Information on a Lunar Fertility Calendar
The moon holds a special connection with a woman's menstrual cycle. The term "moon" even shares the same root word as menstruation. Both ancient folklore and modern science teach the same thing--that the moon can directly affect your menstrual cycle and provide hidden insights on the inner workings of your body--from when you are the most fertile to when your period is about to start.
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The Moon Has A Lot To Say
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Women used to be able to tell a lot about their own bodies just by looking at the night's sky. A woman trying to conceive would know when she was ovulating, not by peeing on a stick, but by the moon in the sky. A woman hoping to postpone pregnancy could also gather hints about her "safe days" by watching the moon wax and wane. Women were rarely caught by surprise when her monthly visitor arrived--it would usually start with each new moon.
The Science Behind It
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Skeptical? It's not just old wives tales anymore. Science has discovered the hormones behind the magic. The moon's light can directly affect a woman's pineal gland and melatonin production while she is sleeping. The amount of light a woman is exposed to at night causes her hormones to fluctuate, affecting the menstrual cycle.
Where It Works
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Here's the catch: The moon can only have this affect in areas with no artificial light interference. Most women in the developed world will not notice their cycles syncing with the moon. Of course, it is possible to create your own night lighting. Simply keep your room completely dark, except for days 14 through 17 of your cycle. Then flip on a small night light. As the months pass, your cycle should become more regular.
Studies
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The first clinical trial was run by Dr. John Rock and Dr. Edmond Dewan. They enlisted 82 women and instructed half to continue with their normal sleeping habits, while the other half experimented with controlled night lighting. Their results were published in 1978 in Photochemistry and Photobiology. According to Rock and Dewan, "We have statistical evidence that this regimen of photic stimulation can regularize the length of the menstrual cycle and can presumably influence the time of ovulation." A repeat study was done in 1990, with the results published in the August issue of The Journal of Psychiatric Research. The most recent study was published in February 2002 in the Biological Rhythm Research Journal. All studies conclude that there is a strong connection between light exposure at night and the woman's menstrual cycle.
Fertility
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Once your personal cycle has conformed to a lunar cycle, pregnancy achievement is made simpler. A woman knows she is most fertile when the moon is full (or on the days she leaves a light on in her bedroom). Once the moon begins to wane or the light is turned back off, a woman assumes that ovulation has passed and the two-week wait begins.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Luz A. Villa
