There are enough natural ways to prevent pregnancy if you understand your body’s reproductive cycle and the fertility period.
Teen girls can be fertile for several days before and after their ovulation. There are chances of accidental pregnancy even when having sex in a safe period.
You don’t have to go through any surgical method or birth control pills to avoid pregnancy.
How to Plan and Avoid Pregnancy Naturally
1. Fertility Days Count: The best method is to know the fertility days of your body. You will be extremely fertile before 5 days of your ovulation and throughout the ovulation days. You should avoid sexual intercourse in the fertile time to avoid pregnancy.
2. Monitor Your Basal Body Temperature: Make a 3-months chart of your basal body temperature (the lowest temperature of your body in 24hrs of time). Record temperature everyday morning using a basal body thermometer.
Before the ovulation, the average body temperature will range between 97.2 and 97.7 degrees fahrenheit. The temperature will rise from 0.4 to 1 degree after 2-3 days of your ovulation and this rise will last up to 7 to 12 days before lowering again.
Careful monitoring of your basal body temperature reveals you exactly your ovulation days.
3. Menstrual Cycle Tracking: This is the easiest or the most common method used to prevent pregnancy. 28 to 32 days is the regular menstrual cycle. Mark the first and last day of your cycle and count the total days. Make a chart for a minimum of 8 months.
Count the total days in your shortest and longest cycles. Subtract 18 from the shortest cycle and 11 from the longest. The days that you got either of these methods is the starting of your fertility time. Avoid intercourse at this time to prevent pregnancy.
4. Cervical Mucus Checking: By checking the cervical mucus (vaginal discharge) everyday morning after your periods gives a pattern of your fertility time. The presence of certain mucus types reveals the fertility period.
| Time | Mucus Type |
| 3-5 days after the period | Little or no discharge |
| After 3-5 days / dry period | Cloudy and tacky mucus |
| After tacky mucus | Yellowish/ white/ creamy mucus |
| After creamy mucus | Thin /stretchy mucus like egg whites |
When the mucus is thin and stretchy, ovulation happens and you are extremely fertile for a pregnancy.
Precautions to be Taken to Avoid Pregnancy
If you can take precautions properly during the intercourse then you can avoid unwanted pregnancy to a great extent.
- Have sex during your safe period
- Practice start-stop method
- Don’t touch the first discharge (pre-cum) from the penis, just before the sex. There are chances of sperms on the discharge
- Avoid touching the vagina after touching condom after ejaculation
Here are 11 home remedies to avoid pregnancy in 2020
Best Herbs to Avoid Pregnancy Naturally (Home Remedies)
#1. Blue Cohosh (Papoose Root) to Avoid Pregnancy
Blue cohosh root promotes the production of two substances called oxytocin and saponin which helps to induce uterine contractions thereby prevents the chances of pregnancy.
Other than preventing pregnancy, the herb is used to induce abortion in case if you didn’t take any precautions during intercourse.
- Add a few pieces of blue cohosh in a cup of water and boil for 5 minutes.
- Strain and consume immediately.
- Women should continue drinking this tea until their periods start.
Caution: Blue cohosh should be consumed after consulting with your doctor. Also, more than 1 tablespoon of this herb is not recommended for women.
#2. Wild Carrots (Jangli Gajar) as Home Remedy
Wild carrot seed is a strong contraceptive herb if taken orally immediately after the sexual intercourse. The seed contains more potent antifertility agents which suppress the chances of pregnancy.
The wild carrot seeds give a slippery effect to the uterus so that the egg cannot implant.
- Chew and swallow 1 teaspoon of Jangli Gajar seeds immediately after unprotective sex, later every day for a week.
#3. Silphium (Indian Cup-plant)
Silphium is an expensive herb coming from the fennel family, widely known for its natural contraceptive properties.
The herb was used in the ancient days to prevent pregnancy as well as to induce labor. Silphium herb also helps to induce menstruation early.
- Make a juice with the extracts of the silphium seeds and consume after intercourse.
- You can put a small ball of wool soaked in the plant’s juice in the vagina before and after the intercourse.
