Questions & Answers

HOW DO FERTILITY AWARENESS BASED METHODS WORK?

Couples who use a fertility awareness-based method learn how to track the naturally occurring fertility signs a woman experiences over the course of each cycle. By tracking these biomarkers, couples are able to determine the short window of days each cycle when a woman is able to become pregnant. More specifically, Biomarks teaches a version of fertility awareness known as the sympto-thermal method, which uses both a woman's cervical mucus symptoms ("sympto") and her basal body temperature ("thermal") to create a picture of her fertility each cycle. The observable changes in a woman's cervical mucus and basal body temperature reflect the hormonal changes occurring within her body. By cross-checking these signs, each woman is able to create an accurate picture of her fertility each cycle. A couple wishing to conceive may use the determined fertile time for intercourse, while couples who wish to avoid pregnancy may choose to abstain from intercourse during the woman's fertile window. For a longer explanation, check out an article I wrote here.

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HOW EFFECTIVE IS FERTILITY AWARENESS WHEN USED TO PREVENT PREGNANCY?
The sympto-thermal method has a method effectiveness rate of 99%. This means there are  .6 pregnancies per 100 women when the appropriate guidelines are followed. 

CAN FERTILITY AWARENESS HELP ME GET PREGNANT?
Yes. Because a woman is only fertile for a short amount of time each cycle, knowing the best days to have intercourse in order to achieve a pregnancy can be extremely helpful. By charting her fertility a woman will learn how to identify her fertile days. Additionally, the data a woman gathers about her body from charting can help her to more accurately identify her conception date and due date.

CAN FERTILITY AWARENESS HELP WITH INFERTILITY?

Fertility awareness-based methods do not treat or cure infertility. However, learning to chart your fertility can still be a good first step for couples who have been trying to conceive without success. Charting can help women see if and when they ovulate, as well as help identify cycle abnormalities that can make conceiving difficult. Many physicians can use a woman's charted fertility signs as a diagnostic tool when looking for fertility related health problems.

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HOW ARE FERTILITY AWARENESS-BASED METHODS DIFFERENT FROM THE RHYTHM METHOD?

Fertility awareness-based methods and the rhythm method are often thought of as the same thing, but they are very different. The rhythm method depends entirely on the calendar; women count days and abstain from intercourse for a predetermined set of days each cycle. With fertility awareness-based methods, women do not count days on the calendar, but rather depend on their own, individual fertility signs to alert them to when they are fertile. Every woman's body is unique, and the days she is fertile can change from cycle to cycle. Practicing fertility awareness is much more effective than using the rhythm method, because it is tailored to each woman individually.

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IS THERE A CHARTING APP AVAILABLE TO USE WITH THIS METHOD?

Yes! SymptoPro has happily partnered with the wonderful team at Read Your Body. The Read Your Body app works well with our charting categories and can be easily customized. The best thing about this app is that it allows you to make your own interpretations and does not depend on algorithms, which have been shown to be less effective than interpreting your own fertility chart and applying the rules from an NFP course.

DO I NEED A SPECIAL THERMOMETER?

No, all you need is a basal body thermometer. If you choose to take a SymptoPro Fertility Education class, a thermometer will be provided for you in your class materials. If you would like to purchase a different thermometer, I like this one from Easy@Home. It is backlit and has a good recall function so you can write your temperature down later in the day if you forget to in the morning. 

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CAN I USE A TEMPDROP OR OTHER WEARABLE THERMOMETER?
Yes, you can, but as an organization SymptoPro advises caution. The high effectiveness rates of NFP are based on studies using a regular basal body thermometer. We do not know how wearable thermometers like the Tempdrop will change these effectiveness rates. I advise that all clients chart with both the Tempdrop and a regular basal body thermometer for at least three cycles to see how well the temperatures align. In my experience, the temperature patterns are often close, but not a perfect match.