The first question I get asked whenever I share my passion for charting my cycle or when I mention the school that I am attending is: “What is Fertility Awareness?”. I have been a student of The Well school of Body Literacy Fertility Awareness Educator Training for over two years. Since there is no simple answer when people ask “What is Fertility Awareness?”, I have decided to make a blog post to explain its beauty and many nuanced layers.

First, it will be best to define some basic terminology.

• Fertility Awareness (FA): A lifestyle that embodies specialized knowledge--it revolves around an awareness of our hormonal cycles, fertility, and sexuality. It honors our ever-changing bodies, our natural cycles, and the vast interplay of our emotional/spiritual/physical Beings.

• Fertility Awareness Method (FAM): A daily cycle charting practice that involves the observation of fertility biomarkers and other signs of health. There are many methods of FAM that exist in the world, one of them being Natural Family Planning (NFP). Unlike NFP, FAM is not associated with a specific religion or spiritual path.

• Fertility Awareness Based Method (FABM): An umbrella term encompassing all variations of cycle charting practices available. There are many!

• Sympto-Thermal Method: A FABM that is based on the daily observations of our cervical fluid and basal body temperature. This is the method I use for my personal chart, and it is the one that I am certified to teach.

I first found out about FAM when I was searching for natural, hormone-free birth control methods. I have previously explained the story in detail. HERE is the Blog post on how I discovered this method and how it changed my life. When I first encountered this new knowledge I was furious that no one had ever provided this information about my OWN BODY. This anger soon fueled my desire to become an educator so I could share this knowledge with others.

We are Cyclic Beings

As humans we are subject to many natural cycles. For those of us with female physiology, our physical and emotional bodies shift and sway similar to the way the tides shift with the moon’s phases. We are literally and figuratively lunar beings, following the pull of the full and new moons (isn’t this magical?) There is something about perceiving bodies as ever-changing, like everything else in nature, that is comforting to me. Our bodies are in constant communication with us as to our fertility, health, energy, etc. By listening to our bodies, charting these signs, and having a basic sense of our hormonal system we can understand much about ourselves. As my Fertility Awareness teacher Sarah Bly put it: “We can watch our cyclical wave of fertility and learn to trust it, enjoy it and celebrate it. To me, this is true sexual liberation, true sovereignty. It is a birthright we have been separated from through a cultural era of disconnection with our sexuality and our power”.

The Method

At its core, FAM involves tracking bio-markers and recording this data on a chart—either on paper or in an app. I prefer paper myself. This gives us information about our current hormonal stage, and where we are in our cycles. It highlights the challenges and underlying issues through hormonal signals. It is a way to keep track of the changing patterns, and then we can use this information to care for our health; hormonal and overall; optimize our fertility; and consciously choose when and/or if we would like to become pregnant.

When FAM is used correctly, i.e. according to evidence-based practices, it becomes an extremely effective form of natural birth control. For birth control purposes, what sets FAMs apart from apps, devices, and the old-fashioned rhythm method is that it is based on a daily determination of fertility, not on past cycles, digital algorithms, or computation.

In order to use this method, it takes commitment, and an initial investment of time and money to study with a qualified instructor. It can take several months of careful practice under the guidance of an educator before you feel confident enough to employ it. After the initial learning period, FAM practice becomes a part of your life. It only takes a couple of minutes per day to use this method. Eventually, it becomes second nature, just like brushing your teeth every day. It is an inexpensive, life-long gift of self-awareness that everyone deserves. The practice is based on observing the three main signs of fertility; cervical fluid changes, cervical position changes, and waking basal body temperature. Charting these signs, as well as secondary fertility signs, can help you become aware, each day, as to whether you are fertile or not.

Why chart your cycle using FAM?

• Natural Birth Control: FAM gives you the power to make your own reproductive choices. You don’t need to relying on any other form of birth control-- no harmful chemicals, mechanical devices, doctor’s prescriptions, or pharmaceutical companies. FAM can be used as a natural form of birth control with no side effects. It allows you to consciously choose when and/or if you want to become pregnant. By studiously applying the rules of FAM this practice is between 99.4 and 99.6% effective for contraception (See study below).

• Conception: Charting your cycles will pinpoint your most fertile time and then you can plan accordingly. You will also be able to determine how well your hormones are working together to best support a healthy pregnancy. There are several key markers that we look for in a chart that will identify when those optimal conditions are present for a smooth conception. In addition, once you have conceived, your charts can confirm that you are indeed pregnant, even before taking a pregnancy test!

• Overall Health: Tracking these signs over time will offer keen insights into the health and balance of your reproductive system. FAM can help you learn what the ‘optimal’ health and hormonal rhythms look like, something that is unique for each individual. When your body gets off-balance, you will be able to notice the discrepancy quickly so you can decide if you need to see a health practitioner. Also, you will have longitudinal data and supplemental health information to share with your physician.

Is FAM effective? Where is the science?

The version of FAM that I practice and teach is an evidence-based method. The most recent statistics are found in the Spring 2007 issue of Human Reproduction Today, a leading journal in the field. The study, performed in Germany, found by using the rules of the Fertility Awareness Method (particularly the ‘Sensi-Plan’ method as taught by instructors in the study) to be EQUALLY AS EFFECTIVE as oral contraceptives. That is, 99.4-99.6% effective in preventing pregnancy when used correctly.

These studies also include a ‘user effectiveness rate’, which takes into account human error, rather than simply being the fault of the method. In the case of FAM, it is very much a USER-DEPENDENT method of birth control. These errors would include practitioners taking risks, not following the rules, and not charting effectively. It would also include teaching errors. In this study, the user effectiveness rating is 98.2% The user effectiveness of this method compares well to other methods of birth control where the user has responsibilities in its use, such as condoms, diaphragms, and oral contraceptives.

To read the study cited in its entirety, please go HERE.

To read a SHORT study compilation of Fertility Awareness Based Methods, go HERE.

Do you want to learn more about FAM?

I teach a 4-week class series a few times a year on how to use this method effectively. If you are a person who is:

• Looking to use this method as a natural birth control
• Trying to conceive: use this method to time their intercourse correctly and/or learn about possible underlining hormonal imbalances that could become a challenge in your fertility journey

or

• Just wants to learn about their cyclical bodies to be able to live in alignment with the phases of the cycles.

You can subscribe to my newsletter to be the first to find out about the next training session.

If you want to get started on learning about FAM, here are some resources that I recommend:

• Book: Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler
• Podcast: Fertility Friday with Lisa (400+ episodes!)
• Documentary: Business of Birth Control, a film by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein

Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or private session inquiries!