If you find yourself loving doing the baby dance but don’t want the baby that comes from it, here are a few tips to help you stay baby-free, so you don’t have to worry about pesky things like stress over what to do. Let’s face it, nobody wants to deal with wondering if they’re making the right choice, getting yelled at from many sides, and so on, so let’s get to it.
First, let’s start with a quick lesson – the estimated statistics on pregnancy. An average young couple that’s trying to become pregnant has about a 25% chance each month, with an 80% chance in the first year. Of course, this also goes hand in hand with the concept that there are multiple chances of changing that statistic based on fertility levels, ovulation cycles, and many outside forces. We’re not looking at winning the lottery, folks, so precision in statistics is a bit harder.
With that understood, another lesson needs to take place. No form of contraception is 100% effective. Many innumerable things can affect your chances of getting, or not getting, pregnant.
We’ll look at why from a few angles, the first being chaos. A woman can get pregnant while using a condom, while on birth control of any form, and no matter when during her cycle the evening in question takes place. It’s possible to ovulate more than once. It’s possible for sperm to escape the condom.
Second, we’ll look at “user error” issues. It’s possible for a condom to slip. It’s possible for people to put a condom on after having some play, hoping that spermicide will take care of it. It’s possible to miss or be late on your dose of birth control for the day, or to not wait the full 4 weeks of being on birth control before having unprotected sex. It’s possible for a spermicide in gel or egg-form to not have enough time to disolve completely.
And the last reason for potential pregnancy while having unprotected sex, manufacturer error. It’s possible for the hormone levels to be too low to affect you. It’s possible for a condom to break. It’s possible for a spermicide to just not disolve correctly no matter how long you wait. These things do happen.
So here’s when we move on to what things can be prevented and what things can’t. Of course, you can have an influence in the personal errors section, those are all things that if you’re careful can be avoided. However, if your issue is something manufacturer-based or chaotic, there’s not too much you can do.
But of course, we don’t want to take that as a final answer and leave your pregnancy status up to fate.
You can affect many factors that could lead to you getting pregnant. However, it takes real resolve and determination to doing these things to ensure nothing unplanned happens.
First, in order to stop a pregnancy from happening, you need to understand that something needs to be in the way. Hoping doesn’t do it. You simply need to figure out what to use to control your options, which I’ll outline here.
You can look at birth control methods, like the pill, the shot, or an IUD. Some of these forms will stop you from carrying out your normal monthly cycle, some supress the hormones so your body’s pregnancy hormones don’t fire, and some trick your body into thinking it’s pregnant so it doesn’t process all the baby-making functions. With all of these options, you still have a chance of getting pregnant, especially if factors like not taking a pill on time are allowed to play their part.
The big things to remember about birth control methods like the above – they can inhibit your ability to have children in the future, all come with side effects of some sort or another (like weight gain or acne), and none of them stop you from contracting or passing on an STD. The other big thing to remember is that with all of these methods, you have to wait about a month to two months for them to be as effective as they can be. And, of course, with a pill you need to keep in mind that it has to be taken at the consistent timeframe and can’t be missed, or the effectiveness is lowered significantly.
If these methods don’t appeal to you, you can always try “per-use” methods, like condoms, foam, film, sponge, or gel. These methods are used when you have sex. These typically, when used right, have a 99% effectiveness rate. The bonuses are that you don’t have to go to a doctor to get them, can have them available at home without a prescription or in your wallet or purse for emergency situations, and at least in the case of condoms, they can be used to prevent STDs to a degree. However, each one of them comes with a typically unpleasant experience to get it to work – inserting something, waiting for something to disolve, and very few prefer the feeling of a condom. Of course, many companies make products geared towards lowering the discomfort and even increasing pleasure for both.
The big thing to remember with these methods is that they are only effective if used completely properly. Each method requires that the odds are not against you, that you wait the specific amount of time before beginning sex, and that you’re willing to deal with cleanup.
The last grouping of ways to stop a pregnancy is the extreme. Either remaining abstinent, or having the baby-making stuff sealed off or removed. If you ever plan on having children in the future, this is a terrible option.
The last subject I need to bring up regarding not having a child is this – It only works if you make it. No doctor or otherwise can stop you from having an unplanned pregnancy if you don’t take the responsibility into your own hands to make it happen. So here’s the bottom line.
Don’t forget to use whatever method you have chosen. Do talk with your doctor and your partner to find the one that’s right for you. Do read the pamphlet or instructions that come with your chosen method of control. Whatever method you choose, it may seem silly to read that little pamphlet, but it will tell you so much information you need to know, including the effective rates based on factors and what to do if something goes awry. And of course, please have discretion in who you engage in the act with, because if you do end up pregnant, you always want to be sure you won’t be handling it alone.
Good luck and happy days!
