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| The Calendar Rhythm Method | This method of natural family planning is also known as the Periodic Abstinence or the Calendar Method. It is based on an individual’s menstrual cycle. People, who apply it, simply avoid having unprotected sexual intercourse during the days, when the woman has ovulation. This method is also used by a lot of couples, wishing to conceive a baby, who time their intercourse during the period of ovulation in order to improve their chances of getting pregnant.
Using the Calendar Rhythm Method
In case if someone wants to try to use this method of birth control, then this woman will have to track her menstrual cycle in order to understand the pattern of her body and know exactly the days, during which she is most fertile. As soon as she manages to do this, it becomes possible to avoid having unprotected sexual intercourse on these, so – called “fertile days” or apply some other birth control option, like a condom, or whatever, in order to prevent an unplanned pregnancy from occurrence.
It should be pointed out that sperm can survive inside the woman’s body for about 5 – 7 days, though an egg usually does not live longer than 24 hours. However, there are cases, when a woman’s egg gets fertilized by a man’s sperm even 2 or 3 days after intercourse, when the ovulation occurs and a living sperm is still present in the body. Therefore, 24 hours after a woman has ovulation, it is not likely that she might get pregnant up until the next menstrual cycle begins. But there is a question: how can a woman know the days, when she is most fertile?
As a rule menstrual cycle of every healthy woman may be divided into three following phases:
Pre – ovulatory infertility phase;
Fertility phase;
Post – ovulatory infertility phase
The first day of menstruation is called the first day of the cycle. If a woman wants to find out when her pre – ovulatory infertility phase begins, she will have to track her menstrual cycles for at least several months in a row. It would be better if she keeps the track during not less than six months. After that it is necessary to take the shortest cycle and subtract 19: in case if the shortest cycle lasted 26 days, a woman has to subtract 19 from 26. The result is 7; which means that she will be infertile up until the 7th day of her menstrual cycle.
As for the post – ovulatory infertility phase, it should be calculated by deducting 10 from the woman’s longest menstrual cycle. Thus, if the longest cycle lasted 32 days, then 10 from 32 gives us 22, this means that the post – ovulatory infertile phase begins on the 22nd day of a woman’s menstrual cycle. In addition, a woman should take into consideration, that form day 8 up to 21 of any given cycle she will have to avoid having sexual relations or apply some other method of birth control, because the likelihood of pregnancy is the greatest during this period of time.
Therefore, it is necessary to mention, that women, who have irregular menstrual cycles, should better not apply this method of Fertility Awareness, just as well as teenagers, whose cycles are usually irregular yet.
Calendar Rhythm Method may require the application of period abstinence; this is the reason why it is considered to be more recommended for people, who have long – term stable relations. However, it is always better to ask the doctor’s advice before beginning to use this method of Natural Family Planning. It is usually the woman’s physician or gynecologist, who can be able to tell exactly how she can track her cycle and whether there is a necessity for her to apply any other device, which might help in knowing her ovulatory phases.
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