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 Natural
Family Planning
Natural
Family Planning is a method for understanding the female reproductive
cycle well enough to plan the optimum timing for trying to conceive or
avoiding pregnancy. It is a system by which a woman can get
to understand her own body’s signs well enough to determine
that her cycles are normal and healthy. Natural Family
Planning is not the “rhythm method.”
Natural Family Planning utilizes the methods of taking and charting the
basal body temperature, and noting changes in cervical fluid during the
month in order to accurately determine ovulation, and the best possible
timing for achieving or avoiding pregnancy. It is also an
accurate method for determining whether one is pregnant even before the
over the counter tests show results.
Basal body temperature is the body’s temperature upon waking
in the morning. If taken consistently, at the same time each
day, and before getting out of bed, patterns can be noted which
indicate that ovulation has occurred. A digital basal
thermometer is the most accurate for taking the basal
temperature. From menstruation until ovulation, the basal
body temperature will stay within a certain low range, usually between
97.3 F and 97.7 F. It may vary for some women, but will
usually stay within a small range. Once ovulation has
occurred, there is a thermal shift to the upper range of 97.8-98.5 or
so. This is called the luteal phase. The luteal
phase lasts for 10-12 days in each cycle. A fertilized egg
needs 6-8 days to travel down the fallopian tube and implant in the
waiting uterus. If it is not fertilized, it disintegrates and
is flushed out with the menstrual lining. If the luteal phase
is too short, pregnancy cannot occur. Natural Family Planning
can help cue a woman in to whether her cycle is normal and
healthy.
The basal temperature will drop back down again when menstruation will
occur. If temps stay in the upper range, the likelihood of
pregnancy grows with each day past 10-12 days past ovulation.
If there are 18 consecutive days with high temps, pregnancy is likely.
For couples trying to achieve pregnancy using natural family planning,
the prime time for intercourse is the 24-48 hours before
ovulation. Since basal temperatures indicate that ovulation
has occurred, other signs must be noted to predict ovulation is eminent.
Cervical fluid changes throughout the cycle. It goes through
a cycle of dry-creamy-lotion-like, and finally similar to egg-white as
ovulation approaches. A woman who is tuned-in to these
signals can plan her and her partner’s timing to either avoid
or plan the best chances for achieving pregnancy.
Books and websites for Natural Family Planning are widely
available. An excellent resource is called “Take
Charge of Your Fertility.” There is an associated
website at www.tcoyf.com with software for tracking one’s
cycle. Natural Family Planning is more than a method for
avoiding or achieving pregnancy. It is a way for women to
learn to understand their bodies in profound ways. It also
gives a woman valuable information about her normal cycles, and when
things are not normal. It could help a woman provide her
obgyn with important information.
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