Fertility Awareness is a name for methods of family planning that utilize the body’s natural, normal functioning to determine the days that you are most fertile. Other names for it are Natural Family Planning (NFP), the Sympto-Thermal Method, the Ovulation Method and the Billings Method. This method of birth control does not involve any drugs or devices. Instead, it combines the calendar or rhythm method, the cervical mucus method, and basal body temperature. It is used to both prevent pregnancy and determine the most fertile times for getting pregnant.
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Try to use Advanced Woman Calendar - an easy-to-use Natural Family Planning and fertility awareness tool.
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The basal body temperature, cervical mucus and calendar/rhythm methods are combined to create awareness of your most fertile times. Becoming familiar with your ovulation cycle and fertile periods allows you to know when to abstain from intercourse or use a barrier method of birth control.
The first objective of fertility awareness is becoming familiar with your cycle and charting yur fertility pattern. The average cycle ranges from 28 to 32 days. There are two parts to each cycle: before ovulation and after ovulation. To give you a general idea of your cycle, here’s an overview of an average one:
Day 1: First day of menstrual flow. This should be the beginning of your calendar.
Day 7: By this day, the egg is preparing for fertilization.
Days 11 - 21 (of a 28-day cycle): Hormones cause the release of the egg from the ovary during this time frame. The egg travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus. If it is penetrated by sperm, fertilization occurs. The egg will then attach to the lining of the uterus and begin growing. If fertilization does not occur, the egg simply breaks apart.
Day 28: Around this time, hormone levels drop, causing the uterus to shed its lining. This, in turn, makes up the menstrual flow.
Tracking your menstrual cycles can serve as a guide for estimating your most fertile periods in the future. To identify future ovulation periods, follow the step-by-step process below:
Step 1: Track your cycles for 8 to 12 months.
Step 2: Consider Day 1 to be the first day of menstrual flow.
Step 3: Identify the longest and shortest cycles you have recorded.
Step 4: Determine the first day of your fertile period. This is done by taking the number of days in your shortest cycle and subtracting 18. This will give you the day of your cycle on which your fertility period begins. For example, if your shortest cycle is 26 days, take the number 26 and subtract 18. The result, 8, would be the first day of your fertile period.
Step 5: Determine the last day of your fertile period. This is done in a similar way; just use different numbers. Take the number of days in your longest cycle and subtract the number 11. In this case, if your longest cycle was 32 days, you would take the number 32 and subtract 11, resulting in 21. This would mean that your fertility period ends on the 21st day of your cycle.
The period of time between these days is considered your fertility window. In the examples above, your fertility window would range from Day 8 to Day 21 of your cycle. Ovulation is expected to occur during this time (Also see Frequently Asked Questions about Ovulation). Obviously, you cannot get pregnant every day during this time frame. However, pregnancy is most likely to occur at some point during this time.
If your goal is to avoid pregnancy, you would need to abstain from intercourse or use a barrier method during your fertility window. If your goal is to become pregnant, your fertility window would be your targeted time for intercourse.
This method detects a change in body temperature that occurs after ovulation. It will remain elevated until the onset of your next menstrual flow.
Step 1: Take your temperature orally every morning before starting your day.
Step 2: Use a basal thermometer. This type of thermometer recognizes small changes in body temperature. Your can expect your body temperature to rise between 0.4 and 1 degree Fahrenheit when ovulation occurs. Buy a Basal Thermometer Now.
Step 3: Record your temperature daily on a fertility tracking calendar.
By recording it daily, you should see that your body temperature is fairly consistent prior to ovulation. You may see a slight decline as you approach ovulation. However, this will be followed by a sharp rise in temperature after ovulation. The sharp rise is a sign that you have ovulated. Because the increase in temperature occurs after ovulation, this method is best for those who have time to track their temperatures for a couple of months to ensure accuracy. Further, your temperature can be affected by illness, lack of sleep, and alcohol or drug use, making it difficult to establish accurate readings.
The consistency of cervical mucus changes throughout the cycle. In the average cycle, a 5-day menstrual flow is followed by 3 to 4 dry days. Mucus wetness increases daily over the course of 9 days, leading up to the wettest day. At that point, it is easily recognized. Typically it should be plentiful, slippery, clear and very stretchy. It has often been described as resembling egg whites. Ovulation occurs within two days of the peak day of stretchy mucus.
Follow the steps below to employ the cervical mucus method of identifying ovulation.
Step 1: Mucus is collected from the vaginal opening by wiping the fingers from front to back.
Step 2: Each day, make note on your fertility calendar of the color (white, yellow, clear or cloudy), the consistency (thick, stretchy or sticky) and the texture (wet, dry, stretchy, slippery, or sticky).
Step 3: The day on which the mucus is clearest and most slippery and stretchy is the day to be recorded as ovulation.
When used consistently and correctly, fertility awareness can reach effective rates of 90%. Obviously, it depends largely on the diligence with which you record your fertility cycles, as well as abstinence and the use of barrier methods of birth control during your fertility window. Typical or average use shows a failure rate of around 25%. However, if you commit to tracking and recording your fertility information, it is possible to achieve a much higher success rate.
Fertility awareness is also employed by those attempting to get pregnant rather than prevent it. The same information that allows you to plan around your fertile period also allows you to focus on intercourse during that time.
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Try to use Advanced Woman Calendar - an easy-to-use ovulation calendar and Natural Family Planning with Fertility Awareness tool.
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