A Teen Who Charts Her Cycles
Celebrate a teen’s coming of age with their very first fertility awareness chart.
Originally written for and published in Birth Issues Summer 2019
My first period
My first period came to me as a huge surprise. I knew it was normal for women to bleed, but I was completely shocked when it lasted for more than a day! True story. Five days into my first period, it hit me: I was going to bleed for almost a week every single month for the rest of my life. I was devastated. Obviously, no one told me about menopause, either.
Maybe they covered it in Sex Education Class and I forgot or maybe they did not, but either way, I began my menstrual cycle without a clue of what was going on or what to expect. Even as an adult, with many moons under my belt, I did not fully understand my cycles. This all changed when I was 23 years old, all thanks to my fertility awareness practice. Which makes me wonder – what would it have been like if I had discovered fertility awareness when I was much younger? What would it be like for a young teen who charts her cycles?
What is fertility awareness?
Wait: what exactly is fertility awareness? It is the daily practice of observing and charting your signs of fertility and infertility to gain awareness of the events that happen in your female reproductive cycle.
First, you chart your menstruation. You record the number of days and the amount you bleed. Then you chart your cervical mucus by observing your toilet paper before and after you use the bathroom. You can also chart your basal body temperature and cervical position. You take your temperature around the same time each morning to record your accurate basal body temperature. You feel your cervix each evening for its physical characteristics of open or closed, soft or hard, and high or low. At the end of the night, you record your observations on a chart. These might include physical and emotional symptoms like breast tenderness, back pain, or mood changes. Each chart represents one complete, beautiful cycle.
Who practices fertility awareness?
Having this awareness of your fertility and cycle has awesome applications. I was first introduced to fertility awareness as a natural means of birth control. Through charting, you can prevent pregnancy highly effectively without the synthetic hormones and side effects!¹ You can practice fertility awareness to do the exact opposite – to achieve pregnancy.² Also, the female reproductive cycle is your fifth vital sign; you can gain insight and monitor your reproductive and overall health.³
Now, I know you are thinking,
“This all sounds great for women who are concerned with avoiding or achieving pregnancy, but what exactly would be the point of teaching fertility awareness to young teens who may not even be sexually active?”
Well, every single person I have spoken with who practices fertility awareness has told me,
“I wish I would have learned this when I was younger.”
Why? How would teens benefit from practicing fertility awareness? What would a teen who charts her cycle be like?
Meet the teen who charts her cycles
1.
She feels comfortable, not cursed
Why is it that most of us spend our remarkable reproductive life with a tampon hidden up our sleeve? A teen who charts her cycle knows that menstruation is not dirty or gross. She knows that it is a normal, healthy part of being a woman in her reproductive years.
She knows it is normal to bleed every cycle for a few days (definitely more than one, but not more than a week!) and that it is a special time for rest and relaxation. She will also become familiar with what is normal for her body, and whether this falls into the normal range of healthy menstruation – including flow, length, colour, spotting, and other factors. She also knows that she should experience very little pain or discomfort due to her cycle.⁴
She does not experience menstruation as a curse or inconvenience like many of her peers. Instead, being equipped with all of this information, she is comfortable with this event happening in her body – even takes advantage of this time to put herself and her self-care first!
2.
She knows when to expect her period
Being comfortable with her period might also have something to do with the fact that she is always prepared for it. After charting a few cycles, she will know exactly when to expect it.
One of the parameters of her cycle she will be able to identify is the length of her luteal phase. The luteal phase is the second half of the cycle. It begins after ovulation and ends on the last day before her next period. A healthy luteal phase remains fairly constant, so after a few cycles, she knows how many days are in her normal variation of a luteal phase and she is able to count the days until her next period.⁵ This means her backpack is stocked with her favourite menstrual products and no more period surprises.
3.
She knows that stuff on her toilet paper is normal
A teen who charts her cycle knows that menstruation is not the main event: ovulation is. With ovulation comes cervical mucus! That sticky, tacky, or stretchy, and cloudy, clear, or yellow stuff she sometimes sees on her toilet paper. Unlike many people, she does not mistake her cervical mucus for an infection. She knows it is a normal part of being fertile.
She is also aware of other vaginal discharge, too. She is not embarrassed when her underwear has that yellow, crumbly stuff or worried when her toilet paper looks shiny. She knows that is just vaginal cell slough and an important part of owning a self-cleaning vagina!⁶
4.
She knows that other changes are normal too
Fertility awareness charting equips the teen who charts her cycles with an understanding of hormonal shifts that happen throughout the cycle and how these influence her moods and behaviours, including her sleep cycle, appetite, and energy levels.
Charting has helped her recognize the five distinctive hormonal phases. First, menstruation, the Resting Phase, where she takes it easy and feels connected to a deep part of herself. This is followed by pre-ovulation, the Extroverted Phase, where she feels at her ‘best’: upbeat, energetic, and full of new ideas. Then comes ovulation or the Creative Phase. She’s aware of the power of this phase to get things done because she has enormous energy, confidence, and feels like she can take on the world! Post-ovulation is the Evaluation and Reflection Phase. Now she’s taking a breath and taking time to relax. Feeling calm and reflective, her energy turns inwards. Finally, pre-menstruation, the Heightened Sensitivity Phase, is the time when she has the opportunity to tune into what she’s grateful for, what she wants more of, and what is no longer working for her.⁷
Self-awareness of each phase makes all the difference in her ability to handle them and live in flow with them.
