Birth control in a EOTWAWKI situation?

[Denim Deb]

I thought Queen Anne's Lace was poisonous? It'd definately be birth control if it kills ya JK...

Nope, Queen Anne's Lace isn't poisonous. It's actually a wild carrot. But, there are look alikes that are poisonous, so you need to know for sure which is which. The QAL smells like a carrot, plus if you look at the center flower, it's often a dark color.

 

[Blaundee]

I've touched up on herbal contraceptions in my studies, but would have to do the research again because seeings as I have no need for it, I tossed it right out of my mind. Really NFP is the way to go. Just learn your body.......it doesn't ovulate 24/7. Its the healthiest method in existance. It can be used to both reproduce and to space the children. I don't really mind getting pregnant, but DH talks like he doesn't want another and I haven't caught a baby in almost 6 years. Also, between baby #2 and #3, there is a 6 year gap and that didn't happen by accident. I don't use withdrawal, thermometers, expensive equipment or monitor a period, exactly. You don't even need a normal period to use the Billings method of NFP. Rhythym is a form of NFP, but its not dependable. It would work in the perfect world where a woman can guarantee a perfect 30 day cycle, with no interruptions, due to life's shocks, nervousness, illnesses or flukes, but seeings as most of our bodies can freak out, due to stress and such, its nice to have another method, which is just as natural. Billings can be used, even if you don't have a period at all, such as in lactating. Anyone ever told you, you couldn't get pregnant if you were nursing a baby? Well, guess again.......I did it. All I knew was rhythym at the time, but with Billings, I can just monitor my bodies sign's of fertility. It does mean exercising some self-control though.

It TOTALLY makes sense, it's the opposite of breeding an animal when she is "in heat"! It seems rather easy as long as you pay attention to what your body is doing. Was child #3 completely intentional?

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Of all my kids, #3 was the most intended. I'm 30 years older than that one and I was the most prepared ever to have a baby with her. I was in good enough shape to have a good, healthy pregnancy, I had grown up enough with DH that we were less likely to make as many stupid decisions in front of kids, I was a nurse and figured I knew better how to take care of a baby than I had previously.....lots of reasons. Also, I wanted another girl because girl babies are healthier and I already had one of each. A nurse had told me how to better insure conceiving a girl rather than a boy, if that was how I wanted it, but as a result of avoiding the boy days, I missed the month I really wanted to get pregnant and I ended up having a baby in March, when I really wanted a February baby. Thats another thing.....if you want a certain sex, you can more easily get your preference if you know your ovulation cycle.

 

[Blaundee]

When I first got married, I read and printed out a bunch of stuff on how to increase your odds of conceiving the desired gender, everything from positions to ovulation days to diets. I think I still have that around here somewhere, I guess I should put it in my info binder.

 

[Denim Deb]

Rhoda, that's really interesting. I'd never heard all of that B4. I only ever had the 2, and had trouble getting pregnant w/#2. I didn't want my kids almost 6 years apart. Nor, did I want to be pregnant during the summer again. But, I had also decided if I wasn't pregnant by my 30th birthday, we were going to stop trying. I woke up about a month B4 my 30th w/morning sickness. I took a pregnancy test to humor the doctor.

Personally, I'd never use BC again. I don't recall now why I went off of it, but my whole system was screwed up and remained screwed up for years. I can't say for sure it was because of the BC, but I've heard of others having similar problems because of using it.

 

[Blaundee]

I myself would rather never go off of birth control pills, which is why I was hoping there'd be some sort of herbal or otherwise natural type of bc that would work like the pill, but I've never heard of one. I started my period when I was 12, and had HORRID pain until I got on birth control when I got married at 22. I've been married for over 9 years, and in the first year of taking birth control pills I began taking them continuosly, only having 3-5 "periods" per year, and I never, EVER want to go back! I can handle pain, I'm not a wimp, I only go to the doctor if I truly must, and even when I get cluster headaches, I still do my work through them... but period cramps are horrid, I've never felt anything worse, or nearly as bad. My mom and youngest sister get painful periods, but not as bad as mine, and my other sister gets almost no pain at all! We all started our periods at 12yo.

If I had no need for birth control, I would still want to be on the pills because of the pain. I was in mild pain from the time I ovulated until the first day of my period, when I was in horrid pain, couldnt move, nausea, diarrhea, all I could do was cry. Sometimes this would last 3 days, but usually only 1-1/2 days... as soon as it would end, I'd fall asleep, then wake up and get to doing my work again. All that week I'd have very strong cramps all day and night, bad enough that sometimes I'd double over but not bad enough to make me cry. The 2 weeks after my period ended were good, but over the 10 years it never changed- always that routine, every single month. Mom talked to the doctor about putting me on birth control when I was 16, but the doctor wouldnt prescribe them to me because she thought I'd become sexually active. Mind you, I was raised in a very strict home, and had no boyfriends, was homeschooled- plus, I was too well trained... also, my mom was always against birth control pills, always preferred natural methods for everything, but hated to see me in such pain. I bled very heavily, too.

