Have you heard about natural family planning and thought it was cool but you didn’t know how to get started with fertility awareness methods?
Well, never fear! Today I’m going to tell you all you need to know about it!
If you would rather listen to this, you can do so below or by listening on your favorite podcast app. (Search for “Coffee With Kara.”)
How To Get Started With Fertility Awareness
1. Research the Different Kinds of Methods
The first thing you need to do to get started with fertility awareness is to research the different kinds of methods.
Now, last week’s Coffee With Kara episode was all about the different types of fertility awareness methods, so if you want a deep dive into the different methods, I recommend checking out that episode.
In a nutshell, the different fertility awareness methods are based on your fertility biomarkers, such as cervical mucus, basal body temperature (your temperature first thing when you wake up in the morning), and hormone testing.
You can use these signs to chart your cycles and when you follow specific rules from an official method, you can use fertility awareness to avoid or achieve pregnancy.
There are methods that only use cervical mucus, methods that use CM and BBT, methods that use CM and hormone testing, methods that only use hormone testing, and methods that use BBT as well as a predictive algorithm.
So when you get started with fertility awareness, you’ll want to research the different methods and determine which would be best for you and your marriage.
For example, if you have a changing sleep schedule due to your job, a method that uses BBT might not be the best for you.
Or if you love the idea of not having to buy a specific thermometer or hormone tests, a cervical mucus only method might be good for you.
2. Find an Instructor
Once you’ve chosen a method, the second thing you need to do is find a teacher.
If you are wanting to use fertility awareness as your birth control method, you absolutely need an instructor.
Your instructor will come alongside you and teach you the family planning rules for your method and help you interpret your charts.
Not only that, but the effectiveness of the methods increases when you learn from an instructor. In fact, I don’t think there have been studies on the efficacy of self-taught Fertility Awareness.
What you do NOT want to do is follow a bunch of fertility awareness Instagram accounts or join fertility awareness Facebook groups and then piece together your own method based upon what you see on social media.
Don’t get me wrong- following people on Instagram or joining FAM Facebook groups can be a great way to supplement your education and gain additional support, BUT they do not need to be your primary form of education.
You might be wondering, “How do I find a fertility awareness instructor?”
There are a few different ways you can find someone to teach you.
The first is to use hashtags on Instagram. I recommend searching the hashtags #naturalfamilyplanninginstructor or #FertilityAwarenessEducator to start with.
Then look at the accounts that pop up and see if you connect with any of the instructors. Look at what method they teach and if it’s the one you want to learn.
If you want to be very specific, use #Creighton or #Marquette to find instructors for the specific method you want to learn.
Another way you can use social media to find an educator is to ask in Facebook Groups. There are lots of fertility awareness Facebook groups you can join and that would be a great place to ask if there are any instructors and if they have openings.
The third way that you can find an instructor is to use the fertility awareness educator directory. Go to the website FAeducators.directory to get started.
On that website, you can do a specific search for an educator of your desired method. You can filter based upon price, if they offer online classes, what their views on abortion are, if they support barrier methods during the fertile window or not, and more!
Once you’ve applied your filters, educators will pop up that fit your needs. Click on a profile and you can read more about them. They also should have their social media and websites linked on their profile.
A fourth way to find an instructor is to work with me! Check out the “Learn Femm” tab on my menu to learn more.
3. Be Consistent
My third tip for when you get started with fertility awareness is to be consistent.
When you begin charting, it is 100% okay if you feel overwhelmed with all of the information and the things that you have to track.
You might even forget to chart one day, and that’s okay. The important thing is that you create a habit of charting so that you can eliminate those skipped days.
I have some ideas for how you can help yourself be consistent when you’re first starting out!
- If you’re tracking your temperature, set the thermometer on top of your phone on your nightstand. That way when your alarm goes off, you’ll feel your thermometer and remember to take your temperature.
- You could set reminders on your phone to go off throughout the day to remind you to check for cervical mucus. You could label the reminder “Check CM” if you’re worried about someone seeing it.
- If you have to take LH tests, set reminders for that as well or write it down on your daily to-do list.
Once you’ve observed your biomarkers, it’s important that you record that information on your chart. Otherwise, it will do you no good if you forget to write them down.
So, either chart throughout the day using an app chart such as Read Your Body or set an alarm to go off before your bedtime that will remind you to chart.
Your spouse can be involved too! Maybe your spouse will be the one who keeps track of your chart and he’ll ask you each night what you observed that day.
Creating systems and routines will help you build habits that will create a solid foundation for your charting.
4. Read Fertility Awareness Books
My last tip for you is to read fertility awareness books.
I recommend the books “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” (TCOYF) and “The Fifth Vital Sign.”
TCOYF is great if you are using a method that tracks BBT or CM. It goes way in-depth on these biomarkers and has TONNNNSSS of example charts. It is literally as thick as my Bible LOL! TCOYF can be a great reference book for you regardless of what method you choose.
The Fifth Vital Sign goes WAYY in-depth on the different types of cervical mucus and how they are made and what they do. I love this book, because their cervical mucus labels align perfectly with the way FEMM categorizes them.
The Fifth Vital Sign also talks about how your hormones work each cycle, the history of hormonal birth control, how to quit hormonal birth control, and what nutrients you need to be getting as a woman for optimal health. It’s a great resource to have on hand and personally, I found it easier to read than TCOYF.
I hope these tips are encouraging for you as you get started with fertility awareness.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or DM me on Instagram (I’ll probably see a DM faster than a comment!).
Talk to you later!
Blessings,
Kara Beth
