Missing your due date can be a huge concern if you and your partner are not planning for a pregnancy. In this situation, you need to stay calm and confirm your pregnancy twice at home or with a doctor.
Well, some people try to prevent pregnancy naturally as soon as the due date is a week delayed. This blog is going to show some natural ways for them to avoid pregnancy post unprotected or unplanned intercourse.
How to avoid pregnancy after missing a period naturally
Deciding to avoid pregnancy after a missed period is a personal choice according to their circumstances. While some people choose to visit the hospital, while others prefer natural ways.
So, let’s learn what to do after missing a period one by one.
Initial Steps After a Missed Period
Taking a Home Pregnancy Test
Several reasons are available for a missed period, such as stress, sudden weight loss, extreme exercise, PCOS, changes in food habits or particular diet, etc.
However, one sudden reason for a missed period that hits people’s minds is pregnancy. If you doubt the period delay could be due to unprotected sex, then you can take a home pregnancy test.
Even if the results are positive reconfirm it with your healthcare provider. Sometimes, home pregnancy test kits can provide false results.
Consulting a Healthcare Professional
After getting the results as positive, don’t immediately start doing the natural methods that prevent pregnancy. It’s because you need to be aware of what stage of pregnancy you are in.
Understanding your pregnancy stage is crucial and checking it your doctor decides whether you can proceed with pregnancy prevention or not.
Discuss with your doctor and confirm your pregnancy. Ask your gynecologist “Can I proceed with natural prevention methods or prefer medicines?”
Natural Methods to Prevent Pregnancy
Herbal Remedies
If your doctor says to go with natural methods to prevent pregnancy after a missed period, then utilize these ways.
1.) Ginger
Ginger initiates uterine contractions and is used traditionally to get periods. You can consume ginger in different forms, you can grate and add it to your tea.
You can also use dried ginger. Add powdered ginger with a glass of lukewarm water to induce periods naturally.
2.) Neem
Everyone knows how effective neem is in treating infections. But, how does it work in preventing pregnancies?
According to the sources, you can inject neem oil into the uterus, and it could kill the sperm in just 30 seconds. Plus, neem tablets can promote temporary sterility in men.
3.) Papaya
Papaya’s carotene stimulates estrogen production and can induce periods. So, eat a bowl of fresh ripe papaya or a glass of papaya juice two times a day to induce periods.
If you want to prevent pregnancy immediately, then eat unripe papaya twice daily. Because it is a great choice to avoid unplanned pregnancy and prevent the fertilization process.
4.) Parsley
Parsley is a type of coriander that can cause uterine contractions and prevent pregnancy if it is consumed in excess amounts. Therefore, it prevents intercourse naturally and can be easily consumed as tea.
5.) Pineapple
Pineapple juice is the best medicine for irregular menstrual cycles from young girls to teenagers. It also plays a crucial role in preventing pregnancies.
Two to three servings of pineapple can prevent the fetus’s implantation. So if you’re worried about missing periods after unprotected sex, then pineapples are a good choice.
Alternate ways to prevent pregnancy
Adjusting some lifestyle habits and including a few things after your unplanned or unprotected sex can prevent pregnancy. Make sure you consult a gynecologist before taking any supplements.
Because preventing medications becomes a serious concern when this is your first pregnancy. This may create a huge impact on your fertility health and make future pregnancies worrisome.
Specific Foods
Several foods are available to avoid pregnancy after unplanned or unprotected sex. Add these items along with the listed edibles to prevent pregnancy. They are apricots, ginger, dried figs, cinnamon, juniper berries (kala jamun), sesame seeds, and vitamin C supplements.
These food items may help to induce periods, but you can’t surely say adding them avoids pregnancy. So, it’s better to get a consultation from your healthcare provider.
Use Condoms
People consider using condoms as one of the safest ways to prevent pregnancy after having sex. So, you and your partner can use condoms to avoid getting pregnant.
According to the World Health Organization, condoms have a significant impact on protecting against STIs such as HIV, Gonorrhoea, and chlamydia that spread via discharge.
