I felt like I was cheating myself big time by getting back on birth control after my daughter was born. At six months postpartum, I felt wonderful. My hormones felt right. Aunt Flo hadn't even returned. But surely she'd come knocking soon, and we weren't ready to start thinking about having another baby, so I opted for an IUD and immediately grieved my choice, as I felt my mood decline and migraines increase. There are so many non-hormonal options today, and many of us are finding that hormonal birth control isn't worth the (searing, daily) headache. That's where technology like Kindara comes in.
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Kindara is a fertility-tracking app that works in conjunction with a super smart thermometer to track and verify ovulation. The thermometer (called Wink) logs your basal body temperature, and the user tracks the characteristics of her cervical fluid. All this data is compiled in the Kindara app, where you can check your cycle, see which days are fertile and enter even more info to make the app more precise.
This non-hormonal method of contraception has been around for way, way longer than the pill, patch, shot and any other type of birth control you can find.
Trackers like Kindara employ the sympto-thermal method of fertility awareness. And while following your body's cues may seem a bit risky, it can be surprisingly effective—just about as effective, in fact, as birth control pills. A German study of 900 women found that using the sympto-thermal method correctly only led to .4 pregnancies out of every 100 women. Those are pretty good odds! But the trick is actually using the method correctly. Especially in the beginning, natural methods of birth control take some learning and charting. Well, the charting never stops, but you get faster at it. If you don't know how to "read" your cervical fluid, you can keep a chart in your bathroom as a reference.
This non-hormonal method of contraception has been around for way, way longer than the pill, patch, shot and any other type of birth control you can find. It is proven to be safe, effective and is now a whole lot easier, thanks to apps like Kindara. Some women keep detailed journals and calendars to chart their fertility, but most of us don't want to go to that kind of trouble every day. Frankly, you're not going to find a method of birth control easier to maintain than an IUD or a shot, but if the side effects are becoming too much and you're ready to let your body get back to its natural state, don't be afraid to try a natural method.
It's never been easier.
