Many women are unaware of how much can be done to take charge of their own fertility!
If you are trying to conceive a baby, there are several things that you can do to track and chart your own fertility. This is commonly known as “Natural Family Planning,” or “Fertility Awareness.”
What is Fertility Awareness?
Fertility awareness is a way of predicting when you will be most fertile. It uses a combination of methods wherein you check and record your body’s natural signs and symptoms of increased fertility.
Fertility Awareness does not use any type of drug or device.
Fertility awareness may be used either to get pregnant, or conversely; to avoid getting pregnant.
If you want to conceive a child as soon as possible, you can use Natural Family Planning to find out what days of the month you are likely to be at your most fertile.
How do You Use Fertility Awareness?
You should begin by familiarizing yourself with the natural rhythms and cycles of your body.
Start charting such things as the date you begin your menstrual cycle and the date it stops.
Understanding your own fertility pattern will help tremendously in getting pregnant! Usually, your monthly menstrual cycle will occur every 28-32 days.
There are two phases to a menstrual cycle:
- Before ovulation
- After ovulation
Here is a sample of an average menstrual cycle:
- Day 1: This is the first day of your menstrual period, and the beginning of your fertility calendar
- Day 7: By now, your egg is prepared for fertilization by a male sperm
- Days 11-21: (This is based on a 28 day cycle.) Hormones cause the egg to be released from the ovary. From there, it begins its journey through the fallopian tube moving toward the uterus. If a sperm fertilizes the egg, it will then attach itself to the uterine lining, and start to grow and develop. If there is no fertilization, the egg breaks apart.
- Day 28: On or around this day, your hormone levels drop, which causes the lining of the uterus to be shed, and your menstrual flow begins again.
By charting your menstrual cycle for several months, you will know the individual pattern of your own body, and will then be able to begin tracking your own fertility!
Natural Family Planning: Taking Charge of Your Fertility
Natural Fertility Tracking: Timing is Everything
Understanding Ovulation Can Help You Get Pregnant
Fertility Awareness: Natural Family Planning