This organization also states, that around 98% of women can protect themselves from unplanned pregnancy if the men use condoms properly. And when women use condoms, 95% of unplanned pregnancies will be prevented.
Consider long-term control options
Long-acting reversible contraceptives are the effective methods of birth control. LARCs include the hormonal progesterone Mirena IUD, copper paragard IUD, and hormonal contraceptive implants.
As a couple, if you want to postpone your pregnancy, then this birth control method is the greater choice. Studies state that these birth control methods prevent unwanted pregnancy up to 20 times better than pills, vaginal rings, and patches.
Tracking Ovulation and Fertile Windows
Understanding the Menstrual Cycle
Typically, a female’s menstrual cycle can be split into four phases, such as the follicular phase, ovulation, the luteal phase, and menstruation.
Follicular Phase: Before ovulation
Ovulatory Phase: When an egg starts to release from the ovary
Luteal Phase: After ovulation
The most fertile phase is the time around ovulation. A high possibility of conception takes place before five days of ovulation through to the exact date.
These days are known as fertile windows in the entire cycle, which also reflects the sperm lifespan inside a woman’s body.
Natural Family Planning Methods
Permanent family planning refers to making people incapable of reproduction, which means your fertility may never come back.
But, natural family planning methods are different from this method. This involves non-invasive techniques such as tracking the menstrual cycle, observing cervical mucus changes, and basal body temperature.
A couple or a woman can track their menstrual cycle and avoid intercourse during the ovulation phase. This prevents pregnancy naturally, so you don’t want to worry about conception.
Calendar Method
In the calendar method, you need to track your menstrual history to know when you will ovulate the next month. Mark the first day of your period to find out the total number of days in the cycle.
Calculate the total number of days between two months. Start tracking this data for at least 6 months before. Finding the accurate ovulating date is not possible, still, you can predict the ovulation phase to avoid pregnancy.
Basal Body Temperature Method
Basal body temperature is another method to track ovulation successfully. During ovulation, your body tends to raise temperature around 0.5 to 1 degree Fahrenheit than the usual temperature.
Preventing sex on these days can effectively avoid conception. Thus, try to be even more conscious during the ovulation phase.
Cervical Mucus Observation
Women can also identify their pregnancy by observing their cervical mucus. As stated earlier, intercourse during ovulation improves the chances of pregnancy.
And, women can identify their ovulation phase through the consistency of cervical mucus. The mucus will be more stretchy, slipper, and clear. Hence, avoid sex during this phase that prevents pregnancy successfully.
Common Misconceptions
Myth: Missing periods always means pregnant
Fact: This is one of the most common myths that everyone believes.
Stress, sudden weight loss, thyroid issues, PCOS, lack of exercise, and many other reasons are available for missing periods. So, check with your gynecologist to get clarity on your health status.
When to Seek Medical Advice
As soon as you confirm the pregnancy or identify the period is delayed, an immediate hospital visit is necessary. Why because? Many underlying health issues can also be a reason for delayed periods.
On the other hand, hCG levels might be concentrated while taking the pregnancy test at home, resulting in showing pregnancy positive. Doctors will confirm your pregnancy and guide you through further steps.
Apart from your desire to prevent pregnancy, if the baby’s health is not in good condition, then you need to abort. So, seek medical advice if you find out to be pregnant or missing a period.
Conclusion
Finally, if you wish to avoid pregnancy naturally after a missing period, you can utilize these effective ways. Make sure to confirm your pregnancy at a hospital.
Consult your healthcare provider for enhanced guidance on family planning and other pregnancy prevention treatments. They analyze your body completely and provide personalized tips according to your lifestyle and body type to avoid pregnancy.
Compared to modern birth control met hods, the success rate of herbal remedies is less when it comes to family planning. But, to prevent pregnancy after a missed period, the herbal methods might work.
You can be either pregnant or not, consulting the gynecologist after a week of missed periods is mandatory. Yes, other than pregnancy, some serious causes could be a reason for missing periods.
