Welfare Warriors

Winter 2006

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  Winter 2006

Controlling Fertility Without Chemicals 

In this article I will provide interested women with a non-chemical form of birth control. It is a basic system that can be used to prevent or achieve pregnancy. It requires a woman to become aware of her fertility cycles. I also want to encourage women to understand our own bodies more fully. This will contribute to better health and self esteem.

After having had two children, I decided, finally, to record my menstrual cycle. It seemed a wise thing to know when to expect my period. I also wanted to know how long my periods lasted, whether my menstrual symptoms followed a particular pattern, and the length of my cycles themselves.

I began to jot down on my kitchen calendar when my period began and ended. Before long I noticed a pattern. I also began to record pre-and post-menstrual symptoms on that calendar. I discovered that my periods are 28 to 30 days. I usually begin to bleed on the morning of the 28th day upon waking. And my first day is moderate, followed by heavy, light and moderate again. My face breaks out about a week before it arrives. And I experience menstrual cramps and mood swings about 5 days before my period begins!

I only discovered this obvious and predictable pattern after six months of taking notes. The most vital element was my commitment to "PAY ATTENTION." I cannot stress this enough. Our female bodies are so utterly complex. Our hormonal fluctuations and menstrual and fertility cycles have power! They impact our mood, energy level, physical self and general perceptions! Our bodies send up little flags all month to let us know what's happening in there! But so few of us were ever taught to love our female bodies and their amazing functions. So we too often fail to pay attention to what they are trying to tell us!

            How many of you readers are comfortable putting a finger inside of your own vagina? Do you know what your cervix feels like? Have you ever used a diaphragm for birth control? How do you feel about your monthly blood? Does it ever disgust you? Do you feel indifferent about it? Have you come to value it for it's essential purpose?

I have grown utterly fascinated with the wonders of the female body.  And I feel this way despite the inconveniences and responsibilities that having one presents! I have such a sense of reverence for our beauty and importance. We are the sex who has been given the divine gift and responsibility to create and nurture new human life! It has been such a journey for me to unlearn destructive cultural values around female sexuality, reproductive health, birth and lactation. We have become so misguided. We are not even aware that our own bodies are offering us the "Wisdom of the Mothers" ALL of the time!

The Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) of birth control gives a woman the power to know when she ovulates. (Remember, when you ovulate you are fertile.)  By observing and recording 3 main signs you can recognize when you ovulate. They are 1) Waking temperature, 2) Cervical Fluid 3) Cervical Position. These signs can tell you that ovulation will occur soon, or has already occurred.

I have educated myself in detail about FAM. But I have only been recording the second and third signs. Therefore, I cannot claim to be practicing FAM by textbook definition. (But I have avoided pregnancy for 1 1/2 years so far.)  Strict practitioners of FAM encourage women to record the changes in all 3 areas.

            I have not begun to take my temperature upon waking each morning. This practice is important however. To follow this step you must purchase a basal thermometer at a drugstore.  It will allow you to accurately track a rise in temperature by the "tenths".  And these thermometers come with blank charts ready to use.

Use the basal thermometer to record your waking temperature everyday. A noticeable rise in temperature indicates when ovulation HAS ALREADY occurred. Ovulation causes a rise in temp of approximately 2/10ths of a degree. And it stays consistently higher until the first day of your next period. After ovulation has occurred, estrogen levels begin to rise. Charting your temp is an effective way to determine when ovulation occurs. But it can be a bit cumbersome to a busy woman with children and an erratic schedule. If you decide to chart your waking temperature, consult additional resources at the end of this article. They will provide a few more details about timing and how to do this successfully.

            The second major indicator of your fertility is the quality of your cervical fluid. Most of us were taught to call normal healthy vaginal secretions discharge. Well, to me "discharge" sounds yucky, dirty and unpleasant. It is a healthy fluid that provides the nourishment and means for sperm to travel from vagina to the uterus. It is a shame to call it a discharge. To give honor where it is due, I will refer to this vital womanly "juice" for what it really is, cervical FLUID!

The cervical fluid changes consistency throughout your cycle. The consistency of this fluid will help you gauge when you are fertile. I have not had to record my temperature because I am blessed with faithful and noticeable changes in my cervical fluid. It leaves me no doubt as to my time of fertility!

I will provide a brief description of my cervical fluid cycle to help simplify and demystify fluid examination. For 3 days following the last day of my period, my vagina is mostly dry. It "feels" dry inside. And it has very little lubrication around the opening. Any fluid that does appear is the "tacky" or "pasty" variety. Around the fourth day, I wake up and notice that my vagina feels lubricated inside. (I can notice this even without inserting a finger.) So I go to the calendar and write "Wet Begins!"

This is very important. The return of wetness indicates that I am entering my fertile phase. I need to pay attention, as I do NOT want to get pregnant! So I pay closer attention for several days. I observe the quality and quantity of fluid. I check when I pee and check my panties for obvious, circular wet spots. When the fluid has the texture, consistency and colorlessness of egg white, it means I am ovulating.  It absolutely screams "I'm ripe for baby makin'!"  It is extraordinarily slippery! It is also very strong. It can stretch between your fingers several inches without easily breaking. It is very pliable and VERY WET.

            It is wise to make a habit of checking the toilet paper-- and your vagina when the fluid is less noticeable. During fertile days, the paper will literally "glide" across your labia. Notice how it feels when you wipe. There are a few secondary indicators that ovulation is near. Some women have an obvious increase in libido. Mother Nature, cruel beast she is, makes you want sex more when you're capable of getting pregnant! Some women also experience ovulation pain, tender breasts, increased energy level and abdominal bloating. Noticing how your body feels, how the cervical fluid feels . . .is all so important.

            The third sign of fertility is cervical position. The FAM calls this sign "optional but very useful." I find it as simple and helpful as checking the fluid. During menstruation the cervix is firm, low, closed and dry. Around ovulation it feels soft, high, open and wet which helpfully forms the acronym  “SHOW.” To touch your cervix, either squat or feel it while sitting on the toilet. When touching the cervix, use the same finger each time. And begin checking after your period ends. Around ovulation, your cervix may feel soft like your lower lip feels. It feels more like the tip of your nose when you're not fertile.

            Sperm can survive a maximum of 5 days when fertile fluid is present. And the female egg/eggs that are released once a month will survive 18-24 hours. The average couple practicing the FAM will need to abstain from vaginal intercourse-- or use barrier methods or non-genital sex--about 8 to 10 days per cycle to successfully avoid pregnancy. The FAM is recommended only for monogamous couples. (You would need to use a barrier method to prevent STD's with other partners.)

For more information about FAM, I recommend a book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni . (Or log onto her website at TCOYF.com.  And check out "Your Fertility Signals, Using Then to Avoid or Achieve Pregnancy Naturally" by Merryl Winstein. It is also a simple, helpful guide.

             I want to give all women reading this a gentle nudge. I hope to see us, collectively, begin to care about OURSELVES more. Let’s realize the power we harness when we know and accept our bodies and listen to what they are actively trying to tell us.

Jessica Lauryn
Oconomowoc, WI