What’s a typical day like when using fertility awareness?

Does it surprise you to hear that, other than the fact that my business is dedicated to teaching the sympto-thermal method of fertility awareness, I actually give very little thought to charting each day?

I probably spend 2 minutes, tops, charting my cycle while I am fertile (about 9 days or so for me) and virtually nothing while I am not (at least lately).

Actually, my life is very full and I generally can’t be bothered to put a lot of attention towards my charts (I’d rather, you know, spend the time writing about them for you).

Before I say anything else, I want to mention that it wasn’t always like this. In the beginning I did need to put more attention towards learning fertility awareness and understanding my body. I also actually like when I put more attention to my charting practice because I love seeing the variation in my hormones and what is going on on a daily basis.

But, it doesn’t need to take up so much time, and once you’ve gotten practice making it part of your daily routine can be easy as pie.

Here is what my typical day looks like when I am fertile or expecting my point of change (this is something you learn about when you take a class to learn how to use fertility awareness. It is when you start to produce cervical fluid).

1.) Wake up, grab thermometer, stick it in my mouth while I snuggle in bed for an extra minute.
2.) Put thermometer back when it beeps at me. Look at temperature.
3.) Go about my day as usual.
4.) Whenever I go to the bathroom if I notice a smoother sensation while wiping I check for cervical fluid (you learn how to do this in a fertility awareness class).
5.) At the end of the night record my temperature and most fertile cervical fluid observation on my chart.

BAM. That’s it. I don’t need to think about applying rules or doing anything weirdly technical. It’s seriously second nature.

This isn’t meant to discourage you if you just started and are not feeling like this is second nature. It does take some time and consistent effort at first. I also really didn’t do a good job at it or fully understand everything until I took a class (hence the reason I am now a teacher and talk about the value of working with an instructor so much).

It’s meant to show you what your future will be with this ability, this knowledge.

You may be thinking…

• But do you have to check your charts when you want to have sex? Nope, it’s super easy to remember when you are in your fertile time.
• What about the other days of the cycle that you aren’t fertile? I usually take my temperature all month and keep an eye on my cervical fluid, but lately I have taken a minimal approach to temperature taking (acceptable for an experienced user).
• How long did it take you to get into the habit? I rarely have ever forgotten to take my temp. When I started using fertility awareness I knew I was going to use it and was committed. Doing something first thing in the morning is probably the easiest way to pick up a habit. For cervical fluid I always check using toilet paper and after I go to the bathroom, at which time I am already wiping with toilet paper, so it’s not much of a jump. Once you start paying attention to your sensations it’s even easier to notice that you’ve gotta check your cervical fluid.
• Well, how hard is it the interpret your cervical fluid? This one takes time, but if you work with a good teacher they will help you figure out what your body is doing without a hitch.

You don’t have to re-fill a prescription all of the time. You don’t need to think “Shit, I’m outta condoms again!” For that matter, you don’t have to deal with always using condoms, or the crazy that can come along with the pill or other hormones.

Instead, you have a life skill that is second nature. It helps you not only not become pregnant if you don’t want to, but monitor your hormones, be more in sync with your body, and even get pregnant when that is what you want. Yep, it takes a little bit of time to learn and integrate into your life, but its like any other skill that is worth learning.