the womb room podcast
episode 11:
3 steps to preventing pregnancy without hormones
One of the most common messages I get from women is, “I really don't want to be on birth control anymore…but I just can't risk getting pregnant.”
And I get it!
We've been taught, either explicitly or implicitly, that pregnancy is always a possibility, that our fertility should be feared, and that the “safest” or most “responsible” way to manage is with synthetic hormones or medical devices.
Even deeper than this, most of us have internalized the message that we can't be trusted to self-govern our bodies.
I ultimately support you being able to do whatever you want to do with your body, including being on hormonal contraceptives if it's right for you. But, most of the women I know don't feel fully aligned with being on hormonal birth control – it just feels like the only reliable option.
What if your method of contraception was totally aligned with your sovereignty, improved your health, and pleasure-centered?
This is why body literacy is SO important: because if you have a deep understanding of the physiology of your cycles (and you can!), then you'll know that you CAN confidently and effectively prevent pregnancy without relying on hormones.
Today on the podcast, I'm walking you through 3 steps you need to understand in order to take a sovereign approach to pregnancy prevention.
These steps are:
understanding your fertile window (hint: you're only fertile 6 days per cycle!)
having a plan to manage your fertile window (Expand your experience of sex? Withdrawal? Use a barrier or topical method of protection?)
Have a backup for when there's an “oops” (Mistakes happen. This is where plant allies can come in!)
While there are many different types of Fertility Awareness Methods, the one that I use and teach is the sympto-thermal method – and it's 99.4 effective in preventing pregnancy when used correctly!
By tracking your basal body temperature (your resting metabolism) and your cervical mucus, you can learn so much about your cycle: when you are and aren't fertile, how your metabolism is working, and even gain insights into your digestion, thyroid health, and more.
In the episode, I also touch on just a couple of my favorite plant allies to support us in our sovereign contraception, including Queen Anne's Lace, a lovely ally for inhibiting implantation.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sovereign contraception – especially in the realm of herbal allies. Working with plants to avoid pregnancy is about relationship, not just consumption – a beautiful combination of understanding the science and sacred, physiology and ritual of our reproduction, and aligning with our sacred “yes.”
This is why I'm so excited to be teaching Sovereign Cycles, and 8-week live group coaching intensive on pregnancy prevention! We'll dive deep into the anatomy and physiology, how to build confidence with the sympto-thermal method, and how to build your plant ally relationships that are aligned with you to support you in the case of an “oops.”
This information is your ancestral birthright, and I believe it's an important part of reclaiming our womb sovereignty – we can govern our reproduction on our terms, without permission, and without sacrificing our health.
If you're a full-body YES to returning to this wisdom, you've got 5 days to join us in The Womb Room at the annual level to join us in Sovereign Cycles!
If you have any questions about the journey, comment and let me know – I'd love to hear where you're at on your journey.
Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts!
Resources:
Sympto thermal efficacy:
https://www.factsaboutfertility.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/SymptoThermalPEH.pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17314078/
Neem oil study: https://neemtreefarms.com/neem-as-a-contraceptive/
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/399/1/012106/pdf
Queen Anne’s lace info: https://www.robinrosebennett.com/resources/wild-carrot-exploration-summary-august-2011
Queen Anne’s lace tincture: source from @arielledemartinez SubLuna Botanicals!
Phexxi info:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03532-6