Embarking on the journey of Fertility Awareness Based Methods can be exciting and a little overwhelming with all of the information out there. The abbreviations (TTA? DPO?) and words (Sympto-thermal?) feel like a foreign language. And honestly, the charts can look kind of strange if you’ve never seen one.
So you pick a method. Maybe take a class or two. But what happens when your chart doesn’t look like the textbook’s? Or your cervical fluid doesn’t look like the pictures? Or maybe you see what would be classified as “fertile fluid” when you’re clearly not fertile?
When you are just starting out charting your fertility, these are common topics.
Rule out hormonal dysfunctions.
If your cycles are wildly erratic and you are not approaching menopause, in the postpartum phase, or recently coming off of a hormonal method of contraception, there’s likely a bigger issue at play. The Creighton and FEMM model are especially known for diagnosing hormonal imbalances but all method instructors have a pretty solid understanding and should be able to help you with that. Which leads to my next point….
Don’t underestimate the power of a good instructor.
No, charting isn’t rocket science, but it can be really affirming to have someone with more experience under their belt backing you up. As instructors, we’ve seen it all. Sometimes, it’s as simple as applying a more consistent routine—like using the same thermometer every day. Other times, a hard to read chart can be indicative of underlying hormonal imbalances. Either way, an instructor is invaluable.
Look for the forest, not the trees.
It’s really easy to get caught up in individual details. I get asked, “Why did my temperature rise today? I’m only on the third day of my period!” Or, “I drank last night—is that why my temperature is higher than usual?” and “why did I have fluid after a bunch of dry days?” If you have ruled out hormonal imbalances, like PCOS, it’s pretty normal to have small aberrations in your chart. Our bodies aren’t robots, after all! Each individual temperature is far less important than the general bigger picture. Cervical fluid doesn’t matter as much what it looks like today, but what the pattern has been over the last few days or week. When it boils down to it, charting is actually pretty simple. Don’t overthink it!
The mythical ovulation temp drop.
Some women will experience a temp drop before ovulation. Some. I stress some, because not all women will see this in their chart. It’s fun when you catch it, but I encourage women to not use it as a reliable indicator of fertility. Same goes for the temp dropping before a period. It’s common and many women see it—but if you get your period without seeing a drop in your temperature, it’s likely nothing to fret about.
Tacky, sticky, creamy, huh??
Classifying cervical fluid shouldn’t feel like science class. Okay, well maybe a little, but it shouldn’t be causing you anxiety. While there’s a general pattern all regularly menstruating women will experience (bleeding, dry, wet, dry) it won’t always be text book progression. I always encourage women to think of peak day as something they decide the day of or even two days after. It’s much easier to determine in retrospect. How can you determine your most fertile day without seeing all the days of your fertile window? It’s like choosing a movie before you know all the films that are playing!
Find your own pattern.
Bleeding mid-cycle. Fluid that looks fertile right before your period. Having dry days after your period. Not having dry days after your period. These are all normal and on the scope of healthy cycles—so find your normal. Instructors are trained to do exactly this! One thing that I love so much about charting is that it tailors to you. Your normal chart might look slightly different than Suzy from down the street’s normal chart. (But how cool is it that Suzy from down the street is charting?)
The big take home here is that charting your fertility, especially in the beginning, doesn’t always translate seamlessly from the textbook to your everyday life. It’s like building Ikea furniture. The directions help you, but sometimes you need a second (or third) eye. Get support, don’t overthink it, and if you’re seriously worried about pregnancy—play it safe on the confusing days. Over time, you learn not to sweat the small stuff and we promise it gets so much easier!
