Understanding the Fertility Awareness Method
Did you know that you can track your ovulation? I wouldn’t be surprised if you answered no! It is something we are not taught in school, and have to unfortunately stumble upon on our own. Well if you stumbled upon this page, I’m so glad you’re here! Let’s talk about all things ovulation.
What is ovulation?
Ovulation is our body’s natural process of releasing one mature egg each menstrual cycle. Ovulation should occur around the middle of our menstrual cycle (for those with a 28 day cycle, it occurs around day 14).
Why do we care if we ovulate?
Similar to so many doctors in the field, I believe our menstrual cycle needs to be considered our 5th vital sign. Knowing if our cycle is regular is so crucial for our reproductive health. Even if pregnancy is not necessarily the goal, our bodies are biologically designed to procreate. This means that the hormonal ups and downs we go through on a daily basis, are unfortunately inevitable. Why not harness this process into one we can fully learn and have control over?
Knowing if and when you ovulate tells us that your cycle is regular, and that your body is producing the hormones it needs to optimally function.
How do I know if I’ve ovulated?
Ovulation occurs after a surge in LH, specifically about 8-20 hours after this surge. The conventional way of confirming this surge is with LH test strips. These are urine strips that give you qualitative information on your realtime levels of LH. Once you receive a positive LH test, you know that your body will ovulate in the next 1-2 days.
Well what do we do if we don’t want to always be peeing on test strips each month? —> We learn how to track our cycles!
The easiest way to do this is with the fertility awareness method.
This method allows you to not only learn about your menstrual cycle, but allows you to make informed decisions about conception or contraception without the use of hormonal interventions.
fertility awareness method:
Basal Body Temperature (BBT): Tracking your basal body temperature involves taking your temperature at the same time every morning before getting out of bed.
A slight increase (0.4-1.0°F) in temperature after ovulation indicates the fertile window has passed.
The temperature rises as the corpus luteum begins to produce progesterone, so if progesterone decreases, our temperature will also decrease and go back to baseline.
Remember that BBT tells us IF ovulation has occurred, not WHEN it will occur.
Cervical Mucus Examination: The consistency and appearance of cervical mucus change throughout the menstrual cycle. Monitoring these changes helps identify fertile days.
Dry, watery, sticky cervical mucus indicates “infertile” mucus
“Fertile” mucus is clear, slippery, and has a stretchy nature, like egg whites
This will tell you in real time if you are in an ovulatory period.
Benefits:
For those aiming to conceive, the FAM can optimize the timing of intercourse to coincide with the most fertile days, increasing the chances of successful conception. On the other hand, for individuals seeking a natural and hormone-free method of contraception, understanding and respecting fertile and infertile phases allows for responsible family planning.
Benefits of the Fertility Awareness Method:
Hormone-Free: Unlike hormonal contraceptives, FAM is hormone-free, making it a natural and non-invasive method for family planning.
Increased Body Awareness: FAM encourages a deeper connection with one's body by promoting awareness of menstrual cycles, hormonal fluctuations, and overall reproductive health.
Cost-Effective: FAM typically involves minimal costs, especially compared to ongoing expenses associated with hormonal contraceptives or assisted reproductive technologies