#4. Cinnamon (Dalcheeni) to Avoid Pregnancy
Cinnamon has been used by centuries to prevent pregnancy. Cinnamon helps to induce uterine contractions and thereby menstruation occurs. But, cinnamon does not provide you with an immediate effect. Instead, you should consume for a longer time.
- Make cinnamon tea by adding a few pieces of cinnamon into a cup of water.
- Boil well and consume daily.
- Regular intake helps you in birth control.
#5. Indian Lilac (Neem) as Home Remedy
Several studies over neem concluded neem to be an effective herbal contraceptive which can be used by both men and women. Neem can be consumed in the form of oil, powder and leaves for contraception.
Neem oil is a very effective birth control option for females. Neem oil immobilizes the sperm cells within 20 to 30 seconds when contacting with the sperms. For men, neem tablets intake on a regular basis promotes reversible sterility.
Procedure 1
- Insert a cotton ball soaked in neem oil into the vagina 15 minutes before intercourse
- Leave in there for up to 5 minutes to allow the vagina walls to get properly coated with the oil.
- Repeat the procedure after the intercourse for better results.
Procedure 2
- Inject a small amount of neem oil at the point where the uterus and fallopian tubes meet, which can stop the fertility for a full year in women.
#6. Dried Fig (Anjeer)
Using dried fig for contraception is followed since ancient days. Fig also helps to increase the blood circulation in your body. Remember not to eat anjeer in large quantities, which may upset your stomach badly.
- Eat 2-3 dried figs every day.
- Consume immediately after the intercourse for better results.
#7. Buckwheat (Kuttu)
Buckwheat is an extremely effective herb to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Rutin, one of the primary substance present in buckwheat has anti-fertility properties which do not allow the uterus to implant.
- Eat buckwheat before and after intercourse.
- Consume 500gms of buckwheat along with the daily meals.
- Another method is taking 500mg rutin tablets before, after and post ovulation till the periods starts.
Caution: Avoid buckwheat if you are diabetic. Also if you are allergic to gluten, don’t eat buckwheat.
#8. Ginger Tea as Home Remedy to Avoid Pregnancy
Ginger is used for centuries as an effective natural way of birth control. Ginger helps to increase the heat within the body. Which leads to an increase in the contraction of uterus muscles which helps to induce the periods early.
- Add 5-6 pieces of fresh ginger to 250ml of water.
- Boil the water until the amount reduced to half and the color turned to dark yellow.
- Strain the mixture and add 1 tablespoon of honey.
- Consume this ginger tea twice a day until your period begins.
Best Fruits to Avoid Pregnancy Naturally
#9. Papaya as Home Remedy
Progesterone is the reproductive hormone responsible to protect the pregnancy in the uterus. The enzyme, papain present in the papaya fruit suppress progesterone, thereby eating papaya on a regular basis prevent pregnancy naturally.
Unripe papaya can also induce an abortion if it consumed for at least three to four days after intercourse.
- Eat around 250gms of unripe papaya daily for 3-4 days after unprotected sex.
- You should start eating the papaya from the very first day of the intercourse.
Check out - Home remedies for vaginal itching and burning
#10. Pineapple as Home Remedy
Pineapple is usually not recommended for pregnant woman. Consuming pineapple may lead to miscarriage.
There is an enzyme called bromelain present in the pineapple can break down the protein in the body and leads to abnormal bleeding. Unripe pineapple will induce uterine contractions and thereby a menstrual flow.
- Eat a cup of unripe pineapple every day and continue until your periods begin.
#11. Vitamin C to Prevent Pregnancy
Vitamin C has the properties to suppress the reproductive hormone progesterone (the most essential hormone to maintain the pregnancy). This suppression can help you in birth control.
Eating Vitamin C rich foods on a regular basis can be a natural contraceptive method when you have unprotective sex.
- Fruits such as orange, lime, papaya, kiwi and vegetables like broccoli, capsicum are rich in Vitamin C.
- You need to eat these food items before and after the ovulation days till the menstruation occurs, also after the intercourse too.
Some Useful Tips
- You should aware that the herbs or other methods mentioned here are not always 100% effective, there are chances to fail.
- You need to practice discipline and self-control.
- If you are using natural ways of birth control, you must be committed to the decision in order to get the maximum results.
- Always have an open talk with your partner to tackle the issues.
- Consult your doctor if you have any health problems.