for effective results.
Preventol: `The dose of preventol includes two tablets each containing 0.75 milligrams of levonorgestrol. The first pill should be taken immediately after sex and the second one within 12 hours, for effective protection against pregnancy.
Truston 2: This is similar to preventol. However, the first tablet can be taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex and the other one within 12 hours from the consumption of the first tablet.
Nextime pill: It contains 1.5 milligrams of levonorgestrol and should be consumed within 72 hours of any sexual activity to avoid pregnancy.
Clr-72: It is a single pill which should be consumed within 72 hours. But for 90% effective protection, it should be taken within 24 hours of unprotected intercourse.
TPill-72: It is very effective when consumed within 3 days of contraceptive failure or unprotected sexual activity.
No-will pill: It should be taken within 24 hours to avert an unwanted pregnancy.

FAQsWomen often have a lot of questions regarding various pregnancy prevention methods. Their curiosity is satisfied by some of these frequently asked questions which are very helpful for them:
✔What is the most economical and affordable form of birth control?
Women can take contraceptive pills like I Pill, Unwanted 72 or other OTC products as mentioned above which are easily available at a reasonable price. Their price varies from Rs 50 to Rs 80. Women can ask their partners to use condoms which are also available easily in the market at a very low price. Some methods like pulling out before ejaculation can be considered to be free but are not effective at all.
✔Can birth control pills cause weight gain?
There are no side effects of the birth control pills and they do not have any effect on the weight of the women who use them.
✔Are there any birth control methods that cause infertility?
No, all the birth control methods are temporary and prevent the case of pregnancy immediately after unprotected sex. The fertility returns once the use of the birth control pills is discontinued. However, sterilization techniques like tubectomy for females are permanent birth control techniques. After a woman undergoes the process of tubectomy, she can never become pregnant again.