When I first started on the pill, I had "periods" (I put them in quotations because they aren't "real" periods because you dont ovulate) every month- I still had painful cramping, but it was about half of what they'd been before- I wished I had known about it all along! About 6 months later I went to the continuos dose, and have almost no cramping when I have a "period", except some cramping around the start of my period- it'll wake me up at night, and keep me from running a lot, and make me move a little slower when carrying heavy things, but it is NOTHING compared to before!

I'd LOVE to be able to be on something healthier for you, but as long as I have a choice I will not choose the pain. I've researched all of the hormonal methods, talked to several doctors, and researched more- the low dose pill is the safest of all the hormonal methods.

As for birth control for SHTF plan, I am ready to handle the painful periods, my main reasoning for bc would be because I wouldnt want to bring a child into that world, and I am 32 this summer- so in say 3-5 years, I'd be an "older mother" if I get pregnant, which isnt good for mom or baby. I dont care either way about having kids, but hubby doesnt want them, and I'm happy with that. I have thought about a hysterectomy, but anesthesia has risks that worry me, and then I'd be having menopause issues- vaginal dryness, heat flashes, osteoporosis, etc...

To give a little more info, my mom has been going through "pre-menopause" for the past 7 or 8 years, she finally was put on the pill by a doctor who tends to prefer natural methods and she is much happier and healthier than she has been in years. She was having a heavy period every 2 weeks, and it was making her anemic & weak.

 

[Blaundee]

Wow, I didnt mean for that to be so long!

 

[Emerald]

There is another side to this that I think many of us are forgetting entirely. (or want to forget as they are not pleasant) It's not pretty and it is something that you wouldn't wish on anyone but if the S does HTF there are gonna be some pretty major breakdowns of society as we know it. It is one thing to want to be prepared if it was just you and yours but what about any of the criminal elements? Rape happens now I can't see it going away after a world altering event. In that event you are not gonna get a rapist to stop and use a home made condom and you will not be able to say.. Oh sorry.. not now-wrong time of the month ya know. (not to belittle any of the a fore mentioned birth control methods at all here just playing devils advocate)
Sure there are chemical pills right now that force your body to start a period in cases of failed birth control but they only work to stop conception the day after(they do not work if you are already pregnant). It might be worth looking into herbal or natural forms to bring on periods or to prevent pregnancy after the attack. And any STDs that may be out there.
if we are planning on things for TEOTWAWKI then we should look at all possible things not just the "hope for the best" ones. and not to forget the mental scope of things like this..

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Well, if someone has a rather horrible period, there are treatments that could be implimented, with the desired effects. There are lots of female herbs. I placed an order of $137, mainly in seeds from Baker Creek, which are largely for herbal remedies. I ordered them to suit my families needs, but I haven't included any herbs that would qualify in this area.....like I said, I put the contraceptive herbs outta my mind.
What would I do if someone decides to victimize me.......I hope he'd show up on a day I'm slaughtering, because I don't think I look like the perfect victim on those days. A total meltdown would probably indicate that every man for himself and I'm not sure how high on the priority list rape would be, so I think I'd just have to deal with it. But as far as what to do with a child conceived in such a mannor.....pretty sure his/her little butt would be all mine, cuz I won't say what kinda revenge I think I'd take.....or what kinda revenge the men in my family would be likely to take.
But you are right....the possibility of an attack is always a possibility. Personally, I think all women should take some kinda self-defense class and have some emergency back-up plans, involving weapon use or escape routes and such. Bad enough to have been put into a body that is naturally weaker than our counterparts, without being left completely at someone's mercy. A while back, I was taking a Body Combat class at our local gym, which I considered an important SS skill. What good is it to be able to feed my family and preserve food and keep my house warm if a criminal can just come in here and help himself. Unfortunately I had to fork over a vehicle to my oldest for educational purposes and now that I've remedied that problem with transportation, I haven't started working out again. Self-defense should be ever on our minds. You just never know when or how danger might present itself.

 

[Blaundee]

There is another side to this that I think many of us are forgetting entirely. (or want to forget as they are not pleasant) It's not pretty and it is something that you wouldn't wish on anyone but if the S does HTF there are gonna be some pretty major breakdowns of society as we know it. It is one thing to want to be prepared if it was just you and yours but what about any of the criminal elements? Rape happens now I can't see it going away after a world altering event. In that event you are not gonna get a rapist to stop and use a home made condom and you will not be able to say.. Oh sorry.. not now-wrong time of the month ya know. (not to belittle any of the a fore mentioned birth control methods at all here just playing devils advocate)
Sure there are chemical pills right now that force your body to start a period in cases of failed birth control but they only work to stop conception the day after(they do not work if you are already pregnant). It might be worth looking into herbal or natural forms to bring on periods or to prevent pregnancy after the attack. And any STDs that may be out there.
if we are planning on things for TEOTWAWKI then we should look at all possible things not just the "hope for the best" ones. and not to forget the mental scope of things like this..

I've thought of things like that too. Along with my birth control rx, I am automatically given a "Plan B" rx, too, but I have never filled it or used it- I've thought about going ahead and getting it a few times, just to store in the cellar for in case a rape happens to one of us... but haven't yet- I dont really feel it's quite ethical to use a Plan B, but I sure wouldnt want myself or my sisters to have to carry a rape baby.... I dont really know what the right thing to do is.