4 Ways to Use the Fertility Awareness Method of Birth Control

1. Consult the Calendar

You can use the fertility awareness method of birth control, also called natural family planning, to either help you get pregnant or avoid pregnancy, but before you begin, you need to determine how many days are in your menstrual cycle. Keep a record of your cycle for at least 6 months and preferably a full year. The first day of your period is day one, and your cycle ends the day before your next period starts. Select your shortest cycle and your longest cycle. Subtract 18 from the number of days in your shortest cycle and 11 from the number of days in your longest cycle. The first number is the date you start avoiding sex if you're preventing pregnancy or start trying to conceive if that's your goal. The second date is the last day of your fertile period for the month. Continue keeping track of the length of your cycles and adjust your chart or calendar if needed. Use only the last 12 months as a reference.

2. Make Note of the Mucus

Cervical mucus changes throughout the menstrual cycle and can provide important clues that you're ovulating. Cervical mucus helps sperm survive and swim up to the fallopian tubes. It increases as ovulation approaches. Cervical mucus that is sticky and cloudy, similar to egg whites, indicates your fertile. The heaviest day of cervical mucus usually occurs during the time frame of two days before to two days after ovulation. Make note of cervical mucus changes on the same chart or calendar you're using to track your cycle. Avoid using douches and spermicides as they can change the mucus's consistency.

3. Cervical Clues

The position of your cervix also changes during your cycle. Around the time of ovulation, the cervix is positioned high and feels soft, wet and open. During days you aren't fertile, the cervix is low, closed and firm. A non-fertile cervix feels similar to the tip of your nose, while a fertile cervix feels more like your lip. Always check your cervix around the same time of day and in the same position.

4. Take Your Temperature

Your body temperature slightly drops immediately before ovulation. Within 12 hours of ovulation, your temperature begins to increase. Once your temperature is consistent three days in a row following the drop, you're fertility period is over. To monitor your basal body temperature, take your temperature every morning at the same time before you get out of bed. It's important to get the temperature reading before you do any kind of activity, including getting up to go to the bathroom. Use graph paper to keep track of your daily temperatures so you can see a pattern in the highs and lows. If something changes with your routine, such as illness, lack of sleep or alcohol consumption, make note of it on your graph.