What is fertility awareness
Fertility awareness is the daily practice of observing and charting your signs of fertility and infertility.
Did you know you're not fertile every single day?
It's true! Even though we've been socialized to think of pregnancy as something we can catch at any moment on any given day, this is simply not the case. In fact, there's a lot more going on in your cycle than you may have been told. There's the dynamic follicular phase, the grand entrance of ovulation, the butterfly luteal phase (I call it that because it has the lifespan of a butterfly - it averages 14 days!), and the reflective menstrual phase. By charting your biological signs of fertility and infertility, you can begin to demystify your menstrual cycle and unlock it's potential!
Body literacy is the self-knowledge gained by understanding your times of fertility & infertility.
The biological signs include cervical mucus, basal body temperature, and cervical position. Some people also chart miscellaneous symptoms like mood changes, libido changes, and abdominal pain. The self-knowledge gained through this charting practice, referred to as body literacy, is what empowers us with the tools for hormone-free birth control, pregnancy achievement, and insight into reproductive and overall health.
“The menstrual cycle is your ultimate guide to befriending yourself, and utterly relishing the full pleasure and authority of being a woman.”
Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, Authors of Wild Power
Fertility awareness can be practiced by ALL menstruators
whether they have regular or irregular cycles
if they’re coming off hormonal birth control or
experiencing
cycle changes
eg) perimenopause or breast-feeding.
Are you sick and tired of taking the Pill but you don't want to get pregnant?
On average, women are only fertile about a week each cycle. By charting your cervical mucus and basal body temperature, you can learn to easily identify your time of fertility and abstain from sexual intercourse or use a barrier method during this time to prevent pregnancy. When abstaining during the fertile time, fertility awareness is 99.6% effective at preventing pregnancy. (And that's also 100% free of synthetic hormones and crappy side effects!)
So you want to have a baby!
According to research, only 12.7% of women seeking fertility treatment can accurately identify the fertile window. Fertility awareness will help you identify exactly when you're fertile so you can confidently use the best days to conceive.
Painful periods, PMS, or irregular cycles?
The menstrual cycle is your 5th vital sign and it's a window into your reproductive and overall health. If you're experiencing painful periods, PMS, or irregular cycles (to name a few!), your menstrual cycle isn't the problem, it's revealing the problem. Learning to chart your cycle with fertility awareness will help to identify and improve (even overcome!) hormonal imbalances and health issues.
“I firmly believe that the first step towards addressing fertility concerns, regulating a period, coming onto or off of birth control, etc. is to track your period.”
Caylie Gnyra, 4th Meridian Acupuncture, Canada
Imagine that you are aware of the full spectrum & power of your cycle—menstruation, ovulation, the in betweens & that this awareness is second nature, as natural as eating & sleeping.
The knowledge you gain from this awareness is the key to reproductive freedom - the freedom to choose to conceive or not without the disruption of synthetic hormones or the use of medical interventions. This awareness empowers you to be an advocate of your own health - spiritual, emotional, and physical - guiding you on your path to be your most optimal, healthy self.
This is the power of fertility awareness.