Couples experiencing difficulty trying to conceive are not alone in facing subfertility and infertility.
Conventional advice suggests having sex at least every-other-day when trying to conceive. But did you know that there are only a few days every month when conceiving is even possible? And did you know you’re most likely to have success conceiving when you have sex leading up to ovulation?
Unfortunately, most couples are not taught this information, and most women have no idea how to determine the lead-up to ovulation. That is where Fertility Awareness Methods (FAMs) or methods of Natural Family Planning (NFP) come in!
Learning to chart one’s menstrual cycle with a FAM or method of NFP can inform a woman when she is most fertile, so that she and her partner can target intercourse to the times when she is most likely to get pregnant. With this information, some couples have been able to conceive in half the time as couples having random intercourse.
Charting with a fertility awareness method also provides couples with information that equip doctors to identify root causes of infertility a couple may be facing and treat those conditions.
When we refer to fertility awareness methods (FAM), or natural family planning (NFP), we are referring to Fertility Awareness-Based Methods, evidence-based methods of cycle charting which can be used as effective forms of natural birth control when learned by a certified instructor.
Learn more about infertility here, and find articles on trying to conceive below.
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My miracle pregnancy story
By Mamta M • April 9, 2024After 4 years of infertility, 3 rounds of IVF, and an endo diagnosis -
Estrogen is a key driver of the menstrual cycle. But it impacts your brain health, too
By Taryn DeLong • November 3, 2023How estrogen impacts mental health and protects against certain health problems -
Conceiving naturally after IVF may be more common than most people realize
By Clare Sharp • October 20, 2023Maybe we should be asking: Did they need to use ART in the first place? -
What is a gentle C-section?
By Madison Ayers • September 21, 2023In 2021, nearly one third (32.1%) of all births in the United States were via Cesarean section (C-section),… -
Is charting your cycles ever “useless information?” A single woman reflects on the value and the “pain points” of charting
By Anne Marie Williams, RN, BSN • September 8, 2023Why charting as a single woman is never “useless,” even if it can sting -
FAM Basics: The vagina and vaginal health
By Kristen Curran • August 10, 2023The vagina’s role in sex, menstruation, childbirth -
What could go wrong with your uterus?
By Kristen Curran • June 21, 2023Uterine fibroids, uterine prolapse, uterine cancer, congenital uterine abnormalities, and painful periods caused by excess prostaglandins from, you… -
FAM Basics: The uterus
By Kristen Curran • June 9, 2023The uterus doesn’t just matter when you’re pregnant (or trying) -
What are the long term effects of not having a period, and how do you fix amenorrhea?
By Anne Marie Williams, RN, BSN • March 25, 2023In part 1 and part 2 of this 3-part series, we covered the causes of amenorrhea, which is… -
What causes stillbirth? What we know (and don’t know)
By Kristen Curran • March 3, 2023Editor’s note: Child loss is a difficult–yet necessary–topic to discuss. Readers who have experience with stillbirth or another…