Introduction of Family Planning

When you start searching for options in family planning, it's important to understand all of your choices and which might be best for you. When you'd like to postpone a pregnancy, artificial and natural methods of family planning can help you do so. Also, if you're ready to plan a pregnancy, it's important that you have the knowledge to maximize your chances for conception.

Using Artificial Family Planning Methods

• If you're wanting to postpone pregnancy, consider using an artificial method of birth control. Surgical, hormonal and non-hormonal options exist to help you stay in control of postponing pregnancy. Surgical options--the most effective, according to Planned Parenthood--include female sterilization and vasectomy. In female sterilization, a woman undergoes a permanent surgery that closes or blocks the Fallopian tubes. Once tubes are closed or blocked, eggs can't go through to be fertilized. A vasectomy, on the other hand, is a solution for males. During a vasectomy, the tubes that carry sperm out of the penis are blocked.

  Hormonal options include the birth control pill, patch, vaginal ring, implant, shot or intra-uterine device (IUD). These methods use a combination of hormones to prevent ovulation. They also thicken cervical mucus to help block sperm and keep it from joining the egg. Some options, such as the pill, must be taken every day to remain effective; however, an IUD might last as long as 12 years, according to Planned Parenthood. Costs also vary on these methods.

  You could also consider using non-hormonal methods of family planning, such as the birth control sponge, cervical cap, condoms, diaphragm and spermicide. These vary on price, and options such as condoms might provide fewer side effects than hormonal options. Condoms also might prevent the spreading of sexually transmitted diseases. The sponge and the diaphragm block sperm from entering the uterus, and the diaphragm also uses spermicide. Some women might experience an allergic reaction to chemicals in spermicide. Planned Parenthood recommends that you combine spermicide with another form of non-hormonal birth control to increase its effectiveness.

Using Natural Family Planning Methods

• If you're interested in following a more natural approach to family planning, consider using a fertility-based awareness method. For maximum effectiveness, try the sympto-thermal method, as John and Sheila Kippley, authors of "The Art of Natural Family Planning," say that only two couples out of 100 will experience a surprise pregnancy when the method is practiced correctly. To use the sympto-thermal method, track your cervical mucus and basal body temperature. Cervical mucus increases and becomes stretchy as ovulation approaches. Check your mucus either internally or externally at the labia. Also, take your waking temperature every day at the same time, as a surge of progesterone that follows ovulation will raise your basal body temperature approximately 0.4 degrees.

  Planned Parenthood also recognizes a few other forms of fertility-based awareness methods you might find helpful. The Calendar Method has you chart nine to 12 cycles to determine your shortest and longest cycles. Once you have this information, you can follow a simple formula for determining when your fertile phase starts.

  Another method is the Standard Days Method, which works well for women whose cycle lengths aren't shorter than 26 days or longer than 32 days. In this method, abstain from intercourse from days seven to 18. This method uses a string of colored beads that helps you track fertile days.

Achieving Pregnancy

• When you're ready to achieve pregnancy, stop all forms of hormonal or non-hormonal birth control. Some methods, such as the birth control shot, might make it take longer to achieve a pregnancy. Fertility-based awareness methods, however, are completely reversible. Simply have intercourse during your fertile phase. Also, if you're following the sympto-thermal method, have sex when cervical mucus becomes stretchier. After a few cycles, you should also be able to find a pattern for your peak day, or the day immediately before your temperature spike.

  Even if you were using an artificial method of birth control before you decided to try to conceive, charting signs such as cervical mucus and basal body temperature will still help to you achieve a pregnancy. The Kippleys warn, though, that it could take four months for natural fertility signs to return to their normal state after ending a hormonal option such as the birth control pill.