Basal Body Temperature Method Advantages And Disadvantages 2019

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If you’re considering natural contraception method as a way to avoid pregnancy, I personally believe the basal body temperature method is a great option. But of course, just like in any other life fields, you should first consider the basal body temperature method advantages and disadvantages and decide if it’s the right one for you.

In this post, I made an effort to conclude all the basal body temperature method advantages and disadvantages I could think of.

What is the basal body temperature method?

It’s a natural method of birth control based on fertility awareness. With this method, you find your safe days by observing your basal body temperatures and your cervical mucus on a daily basis.

Fertility awareness;
Recognize your ovulation symptoms and know when you’re safe days of the month are, use this information to avoid getting pregnant.

A woman is not fertile every day of the month, in fact, we are not fertile for most days of the month. And by measuring your basal body temperatures you can recognize exactly when these days are.

How does it work?

A rise in basal body heat is a symptom of fertility.
When a woman is fertile her basal heat goes up by about 0.4-Celsius degrees. (1)

Once you can recognize your safe days you just need to avoid intercourse (or use condoms) on non-safe (fertile) days and the days surrounding them.

What are safe days to avoid pregnancy?

All you will need to do is to measure your temperature by placing the monitor under your tong for 30 seconds each morning. And the monitor will show a red light when you are fertile and a green one when you’re not.

Fertility monitors make this so much easier.

Basal body temperature method advantages

100% Natural – With this method you won’t need to insert any unhealthy substances to your body
Easy – This method is super easy to implement, all you need to do is measure your temperatures under the tong every morning
No side effects – Since you’re not making changes to your body (you just listen) you will suffer no side effects
Effective – when done right, this method is over 99% effective (like pills)
Eco-friendly – Not like other methods of birth control, this one is responsible for zero trash or chemicals in the environment
Save money – if you stick to this method for a few years, it will save you money
Family planning – This method is as useful to achieve pregnancy as it is to avoid one
Get to know your body – With this method, women around the world are reconnecting with their menstrual cycle
Natural intercourse –The basal body temperature method allows you to have condom-free intercourse for most days of the month
Stop whenever – Since this method only includes listening and monitoring you can stop it at any time and change to a different method

Basal body temperature method disadvantages

Doesn’t protect from STDs – This method will not protect you from sex diseases as condoms do
Takes good partnership – since it does not protect from STDs it’s better if you have a single partner that you fully trust
Not for every woman – This method will not be as effective for women with irregular periods
Self-discipline – This method requires measuring yourself every morning (with no exceptions) in order for it to be accurate and effective
Fertile days – On your fertile days you will have to either avoid sex or use condoms
Adjustment time – If you’re using a professional fertility monitor, it takes some time until it gets to know your cycle. At first, you will not get as many green days

Temperature method or hormonal Pills

If you’re here reading this I believe you’re already aware of “The pill” disadvantages. But still, there are a few things I think are worth mentioning.

basal body temperature method advantages and disadvantages

The Pill advantages over basal body method

Effective every day – using The pill you will know every day is safe to have sex without getting pregnant. So you can have intercourse without worrying about pregnancy every day of the month. On the other hand, The temperature method lets you know when it’s safe to have sex and when it isn’t – so not every day is safe for avoiding pregnancy. On some days (fertile days) you will need to either avoid sex or simply use condoms.
Once every evening – for some women, the pill method may be easier to implement. Using The pill you only need to take a pill once every evening. While with The temperature method you need to measure your basal body temperatures under the tong for 30 seconds each morning before getting out of bed.
The pill can help in some cases – The pill helps women regulate their menstrual cycle or make the period less painful. Sometimes it’s the reason why women start taking the pill in the first place. The temperature method is 100% natural, it does not intervene in the body’s symptoms of ovulation. Therefore it does not help with any of the cases mentioned above.

Basal body advantages over the pill

Just listening – The basal body temperature method is 100% natural, you’re not interfering with your body – you’re just listening to it. There are a few types of contraception pills, but they are all based on the principle of intervening with the body’s ovulation and preventing it in an unnatural way.
No symptoms – The temperature method has no side effects and no symptoms. The pill, on the other hand, is responsible for many side effects. Women complain about hair loss, bad skin, mood swings, headaches and more.
Pays itself back – According to our calculations choosing the temperature method over the pill pays itself back after 5-6 years. It really depends on what kind of monitor you buy and what kind of medical coverage you have.
No trash – The temperature method is very Eco-friendly, it creates no trash and has no environmental impact. According to this article, The pills are not only responsible for environmental pollution due to their packaging and rapping but also because after the artificial hormones leave the woman’s body through her urine they end up in our water sources harming marine life and polluting our drinking water.
Family planning – Since the temperature method is about awareness and not about intervention it can be useful also in achieving pregnancy when the time is right. Practicing natural contraception to prevent pregnancy will make you a pro in knowing when you’re fertile to get pregnant in the future. Pills are not useful for family planning, mostly because you can’t start and stop taking pills just whenever you want. To get pills you need to see a doctor and get a prescription and to get off pills you have to wait until you finish your pack. With the temperature method, you can just keep going into family planning.

Basal body Vs. condoms

While the temperature method is 100% natural and has no effects over the environment, condoms come in excessive packaging and are a cause of environmental impact themselves

Some people are allergic to rubber and therefore can not use condoms at all, so the basal body temperature method is great for them

Condoms are a better solution for women who are not in a stable relationship with one partner. The temperature method is not suitable for such individuals as it does not prevent STDs

Some couples find the use of condoms to be inconvenient and disturbing in their sex life so they will choose the temperature method over it and only use condoms when the woman is fertile

Basal body Vs. the calendar method

The calendar method is another way to prevent pregnancy in the area of ‘Fertility awareness’ but it can’t be regarded nearly as safe as the temperature method. With the calendar method, you keep a diary of your periods and then have sex according to when you assume your safe days are. The problem is that even women with very stable periods experience changes in their menstrual cycle, which makes this method not safe enough to be recommended.

With the temperature method you always know if you are fertile today or not, there is no guessing, the monitor will tell you exactly if it’s a green day to have sex without getting pregnant or a red day and you better use protection.

How to choose a monitor

Choosing the thermometer that is right for you depends on a few factors like your budget and your personal comfort.

Thank you for reading what I had to say about basal body temperature method advantages and disadvantages. I hope you find it helpful.

Basal Body Temperature Method Advantages And Disadvantages