 All Natural Family Planning Method are based on the determining of ovulation term. To some physical signs of ovulation may be referred the following ones:
• A woman experiences a change in her cervix;
• There is a slight one – sided pain in the area of the ovaries;
• The cervix gets somewhat softer;
• There is feeling of tenderness in the breasts;
• So, it is possible for a woman to use several ways, either alone or in combination, to be able to determine when her fertile days begin and end. All Fertility Awareness Methods are generally divided into two categories: Calendar – Based Methods and Symptoms – Based Methods.
Actually, Natural Family Planning Methods do not bear any health risks, and there are no side effects, associated with them. In addition, if they are used correctly and consistently, the effectiveness of Fertility Awareness Methods may be up to 90%. In addition, their effectiveness also depends on the woman’s diligence to track and record her fertility pattern as well as he commitment to abstaining from having unprotected sexual intercourse during her most fertile days.
When a woman decides to use one of the Fertility Awareness Methods, the first thing she should do is to become familiar with her menstrual cycle and to begin charting her fertility pattern. As a rule the menstrual cycle of an average woman lasts between 28 to 32 days, therefore, there are two parts, which are related to any woman’s cycle – before the ovulation occurs and after it. Here comes an example of an average menstrual cycle, in order to let women understand how their cycles should be examined:
Day 1 – it is the first day of a woman’s menstruation – this is the beginning of her calendar;
Day 7 – it is the day, by which the egg is ready to be fertilized by sperm;
Days 11 – 21 (if the menstrual cycle lasts 28 days long) – these are days, during which hormones in a woman’s body make the egg to get released from the ovary. The very process of egg release is called ovulation. When the ovulation begins, the egg starts its journey along the fallopian tube toward the uterus. In case if sperm gets inside of the egg, it becomes fertilized, and then it gets attached to the lining of the uterus and starts to grow and develop. In case if fertilization does not occur, the egg breaks apart.
Day 28 – is the day, when hormone levels drop, by which they cause the uterus to be shed making the woman’s menstrual flow.
It is extremely crucial to realize that the first part of the menstrual cycle, which takes place before the ovulation occurs, is different from woman to woman, and, moreover, it can even get changed from one month to another. The variation generally occurs from 13 to 20 days long. Therefore, the second half of the menstrual cycle is considered to be more similar for all women, as there are about 14 days from the first day of the ovulation and until the beginning of the next menstruation period. This is the reason why women are encouraged to track their menstrual cycles and count back 14 days from their last menstrual period to narrow down their most fertile days of the month.
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