By Tayla Lovering

The Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) refers to a set of practices and specific body literacy that can help to detect your fertile window and the phases of your menstrual cycle. This method can be used for those trying to conceive, trying to avoid pregnancy or those wanting a deeper understanding and connection to their body. The benefits of FAM are that it does not interfere with the Menstrual Cycle at all and can help you to feel more empowered as your body journeys through hormonal shifts each month. It can also guide you in identifying any imbalances throughout your cycle in which you can seek more targeted support.  

Ovulation is important for SO much more than fertility purposes alone, without ovulation, you are missing out on THESE INCREDIBLE BENEFITS:

1. Bone health

2. Brain function

3. Moods

4. Hair & Skin health

5. Metabolism and healthy weight management

6. Blood clotting

7. Blood pressure maintenance

8. Sexual function & Libido

Ultimately, switching off your hormones is not always the answer - although absolutely no judgement if this is the path you’ve taken or it gives you the most peace with your health (commonly Endometriosis, PCOS, Hormonal Acne etc), everyone is completely different!

more on ‘FAM’:

The Fertility Awareness Method involves observing fertile signs such as cervical mucus secretions, cervix changes and monitoring your basal body temperate to optimally determine ovulation to prevent or promote pregnancy.

Signs and Symptoms OF OVULATION:

• Cervical Mucus changes - your cervical mucus will be clear, wet and resemble egg whites.

• Temperature spike - your basal body temperature spikes by up to 0.3 degrees after ovulation, so this is a great indicator for tracking if Ovulation has actually occurred each month

• Elevated Libido - Due to the spike in hormones prior to Ovulation causing elevated libidio, this can help to determine when Ovulation is about to occur beginning in the late Follicular phase.

• Cervix changes - Oestrogen levels rise and cause your uterine lining to thicken, making the cervix feel softer, it also changes position rising up to the top of your Vagina.

Your body will produce a clear, egg white discharge around ovulation, followed by a small rise in body temperature indicating your most fertile time, however you only ovulate for 1 day as the egg is viable for approximately 12-24 hours.

As sperm can survive in the Uterus or Fallopian tubes for up to 5 days and your egg can survive 12-24 hours, this means using other forms of barrier contraception during this time or abstaining is suggested to avoid pregnancy.

Changes in your cervix position are related to the different phases of your menstrual cycle. By tuning into the position and texture of the cervix you can identify where you are in your current cycle, which is a very useful supportive tool for understanding Ovulation, to either prevent or promote pregnancy! The role of the Cervix is to secrete mucus which helps sperm travel from the vaginal canal to the uterus, plus it allows menstrual blood to flow out & acts as a plug to prevent bacteria from traveling upward during pregnancy (it’s a bit of a multitasker). When you are Ovulating, your Estrogen levels rise and cause your uterine lining to thicken, making the cervix feel softer, it also changes position rising up to the top of your Vagina. It;s best to work with a practitioner to learn more about this!

THE BENEFITS OF ‘FAM’:

• Increased connection to your health and wellbeing, better understanding of your unique body literacy.

• You are able to address imbalances with your health right away with a better understanding of the need to ovulate and ability to know if you actually are ovulating.

• Increased ability to fall pregnant sooner and without intervention at your desired time.

• No side effects at all!

MY TOP RECOMMENDATIONS TO GET STARTED:

• Download a Cycle tracking app - I use the Flo app but Natural Cycles is also good (DO NOT RELY ON THE APP TO TELL YOU WHEN YOU’RE OVULATING).

• Start just by recording your signs and symptoms, and your bleed each month to get going.

• Start looking at your cervical mucus discharge each day throughout your cycles and notice if it appears like egg whites at any point, then begin recording this in your app

• Use protection when having intercourse, no matter the day, as you are just learning about your fertility and guessing your fertile window is not safe for prevention of pregnancy.

• Purchase a temperature tracker to see if you are ovulating each month with that small increase in temperature after ovulation..

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, OR WANT TO LEARN MORE - GET IN TOUCH OR BOOK AN INITIAL CONSULT VIA THIS LINK

With love,

Tayla… X

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