Natural family planning

• It takes three to six cycles to learn effectively
• You have to keep daily records
• Things like illness, stress and travel may make fertility indicators harder to interpret
• You need to avoid intercourse (or use a barrier method) during the fertile time
• To be successful, both you and your partner need to be very committed to the method
• Natural methods don’t protect you against sexually transmitted infections.

Most people can use natural methods as long as they receive good instructions and support. It may take longer to recognise your fertility indicators at certain times; for example, after stopping hormonal contraception (such as the pill), during breastfeeding or when approaching the menopause.

Using the different fertility methods:

Temperature indicator
Your body temperature rises slightly after you have ovulated. You can chart this by taking your temperature every day, as soon as you wake up, before you get out of bed or before you have anything to eat or drink. A fertility thermometer or digital thermometer will show the small changes in temperature more easily. This is known as basal body temperature (BBT) or waking temperature. The fertile time ends when, for three days in a row, you have recorded temperatures which are higher than all the previous six days. The difference in temperature will be about 0.2 degrees Centigrade (0.4 degrees Fahrenheit).

Cervical Secretions Indicator and changes in your cervix
During the menstrual cycle the position and softness of the cervix (entrance to the womb) changes. At the same time cervical secretions change in appearance, texture and increase in amount. After your period, you may notice a few days when you feel dry. As you approach your fertile time in the menstrual cycle, cervical secretions become moist and sticky and look white or cloudy. Around ovulation, these secretions then become clearer, wetter and stretchy – like raw egg white. This is a sign that you are at your most fertile.

Cycle Length Indicator
The length of cycles can help to define the start of your fertile time. From a record of the length of your last six cycles, find your shortest cycle and subtract 20 days to find the first fertile day.