As if women haven’t been burdened enough over many millennia. Shoot, we might as well tack on birth control to the list off things women have to deal with! Well let’s see, girls you could go with cervical caps, diaphragms, sponges, IUD’s, patches, or vaginal rings. Don’t forget the spermicides, the infamous pill, shots, the morning after pill, and the list goes on. For men there are condoms, and well uhh…condoms.
For only being fertile one to two days about every month it is pretty unreasonable women get stuck with the birth control burden. Women are literally putting their bodies in harm’s way in order to avoid pregnancy when men are fertile every day. EVERY DAY. Like many women, I have decided to balance the scales of mankind and even things out a little. Taking my reproductive health into my own hands, I began by researching natural birth control methods. Eventually, I stumbled upon a blog article (much like this). that explained the fertility awareness method.
why I Switched
The article was talking about the fertility awareness method, also known as FAM. At the time, I had been using a daily hormonal contraceptive pill every day for the past four years. As the days went on and I continued day after day pill after pill, I couldn’t help but think what these chemicals were doing to my body in the long run.
I knew I wanted to stop taking the pill one day. Additionally, I knew I wanted to stop before I was ready to make a decision to have kids or not. Stuck in this dilemma of not wanting to take pills, and also not wanting to have kids, my search intensified. As soon as I discovered FAM, natural family planning didn’t seem so scary anymore.
Family planning (or family avoiding) is not something I take lightly. Bringing a child into this world is a big deal and is something every couple should actively decide together. The problem is most women and men simply don’t know how to not have children by “accident.” The fertility awareness method teaches couples how to and how not to get pregnant. To no surprise, it all has to do with a woman’s cycle.
How I Started
When I decided to get on the FAM bandwagon, I purchased some research material. I didn’t want to completely dive into natural birth control, without knowing what I was doing. I bought a book for around $25 dollars called Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler.
The first half of the book teaches you how to avoid pregnancy. The latter half teaches you how to maximize chances for pregnancy. The book overall teaches women how to interpret their own cycles by taking clues from their own bodies.
The biggest lesson I learned from the book is that every woman’s body is different and that even every menstrual cycle per woman can be different month to month. Knowing this, it really doesn’t make sense for there to be any kind of generalized medicine meant to lump all women into one category to control their menstrual cycles.
Much less, it does not seem okay to teach women birth control methods based on a single “common” menstrual cycle. A woman should want to know her own body better than some doctor she sees once every year or two. This is what Weschler’s book taught me. How to get to know my own body.
If you are interested in getting started with FAM, I highly recommend you do some research for yourself. Investing in Taking Charge of Your Fertility is not a bad place to start. Even if you decided not to go with FAM this book is beneficial in learning to interpret your body’s signs.
How It Works
So what exactly is FAM? FAM is a system of natural birth control involving charting your fertility signs every day. These signs are to help you determine if you are fertile that day. These signs show you if you have ovulated, when your period is coming, and when you are likely to be pregnant. If practiced correctly FAM can be very rewarding. You will be able to know when you need to play it safe during intercourse and when you can just have fun. As an added bonus, your partner can help with FAM too!
In a quick summary, FAM is based on taking your temperature with a thermometer every morning, at the same time, observing your cervical fluid daily, and determining your cervical position (which is totally optional). When tracking my temperatures for a whole cycle it becomes clear from charting when I was pre-ovulation, when I was ovulating, and when I was post-ovulation.
Your pre-ovulation temperatures will be a series of low temperatures followed by a shift to high temperatures, right after you have ovulated. Now, if you can read your cervical fluid clearly, you will know exactly what day you currently are ovulating.
Why I Love It
My favorite part of FAM so far has been the control it has given me over my reproductive health and sex life. Specifically, knowing when I can have spontaneous sex, while still being safe. It is also great knowing when to expect my period. The biggest thing I have enjoyed is the peace of mind knowing that I am not harming my body anymore by taking hormonal pills every day.
Just keep in mind the success of FAM depends greatly on consistency and will power. So if you are not someone who has good follow-through skills and you don’t want a baby anytime soon, FAM may not be for you. To read about my experience with FAM and ditching hormonal contraceptives click here!
For free access to Toni Weschler’s fertility charts, you can download them here.
Disclosures
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and trust, or think my readers will find useful. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Medical Disclaimer: Listen, folks, I am not a doctor, nor do I claim to be. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical decision.
