Safe days to avoid pregnancy is a scientifically tested and proven method of preventing pregnancy. It will help you avert pregnancy without necessarily having to introduce hormonal drugs or injections in your body. This natural family planning method has been in use since time immemorial and bears the lowest risk if well used.

When trying to conceive, it can be helpful to know when ovulation happens and know the most fertile days of the cycle when the possibility of getting pregnant is high. This also applies to you if you are trying to prevent pregnancy. If you do not want to conceive, you need to know how to calculate safe days when the risk of getting pregnant after having sex is low.

What are safe days to avoid pregnancy?

Although a woman can get pregnant at any time of the month when she has sex without contraception use, there are certain days in the menstrual cycle when she is least likely to get pregnant after having unprotected vaginal sex with her partner. These days are what is referred to as the safe days to have sex.

Some women who do not like the artificial family planning methods have mastered the art of counting the days on their cycles when they are least likely to get pregnant, and it has worked perfectly for them. This method works best for women who have a regular cycle that lasts between 26 to 32 days, although most women's menstrual cycle lasts 28 days.

Safe days in a 28-day cycle

The use of safe days is a natural family planning method that is sometimes usually referred to as the calendar method. Before using the calendar method as a form of family planning, you need to keep track of your periods for at least six cycles.

If all your periods last less than 27 days, this method is not suitable for you. So, how do you calculate the safe days to have unprotected sex with your partner?

• Find the shortest cycle in your past six-cycle record.
• Subtract 18 days from the total number of days in the shortest cycle.
• Count that number from the first day of your current cycle and mark it with a red pen.
• If your shortest cycle happens to be 28 days, if you subtract 18 from 28, you'll have ten days left with you.

If the day you received your menses was on the 10th day of the month, you'd mark on the 20th of that month with a red pen, and that's your fertile period. Having unprotected vaginal sex on that day will put you at a higher risk of getting pregnant. You can continue having sex after the next 12 days as you will be safe then.

How many days before and after my periods am I safe?

Safe days is a natural family planning method that has been in use for the longest time possible. It was invented long before other artificial family planning methods, and it is still in use to date. The method has been modified as women are now given cycle beads which help women keep track of their days without confusion.

Even with that, the same question still rolls up, "How do I know my safe days to avoid pregnancy?" Here is a breakdown of what happens in your body during the 28 days menstrual cycle.

• Day 1 - 7: The menstruation period is the least fertile stage of the cycle, and you are less likely to conceive.
• Day 8 - 9: During the post-menstruation period, there is a likelihood of you conceiving at this stage.
• Day 10 - 14: During ovulation, there is a high chance of you conceiving, avoid vaginal sex, or use an alternative family planning method such as condom use.
• Day 15 - 16: During the post-ovulation period, there is a possibility that you can conceive at this time.
• Day 17 - 28: The stage is referred to as uterine lining thickening. You're less likely to conceive at this period as you are less fertile.

A woman can get pregnant at any time of her cycle. Therefore, you are advised to combine safe days with other natural family planning methods such as basal body temperature and vaginal mucous discharge. They are also required to know signs of ovulation, which will help them know the exact ovulation date.

Safe days calculator

The safe days' calculator makes your work even simpler as it helps you know your safe days easily. There is only one thing required of you when using the calculator -- remember the first day of your menstrual cycle, the longest and shortest days on your cycle in a period of 6 months.

The calculator then lets you key in the dates as requested, then automatically calculates for you your safe days for not getting pregnant.

The downside of safe days

The major flaw with this method is that it requires discipline, which could be hard to practice with partners too close or living together. Again this method is not recommended for those whose cycle is either irregular or exceeds 28 days.

For those having sexual relations solely for pleasure and not procreation, this method is not for you, and you should consider other less risky alternatives.

Signs of ovulation

When you're working out safe days, you should watch out for the signs of ovulation. Ovulation occurs one day after the fertile window, and you need to abstain from unprotected vaginal sex to prevent pregnancy. Here are some of the signs that you should watch out for to know if you are ovulating:

• Mild cramping in your lower abdomen goes away after some time.
• Increased basal body temperature.
• Increased urge to have sex.
• A wet and clear discharge from the vagina, which looks like egg white in colour.

To be certain of your ovulation, you can also acquire ovulation kits, which will help you know the exact ovulation day in your cycle.

If you are searching for a natural and safe family planning method, then safe days to avoid pregnancy should be on top of your list. But keep in mind, your cycle days can still change each month based on various factors such as stress, diet, or heavy exercise. If you have irregular cycles, speak to your doctor about the best birth control plan for you.

DISCLAIMER: All the information in this article is not implied or intended to be a substitute for any professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, images, graphics, and information contained on this page is only for general information purposes.

Tuko.co.ke published an article on the best DIY home pregnancy test without a kit. Of course, you can detect pregnancy from how your body feels. some of the very first signs include fatigue, urinating frequently, feeling sleepy and increased sense of smell. However, you can only know if you are truly pregnant by testing.

Certainly, there are standard methods of testing pregnancy using kits bought from different stores or done by doctors in a hospital. But, what if you don't want anybody else to know just yet?. Simple. Just use the common ingredients to test for pregnancy using DIY home pregnancy test methods. This said, keep in mind that these DIY tests are not the most accurate.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

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