Maybe you have been trying to conceive for a while, maybe you are just starting to try, or maybe you are thinking about trying soon. In all cases, you may be wondering if an education in the sympto-thermal method of fertility awareness is for you.
The method may seem laborious, or your doctor didn’t seem to think it was worth your while. Perhaps you are concerned about the price. There can be many things that hold you back from getting instruction in the sympto-thermal method of fertility awareness. I would like to help you decide if it is for you.
It may not be for you if…
You have already read a comprehensive book on the subject. This could be Taking Charge of Your Fertility, Garden of Fertility, or a few others. These books would include detailed description of cervical fluid changes, what they mean, what is happening hormonally during your cycle, and things that your chart may be telling you.
You already have a diagnosed fertility problem that is non-hormonal, such as blocked tubes.
So, what’s the benefit?
So we know some people (outlined above) just aren’t going to get much out of taking the sympto-thermal method of fertility awareness class. Most people, though, have very little knowledge of when they truly are fertile, and even fewer have any idea of why they are having issues with fertility if they truly are.
The full class can help these women immensely. According to a recent study, even though 68.2% of women seeking assisted reproductive technology (ART) believed they timed intercourse in their fertile window, only 12.7% of the women could accurately identify the fertile window.
Simply put, there may be many people unnecessarily using assisted reproductive technology (ART) than is necessary, and when you consider the costs, both financially and in terms of health risks, ART can be a huge toll that is best avoided if possible. So why not make sure you need to be in that boat before forgoing the safer, easier options.
Fertility awareness; not just knowing when you are fertile
Besides the fact that you will be able to accurately identify your fertile window, you can actually identify many hormonal issues with consistent charting. Here is an example: you may have small amounts of cervical fluid (which can be addressed in a variety of ways), which is inhibiting time to pregnancy by making your fertile window short. In a typical doctor setting clomid is generally the first thing that is prescribed, which is to help spur ovulation, but actually dries up cervical fluid. If you are ovulating fine but need more cervical fluid, how is that going to help? It is always better to know the cause of anything before trying to treat it blindly.
Another common thing that women notice when they start to chart is low progesterone, which can show up in a variety of ways. There are many ways in which you can holistically help increase progesterone levels.
As well as noticing where the issue may be, you can also see changes when you do anything to help. If you are on a mission to lengthen your luteal phase, decrease estrogen levels, increase cervical fluid, or anything else, you can actually watch your cycle getting better. That is something that no other method can offer you.
I wish anyone trying to conceive the best of luck and perfect timing :)
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At what age should a woman consider saving her eggs when it looks like she might want to be a single parent?
Hi Lianda,
Thanks for the comment!
This would definitely be a personal decision based on the woman’s circumstances. For example, she may be hoping to meet someone still, she may have a lot of money or very little, she may know the age she wants to conceive or she may not know for sure.
If she knew certainly that she wanted to be a single parent, but later in life and was well off, it would probably do her well to consider freezing eggs before 35. If she had more uncertainty about when and there was a good chance she would be under 40 when trying, especially if she does not have a lot of money, then it would probably be better to hold off.
One thing to keep in mind is that if the eggs are frozen it necessitates IVF, which is also a huge expense. If the woman is able to use her egg that she currently ovulates she can inseminate, which is far cheaper. Not to mention the cost of freezing eggs, which is huge.
You can see the graphic in this article showing probability of getting pregnant at next menstrual cycle by age.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/08/predict-odds-of-getting-pregnant_n_1948517.html
This, of course, is people getting pregnant the traditional way, but says something about egg quality as you age. Keep in mind that sperm quality also declines, and I’m sure in many of these studies the partners were similar in age. Having younger sperm can help a bit.
As you can see, the really steep drop off tends to happen around 40.
Hope this helps, let me know if anything was unclear!