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Verified By Apollo Doctors June 9, 2023
As the term suggests, fertility awareness means being aware of the different stages of your menstrual cycle to avoid unintended pregnancy or plan one. The various methods a woman can use to track her menstrual cycle are called the Fertility Awareness Methods (FAMs).
If you are looking for a natural family planning approach, you may consider the fertility awareness method (FAM). However, before you implement this strategy, it would be better to learn more about what it is, how it works, and the other crucial aspects surrounding it.
We have come up with five critical things you should know about fertility awareness methods. Read on to learn more.
Fertility awareness methods help you monitor your menstrual cycle and ovulation (when your ovaries release the egg). The dates near your ovulation window mark your fertile days, i.e., the days when your chances of pregnancy are high. So when you know your fertile window, you can prevent pregnancy by abstaining from vaginal sex during that period. Alternatively, you can use various birth control options, such as condoms, contraceptive pills, diaphragms, patches, among others.
There are different types of fertility awareness methods (FAMS)-you can use to understand the signs of fertility. By using a combination of FAMs, you are likely to succeed in preventing unplanned pregnancies or time intercourse properly in case you are trying to conceive . Here are the three most commonly used FAMs:
Body temperature dips a bit just before the ovary releases an egg. Later, 24 hours after the release of the egg, the temperature rises and stays up for many days.To record your basal body temperature or BBT, you will need a regular digital thermometer or a basal thermometer uniquely designed for women trying to get pregnant. You need to check your temperature before getting out of bed every morning for several days.
Record your BBT for at least three days and study the pattern. So when you see your BBT rise, you can assume you are ovulating. Before ovulation, BBT of a woman averages between 97°F (36.1°C) and 97.5°F (36.4°C). After ovulation, it rises to 97.6°F (36.4°C) to 98.6°F (37°C)
Also known as Billings Ovulation Method, it is yet another fertility awareness-based method. This method involves careful observation of your cervical mucus (secretions from your cervix) throughout your menstrual cycle.
Before you ovulate, your cervical fluid happens to change to create a suitable environment for the sperm to travel to the egg via your cervix. If you can recognize the changing feature of your cervical secretion, you can predict ovulation.
After your period ends , start observing and recording the characteristics of your cervical mucus. Track its colour, feel, and consistency.
When you are in your fertile window, your cervical mucus is likely to be clear, wet, and slippery (much like the white portion of a raw egg). So if you want to prevent pregnancy, make sure not to have unprotected sex when your cervical mucus indicates fertile days ahead.
This fertility awareness method allows you to predict your fertility phase by keeping track of your menstrual cycles for at least six cycles.
Take a calendar and highlight the first day of your menstrual period. Then, check the first day of the next menstrual period. Now, it is time to calculate the total number of days between each period. If your period cycles are less than 27 days or more than 32 days, the calendar method is less likely to be effective.
This method can help you find the safest and the most unsafe days in your cycle. Moreover, the calendar method is most likely to be effective when coupled with other FAMs.
This is a fertility awareness-based family planning method which identifies a 12-day fertile window during which women with regular menstrual cycles (26–32 days long) should refrain from sex or use any barrier method to prevent pregnancy.
Natural fertility awareness methods entail recognizing the signs of fertility in the course of your menstrual cycle. These methods help you avoid or plan pregnancy. If you want to learn how it works, make sure to seek professional assistance.
There are three aspects of fertility that you need to track and record to implement FAMs effectively. It includes the following:
Experts recommend using a combination of these methods for accuracy. Using fertility charts to keep a record is a good idea.
The effectiveness of fertility awareness methods depends on various factors. It includes the following:
If you follow the fertility awareness method carefully, its efficacy can be around 76% to 88%. And, if you can manage to combine various FAMs, you are likely to get better results. However, if you cannot track and understand the signs of fertility and cannot abstain from unprotected intercourse during your fertile days, FAMs are not for you. Moreover, if your menstrual cycles are irregular, these methods might not work for you. Therefore, it is highly advisable to seek expert assistance from medical professionals.
The advantages of the fertility awareness method include the following:
Some disadvantages of the fertility awareness methods are:
Most women have a 28-day cycle. It means your fertility window for each menstrual cycle is likely to be six days. It is the time when you can conceive. However, no two women are the same, and neither are their menstrual cycles and fertile windows. Therefore, it is advisable to talk to your doctor before starting with natural family planning.
A woman can ovulate once per menstrual cycle. However, a woman can ovulate (release) two or more eggs simultaneously. In such cases, there are possibilities of conceiving twins if both the eggs are fertilized.
FAMs are less likely to be suitable for all women because of certain factors associated with these methods. However, as they do not involve any medication or physical device, these are safe and do not have any side effects.
Although it is an extremely rare scenario, you can conceive when you are already pregnant. Generally, when a woman becomes pregnant, her ovaries stop releasing eggs. However, in rare cases (superfetation), one of the ovaries releases another egg. This egg, when it meets the sperm, fertilizes and joins the uterine wall. As a result of which, you can have two babies.
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