Fertility Awareness Methods

Published on 14 June 2023 at 20:07

I quit non-natural birth control as a whole for 10 months now and this is how I prevent pregnancy. In the previous post I spoke on my birth control journey and how it has made me struggle with my own vagina. In the past 10 months I've been trying to reconnect with her. I'd like to say I'm in tune with her now, because I know exactly when she is ovulating or needs to air out. So I can surely say this is the best method for me. P.s. feel free to ask questions if you have them after reading this.

 

Flashback to more than 10 months ago, I was on TikTok scrolling through my FYP and got a video on women's cycles and how we can prevent pregnancies just fine on our own.  I liked it, but I just continued about my day. I started to talk to my partner about it. Started to receive ads from this company that provides this ring to measure your temperature for you, that way it can calculate your ovulation day. 

 

Looked into it, I believe it was 69 euros a year. Now looking at it, very convenient number :) But the ring was separate from the app, so it was a bit more expensive. For me at least, knowing that I can do it by myself through the TikTok I saw.

 

If you check out my TikTok and the videos I liked, you will find information about all the methods within Fertility Awareness. I had the perfect video that explained everything so well, but I couldn't find it. So I will explain it here.

 

BIG DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional, please do your research after reading this post. I will talk about the things I learned doing my research. I might glide through the subject and not say all the details, so do your research before hopping on the method. 

 

Let's begin!

 

Cycles

 

On average our cycle takes around 28 days, shorter or longer cycles are perfectly normal. You can measure your cycle by tracking when your last period started to when your next period starts.

 

Mine is usually 28 days.

You can tell here that my cycle wasn't 28 days, due to many factors that month. Like stress, alcohol etc. So it's not always linear, I'm sure you've noticed that on your own.

Ovulation is usually 10-16 days before your next period starts, around 2 weeks (keep in mind I have a 28-day cycle, it all might be different for you depending on your cycle). Once you are ovulating, you have a 12-24 hour window to become pregnant. Obviously you want to try to avoid that, if you are not ready for a baby. 

 

Fertility window

 

You might have heard, during sex-education, how it all works, fertility. Egg is dropped into your cervix from the fallopian tubes, sperm must meet egg to fertilize. You might have also heard that sperm can live in your vagina for up to 7 days? Let me tell you how that is misleading information. 

 

First I'd have to explain vaginal mucus. Vaginal mucus is a fluid produced by the cervix. The difference in the texture and transparency can tell you a lot about your cycle and your fertility. After your period (before ovulation) your discharge can be yellow, white or cloudy even dry. It is said to be sticky, tacky, but in my opinion it doesn't properly explain the difference between before your ovulation and after. Because when you're ovulating the mucus is more runny. But I find it sticky as well. So I just focus on the runniness of the discharge and the transparency to identify my ovulation period. 

 

You might get this kind of runny discharge 3-7 days before ovulating. Now this is where that previous statement about sperm living in your vagina for up to 7 days is talking about. So it can just as well just live 3 days in your vagina if that's how long your runny mucus is present.

Sperm doesn't naturally live in your vagina for up to 7 days on any given day of the month. That runny mucus before and during your ovulation period is what keeps it alive. So don't be afraid about having sex before your period and thinking it might still be living and you could get pregnant afterwards. That would only be the case if you are ovulating as well as on your period. Irregularities can happen, keep that in mind.

 

So that's your fertility window, when that runny mucus discharges until your ovulation is over. That however is more tricky to measure, I will tell you how you can.

 

Methods within Fertility Awareness

 

There are three methods that can help you to track your ovulation. 

  • By measuring the length of your menstrual cycle
  • By measuring your body temperature daily before getting out of bed
  • By tracking your vaginal mucus

 

The first one I explained before. You track your cycle length by the days between your last period and your upcoming period. From day 1 to the next day 1. From there you can estimate your ovulation, which usually happens 10-16 days before your next first period day of the cycle. It is recommended to track this for about 12 months to be as accurate as possible. 

 

The second method is a bit more work. Your body temperature rises slightly after ovulating. This can be very minimal, like 0.2 C. What you have to do is, before getting out of bed, measure your body temperature and mark it down with the cycle date. Use the first day of your period as day 1. It is recommended to do this if you wake up around the same time everyday.

 

Once you have an overview of the cycle with temperatures. You can notice a temperature rise around your ovulation period. This usually means you are not fertile anymore. If you see that same change around the same time in your next cycle, you can start seeing that as your guide to know when to be careful or to conceive. Depending on if you want a baby or not.  

 

The third method is what I explained before. If your discharge goes from white, yellow or cloudy to runny and transparent or close to transparent. That will be your fertility window, because remember sperm can live in that mucus and still make contact with your egg. 

 

All those three together makes the best effectiveness percentage, 99.6%. If done consistently and meticulously. Precise measurements. If not followed properly there will obviously be a bigger risk. 

 

What I do now

 

So I tried doing the temperature method, but I wake up on different times. It's recommended to do this method if you wake up around the same time everyday. Which I don't, so I rely more on my discharge and my menstrual cycle.

 

I don't know if many of you feel this particular feeling, where something runs down your vagina. You'd think it's your period, early or something, but then you look on your panties and it's just a gulp of discharge. That's when I know it's time. But that's only because I was tracking my mucus for months and realized that, that is a good indicator for me. Don't take it to heart, do your own measuring for your own body. Learn from your body and listen to your body.

 

I would look and see that it's clear, and runny and immediately tell my partner. Like that's key for us. Communicating about it to your partner, so that in the heat of the moment, if I forget he can remind me or vice versa. We wear condoms for my fertility window. And we've been going strong for 10 months now, bless. 

 

I will say this, we do this method, because incase of a baby we will be prepared mentally. I personally think that this method is better if you are an adult and are okay with being pregnant incase it goes wrong. Because there is only measurements happening here, not like the pill or IUD that actively prevents pregnancy. Do this at your own risk.

 

I'd also like to say, trust your instincts and your body. There was once in the heat of the moment after a fight, we did the deed around the day of my ovulation (if you were to track it with the first method). But mucus wise I wasn't runny yet. We were scared for a possible pregnancy, but I knew deep down I wasn't ovulating, but you can still be anxious. Because even though I might be prepared for a baby, it's not in the planning yet. And I was right, I wasn't pregnant because I wasn't fertile that night. So trust yourself when it comes to your body. 

 

I am so much better and healthier after giving up on non-natural birth control. Not to mention that I still eat the same kind of food, but my skin is clearer, my nails are stronger, my mind is healthier. I do miss being a little more curvier from time to time :( but it's for the best. 

 

Be safe!

 

Source: Natural family planning (fertility awareness) - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

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