I'd prefer not to be on any chemicals if I don't have to be.

And what do you think is in the Blue Cohosh that will prevent pregnancy? A whole bunch of "chemicals" of unknown strength, efficacy and purity. With an unknown effect on female hormone balance.

oh dear. negative comments from someone who doesn't know herbalism or this plant, at all. that's a shame. not only is this comment factually incorrect, it discourages others who are curious about natural healing.

blue cohosh will not prevent pregnancy but has a long history of use for other female reproductive complaints. women all over the world and throughout time have used plants to control conception...native americans made special use of wild carrot seed for this purpose. check out sisterzeus.com for lots of info on this topic. good luck!

herbalnoob, would you consider a copper IUD for contraception?
While very uncommon in the USA, they are extremely common (and much more effective than BC) in the rest of the world.

Herbalism resource sites have documented both the complex chemical nature of blue cohosh, and its potential for harm:

"The plant contains the substances baptifolin, anagyrine, magnoflorine, tannins, saponins, resins, rubber, citronellol, phosphoric acid, phytosterols and starch.

This is not an herb suitable for self-medication, and it should only be taken under the supervision of a professional health care provider or a licensed herbalist. There are many serious safety concerns with blue cohosh. The berries are poisonous, and there have been few cases where children have fallen severely ill after eating the berries...The root can irritate the mucous membranes, and the leaves and stems can cause skin irritation and contact dermatitis.Side effects associated with the administration of the herb can include chest pain, irritation of the gastrointestinal system, severe diarrhea, cramps, high blood glucose levels and high blood pressure....Although the herb has for centuries been used to induce uterine contractions, it is now known that it contains alkaloids that can be toxic to the fetus. It is therefore recommended that the herb is not used by pregnant and breastfeeding women. Blue coshosh may interact with other herbs and conventional medications such as heart and blood pressure medications. Therefore, the herb is contraindicated for patients with heart disease."

https://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/blue-cohosh-root.html

"not only is this comment factually incorrect"

Nothing "factually incorrect" about it at all!! In fact, the comment was very much on point. This from Herbs2000.com:

"Chemical analysis of blue cohosh has revealed that the herb encloses several alkaloids as well as glycosides; among these the alkaloid called methylcytisine and the glycoside called caulosaponin give the impression that they contribute the maximum of the physiological actions of the plants. Experiments conducted on animals have demonstrated that the actions of methylcytisine are similar to those of nicotine: but it is just about 1/40 times less toxic compared to nicotine. This chemical amalgam raises the blood pressure and also promotes respiration as well as intestinal motility. The oxytocic (facilitating childbirth) consequences of blue cohosh seem to be caused by the glycoside caulosaponin - which is derived from the triterpenoid saponin called hederagenin. It may be noted that caulosaponin works to narrow down the blood vessels, thereby applying a toxic action on the cardiac muscles and also results in intestinal seizures in comparatively smaller animals.

Considering the presence of these comparatively powerful principles in the medicine, it is impossible to set aside blue cohosh as an ineffective or safe herbal medication. Therefore, the debate over using or not using this herb in the form of a self-medication, especially to promote contractions of the uterus or to encourage menstruation, possibly depends on the prudence to use any self-medication for these reasons. It needs to be emphasized that there is no guarantee that the use of this type of self-medication would be safe."

Look up 'alkaloids' and 'glycosides' if you have any doubt about the complex chemical nature of these compounds.

btw, there is nothing in both the medical or herbal literature that advocates use of this plant as a contraceptive. Also copper IUD's in the US are not at all uncommon - I used one in the late 70's and 80's when I decided contraceptive pills were not my cup of tea due to the hormonal imbalance they promote.