Natural alternatives to hormonal contraceptives

If you’re here reading this I’m going to bet you’ve consider coming off birth control. Maybe you already have come off? I’m guessing that either you’ve experienced unwanted side effects or you’ve realized that the Pill really isn’t treating your hormonal health problems. If you’ve recently stopped taking birth control, be sure to check out my how-to guide for the transition.

First of all, congratulations! You’ve just made a hugely important step towards restoring your natural cycle and living in your Flo. Stick with me and you can have beautifully clear skin, clockwork pain-free periods, and heal your PCOS or endometriosis - all without the Pill. You don’t need it!“

But, wait, what about contraception?” - you say? I hear you, which is why I want to dedicate this post to exploring your natural alternative options. How did I go pregnancy scare-free for years before choosing to have my baby when I was ready? I’m going to let you in on a secret...

I still use condoms!

I’ve been married to my husband Vic for a few years now, but we have always and still use condoms. I know a lot of people feel like a committed relationship is no place for condoms. It’s like we see condom-less sex as a sign of love and trust. Well, I have to say, I don’t agree. If your man loves you, he will use condoms!

Here’s why:

1. They allow you to forgo synthetic hormone exposure. I am so hormonally sensitive and cannot tolerate, like many of you who struggle with PCOS, Fibroids, Endometriosis, the synthetic hormones in oral contraception. I also get to maintain my micronutrient balance and my microbiome health by not having to take the pill. Much smarter option.
2. They actually work. If you don’t want to be on birth control then you need an effective alternative and condoms really do work when used as they’re supposed to be used (which really isn’t that hard to figure out!). When used correctly and consistently they are about as effective as the Pill at preventing pregnancy.
3. They prevent bacterial and viral infections. Your lady parts are very sensitive and prone to picking up any bacteria or viruses going. STD’s can impact your fertility as well as being super uncomfortable and unpleasant. If you want to be a mom at some time in the future - use condoms today! It’s the best way of protecting your vaginal environment and keeping your reproductive organs healthy. Check out my post on bacterial vaginosis if you want to know more.
4. They prevent HPV contraction. Although you can cure yourself of HPV naturally (more on that later!), having HPV puts you at risk of cervical cancer. It’s best to never get this virus in the first place and the best way to avoid this as much as possible it is by using condoms.
5. They don’t depend on trust. I love and trust my husband fully. I don’t think that condoms are somehow anti-romance nor do I think that they can’t be part of a loving relationship. The Ashley Madison scandal should have everyone thinking about the reality of modern relationships! To my mind, if your partner loves you - he will wear a condom, honestly it’s the modern chivalrous version of putting his cape over a puddle. Because if you were to contract a disease this way, it could cause you health problems for your whole life. It’s up to your man to do the research to find a condom he likes using - there are so many out there these days there’s really no excuse. We use L condoms and Trojan Ultra Thin brands. If he really resists condoms, make it something fun and flirty - buy samples of a few brands and invite him to give you a condom fashion show!

Top tip: I only use condoms with spermicide when I’m ovulating, because spermicide can be irritating to the vagina and cause you to be susceptible to infections.

More natural alternatives to hormonal contraceptives

If you want to be super-safe about preventing pregnancy you can always double up with another natural method. I have a few to recommend. You can make using these a part of your foreplay - having a diaphragm in over dinner can feel kinda sexy if you know you’re going to be in bed with your partner later!

• The diaphragm. A new one-size-fits all Flo-purple diaphragm just came to the US! Caya is available by prescription, but you no longer need to find a doctor who knows how to do a fitting.
• The Today sponge. Even though you can still buy the sponge at RiteAid or CVS, you never hear about them anymore. I don’t know why, because it’s a great natural alternative contraceptive. You do use spermicide with this, but you could choose a natural option like ContraGel.

You can use living in your Flo to also manage your fertility -

• Tracking your cycle. Living in your Flo means being aware of where you are in your cycle week to week. This is wonderful for planning your diet, your exercise and your activities, but it can also be useful information when it comes to preventing pregnancy. It just takes a little more awareness and engagement with your body to pinpoint your fertile window. You can track your BBT (basal body temperature) with a device like Daysy or LadyComp, and/or observe changes in your cervical fluid, and then avoid sex completely during your fertile time or know to use condoms plus a spermicide to be safe.

And, if you want to be super-super-safe --

• Wild carrot seed (also known as Queen Anne’s Lace). This ancient herbal remedy has been used for centuries by women to prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg into the uterine wall. You can take wild carrot seed if you have sex when you’re fertile and the condom breaks (these things do happen!). The first thing you might think of in this situation is Plan B medication, but that can disrupt your hormones and your cycle, so if you’d rather have a natural alternative look into the wild carrot seed protocol. For more information on studies and dosage read this informative site who references the master herbalist Robin Rose Bennett’s work with this herb.

Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you!  You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!

To your FLO,

Alisa