On birth control... or rather, off of it.

WARNING: I am about to talk about something highly personal. If this makes you uncomfortable, look away now!

Can I just say that it's ridiculous how much effort goes into not getting pregnant?

In the time I have "been with" my husband (he is my one and only), I have tried pretty much every type of contraception out there. The pill (multiple types and doses), the patch, condoms, etc. Most recently, I gave NuvaRing a try because my OB/GYN gave me a free one, and... I hated it. I know some women do great with it, but for some reason it just wouldn't stay in place for me, and things got pretty uncomfortable in the three weeks I was using it.

The only time I've ever felt totally "me" was when I was off hormonal birth control (basically when we were trying to conceive). During that time, I used my basal body temperature to chart my cycles, and I found myself to be pretty "regular" and therefore pretty predictable. Within two or three cycles, I could look at my temps and know exactly when I was ovulating, and also when I could expect "Aunt Flo" to arrive. It's pretty awesome the way our bodies work, isn't it?

So, anyway. A few days ago, as my days with NuvaRing were coming to a close, I told Justin I'd probably call my doctor and ask for a refill of the pill. We got to talking, and a few ideas came to mind. First of all, the whole reason I decided to try the ring was because I'd missed a few pills last month, simply because life with a full time job and a 7 month old baby is too crazy to always remember to take it at the same time. Secondly, I have sometimes felt "off" on the pill. I've had hormonal headaches and mood swings, among other things.

I think you see where this is going. We've decided that I'm going to stop taking hormonal birth control and go back to natural family planning (with condoms as a back-up). Let's be honest: there aren't very many days each month where pregnancy is possible, and if you can anticipate approximately when that is going to be, preventing pregnancy isn't rocket science.

So.. to recap, no, we're not trying for another baby. :) I love my little squishy man, but I'm not ready for another one like him just yet. Although we do want more. Just not right this second. We're just taking our fertility into our own hands. If you're curious or want to know more about natural family planning, check out Toni Weschler's book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility. This book taught me a lot about how my body works, and gave me the knowledge that helped us conceive our son. I think it's pretty cool that the same knowledge can be used to prevent another pregnancy until we're ready to try again. Know what I mean? Whew... if you've read this far, kudos. Here's a cute picture of Colin as a reward!