5.
She will know when things are not okay
When the teen who charts her cycles knows what is normal for her, she is quicker to spot things that are not. This means the teen who charts will be able to spot warning signs of conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, or fibroids. She will also be able to pick up on other important knowledge about her body and her health, including nutritional deficits, food sensitivities, or even thyroid dysfunction, just to name a few. Then she can work with her health care providers to alleviate these issues preventatively and holistically, so that the problem is not simply masked but treated. Her charts become a tool to help her make the best decisions for her health and well-being.⁸
6.
She has developed a positive relationship with her body
It is only natural that, as she continues to chart her cycle, she becomes mindful of her body and learns more about herself and what she needs. She has a daily routine that respects and honours her body and the changes it goes through during her cycle. She has the opportunity to develop self-care practices and coping strategies for different phases and times of life. Charting has helped her develop self-compassion and body literacy. She sees her cyclical nature as something to be proud of and flow with as she appreciates her reproductive body. Yes, this is possible!
Just imagine
Even as an adult, I have reaped these benefits from my current fertility awareness practice. I know when to expect my period and I celebrate it when it comes. Observing my cervical mucus has become second nature to me and has helped foster a deeper appreciation for my fertile phase. I feel in flow with my hormonal changes instead of a victim of them. My charts have helped me recognize and support a suboptimal functioning thyroid, iron deficiency, and depression. Over the cycles, I have developed my own period rituals, self-care practices, and a deep love for my cervix.
Just imagine if I would have started charting with my first period, instead of well into my adulthood. Imagine the wealth of information I would have acquired about myself and the ways I could have supported my health and well-being through my teenage years.
Like many of the women I know who practice fertility awareness, I wish I had started earlier. Fertility awareness is a life skill that should be practiced well before it has to be used to achieve or avoid pregnancy and has so many benefits for teens, too. In fact, what a gift it is to celebrate a teen’s coming of age with their very first fertility awareness chart. I encourage you to talk to your daughters and the young women in your life about fertility awareness and how it might be helpful for them.
Where to turn now
Starting can be as simple as paying attention to menstruation, observing toilet paper, and picking up on the subtle physical and emotional changes that happen every single day.
Reading the book, Cycle Savvy, by Toni Weschler and working with a Fertility Awareness Educator, are great resources for learning. You can find a directory of Fertility Awareness Educators on the Justisse website, www.justisse.ca, and on the Association of Fertility Awareness Professionals website at www.fertilityawarenessprofessionals.com.
Additionally, the Association of Safe Alternatives in Childbirth (ASAC) offers a free workshop on Cycle Charting for Fertility Awareness as part of their Birth and Baby Talk Series. Look out for their fall series to find the next date.
Chloe Skerlak is a seasoned ovulator, proud owner of a menstrual cup, a charter for eight years, and professionally teaching charting for two years. She hosts Mother/Daughter Period Positivity workshops and loves to post pictures of her cervical mucus on Instagram.
Footnotes:
1. According to one study, it is over 99% effective at avoiding pregnancy.
Frank-Herrmann, P., J. Heil, C. Gnoth, E. Toledo, S. Baur, C. Pyper, E. Jenetzky, T. Strowitzki, and G. Freundl. "The Effectiveness of a Fertility Awareness Based Method to Avoid Pregnancy in Relation to a Couples Sexual Behaviour during the Fertile Time: A Prospective Longitudinal Study." Human Reproduction 22, no. 5 (2007): 1310-319. Accessed April 26, 2019. doi:10.1093/humrep/dem003.
2. According to research, only 12.7% of women seeking fertility treatment can accurately identify the fertile window.
Hampton, Kerry D., Danielle Mazza, and Jennifer M. Newton. "Fertility-awareness Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Women Seeking Fertility Assistance." Journal of Advanced Nursing 69, no. 5 (2012): 1076-084. Accessed April 26, 2019. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2012.06095.x.
3. The first four vital signs are body temperature, pulse (heart) rate, breathing (respiration) rate, and blood pressure.
Hendrickson-Jack, Lisa. The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles and Optimize Your Fertility. Fertility Friday Publishing, 2019.
4. "Resources." The Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research. Accessed April 27, 2019. http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/resources.
5. Cycle Savvy: The Smart Teen's Guide to the Mysteries of Her Body.
6. Weschler, Toni. Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health. New York: William Morrow, HarperCollins, 2015.
7. Ross, Ashley, Kelly Rose Mason, and Elayne Doughty. Cycles of Life: A Journal for Women (Understanding the Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Influence of Your Hormonal Cycle). Self Published, 2007.
8. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists both report that menstruation should be monitored as a vital sign in adolescent teens.
Diaz, A., M. R. Laufer, and L. L. Breech. "Menstruation in Girls and Adolescents: Using the Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign." Pediatrics 137, no. 3 (2016). Accessed April 26, 2019. doi:10.1542/peds.2015-4480.