How to Use the Fertility Awareness Method of Birth Control

The fertility awareness method of birth control (FAM) is based on three things. These include charting your menstrual cycles, taking your basal body temperature and checking your cervical mucus. FAM can be difficult to understand at first, but if you spend some time trying to understand what to do, it can be an effective method of birth control. Here's how to use the fertility awareness method as birth control.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Basal thermometer

1. Purchase a basal thermometer (a special thermometer) available at most drug stores and discount stores. Use this to take your basal temperature (waking temperature) each morning when you awaken. Try to take your temperature at the same time each day, and compare readings from day to day as part of the fertility awareness method.

2. Decide how You're going to chart your menstrual cycles. Some women do this at home with graph paper, while others utiliize a computer program online, such as the one from Ovusoft. For your charts, the horizontal axis will be the cycle day and the vertical axis will be the basal temperature (in 1/10th of a degree increments).

3. Begin charting your menstrual cycles. The first day of your menstrual cycle is the first day of your menstrual period.

4. Record your basal temperature in your chart each morning to help you determine the day of ovulation. Do this either on graph paper or online. You will notice in the beginning of your cycle that you have lower temperatures, typically between 97.2 and 97.4 degrees F. Continuing to plot your temperatures, you'll notice a sharp increase (shift) immediately after ovulation. The basal temperatures after ovulation will average over 98.0 degrees F. Note the day of ovulation as the day prior to the temperature shift. Confirm ovulation after you have higher temperatures for three days after the shift.

5. Describe your cervical mucus in your chart each day. Observe mucus that's left on your underwear or reach a clean finger or two into your vagina to feel the cervical mucus. Then observe the cervical mucus on your fingers. In the days leading up to ovulation, you will note slippery, clear and stretchy cervical mucus. The cervical mucus may appear like egg whites or even appear watery. After ovulation, the cervical mucus returns to a sticky or creamy state.

6. Review your charts after you've recorded your temperatures and cervical mucus for several months to look for patterns. You may see that you tend to ovulate around a certain day each month and you'll notice that you have four days of fertile mucus prior to ovulation. Make a note of any patterns that you see.

7. Know when your fertile window occurs in any given cycle. After looking for patterns in your chart and noting your typical ovulation day (or days), you are ready to begin using the fertility awareness method of birth control. Avoid having sex for at least 5 days (7 days to be really safe) prior to when you typically ovulate. In addition, avoid sex for three days after ovulation (until you confirm ovulation in your chart). Using your cervical mucus patterns, avoid sex when you are experiencing fertile cervical mucus and for at least two days after the fertile cervical mucus is gone.

Tips & Warnings

• The fertility awareness method is sometimes referred to as natural family planning.
• The length of the menstrual cycle and the day of ovulation can vary from woman to woman. However, for most women, the length of their menstrual cycles and day of ovulation tend to be fairly consistent from cycle to cycle.
• Pregnancy is most likely to occur on the day of ovulation and in the 5 days leading up to ovulation.
• Restless sleep, illness, alcohol or medications will affect temperature readings. Note on your chart if you believe your temperature's been affected by these things. Know that your temperature curve may not be as reliable that particular cycle.
• Avoid douches or spermicides when your use the fertility awareness method of birth control because these things can affect the appearance of your cervical mucus.
• Your fertile cervical mucus should coincide with the days immediately before ovulation based on your temperature curve.
• Avoid having sex all together during your fertile window, or you can use a backup method of birth control, such as a condom.
• For a more in depth look at the fertility awareness method of birth control, take a look at the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler.
• The fertility awareness method of birth control is not a reliable method of birth control for women with irregular menstrual cycles since the method is based on cycle patterns. It is more suited for women with regular, predictable cycles.
• Until you are familiar with your cycles and have charted your cycles for several months, you may want to use a backup method of birth control (such as a condom) anytime you have sex.
• The fertility awareness method of birth control does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases. To protect against sexually transmitted diseases, consider using a condom as well.
• There is approximately a 25 percent failure rate (achieving pregnancy) when using the fertility awareness method.

Resources

• Taking Charge of Your Fertility.
• Ovusoft online for charting menstrual cycles.

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