FERTILITY AWARENESS METHOD Q + A
Questions about the fertility awareness method & non-hormonal birth control? Look no further. This blog post contains a Q + A session with a certified fertility awareness educator to bring you clarity on whether or not this method may be right for you.
Introduction: Meet our Expert
Introducing Natalie Boruk, certified Fertility Awareness Educator and Health Coach. Natalie spent the majority of her 20s trying to figure out who she was, how to gain freedom with her health & actually feel good on a day-to-day basis. During her mid-twenties, she realized that she was missing a huge piece of the puzzle by not taking the time to properly understand her cycle and how she would ebb and flow as a woman. Since then, she has proudly set a solid foundation of understanding and knowledge about her body through the fertility awareness method, deepening her charting practice, and being a forever student on all things health and wellness. Now, it is her dream to educate as many women as possible to help them understand their bodies, cycles, and embody the gorgeous women that they are. We asked Natalie a variety of common questions we receive about the fertility awareness method. Please note that this blog post does not provide all the information needed to practice and implement the fertility awareness method safely and effectively. For comprehensive guidance, please refer to the information at the end of this article on how to book a 1:1 session with Natalie.
What exactly is the fertility awareness method (FAM) and how does it work?
“FAM is defined as a way of tracking your daily natural fertility markers in order to either successfully naturally prevent pregnancy, or to time conception optimally. It’s truly the key to understand our body, cycle, and fertility from a foundational perspective. We know that on average, women are only fertile about ~6 days out of our cycle. Essentially, every single day it becomes important to diligently track the signals your body gives you to tell you the state of its fertility and depending on the specific form of FAM you choose, you may track a few different biomarkers (the signals of your body sends to tell you the state of its fertility and health). One of the more common FAM modalities is the symptothermal method: tracking cervical mucus and basal body temperature (BBT) in order to track fertility. What we see is that depending on the changing status of our hormones, which dictate us shifting into different phases of the cycle, our body will respond differently. In the first half of our cycle, as we approach ovulation, our dominant hormone, Estrogen, actually stimulates our cervical crypts to release a specific type of cervical mucus. This is an excellent way to track the opening of our fertile window and day of ovulation. Then, in the second half of our cycle, Progesterone dominates and not only dries up our cervical mucus, but also causes a sustained spike in our basal body temperature- both excellent signs to help us confirm that ovulation has happened, and help us close our fertile window for the cycle! FAM is an excellent method to not only understand when we are fertile vs. not, but to also understand the signals of our body and step into a higher version of ourselves with incredible body literacy, and confidence in understanding our own body. In my opinion, it’s one of the most valuable gifts we can give ourselves as women! Actually understanding our body. ”
Can FAM be used as a reliable form of contraception?
“Absolutely! FAM has been shown to be over 99.6% effective when used perfectly, meaning we do the right thing, every time. So the efficacy of FAM depends on a few things:
Proper education: we need to be taught the method perfectly in order to have the option to use it perfectly. That means that ideally, we are learning FAM from an instructor who is trained in the method, not just something who uses FAM and wants to instill that knowledge onto others. Although the general awareness is great, we are doing ourselves a disservice if we do not receive the proper education and in turn, have the informed consent to choose how we practice FAM.
Consistency: the efficacy of the method truly depends on a commitment and discipline to the practice daily. Once we learn properly, it usually takes 10 minutes maximum per day. The question to ask ourselves before making the leap to natural birth control is whether we are ready to make this daily commitment in order to experience the true efficacy of FAM.
Connection: although this can be seen as optional, I firmly believe that a commitment to developing a connection with your cycle can be so helpful with learning FAM and learning to trust your body. For many of us, we are taught the opposite most of our lives: how can we disconnect from our cycle, avoid it, or mask symptoms. As we know though, our cycle and the beautiful symphony of hormones that occur throughout it is such a large element of us as women.”
What signs and symptoms do I need to track when practicing FAM?
“Depending on which modality of FAM you choose, you may track different symptoms / biomarkers (signs your body gives you about the state of its fertility and healthy). If using the symptothermal method, reference above, we would track our cervical mucus and BBT daily. For me personally, I also bring in Luteinizing Hormone (LH) testing for my clients to have as a secondary reliable biomarker.”
How do I determine my fertile window and when I'm ovulating using FAM?
“Determining your fertile window is all about putting the signs together! Cervical mucus will typically open our fertile window for us. We can look out for that egg-white cervical mucus or a change into fertile type cervical mucus. Once our fertile window has opened, we look for a change back to non-fertile type cervical mucus, as well as a sustained rise in our BBT to confirm ovulation and close our fertile window. And truthfully, nothing compares to the first time you’re able to confirm ovulation and start that deeper understanding of your body!”
Is FAM suitable for everyone, or are there specific criteria for its effectiveness?
“My personal opinion is that no, FAM is not suitable for everyone. First and foremost, there needs to be a willingness and ability to learn the method perfectly, practice the method perfectly daily, and commit to listening to your body. Not everyone is in a place in their life where they are able to do this, and that is okay! We have to be radically honest with ourselves when it comes to this topic because the result is potentially a life-changing experience of conceiving.”
How effective is FAM compared to other contraceptive methods?
“When used perfectly, FAM is comparable to many other hormonal contraceptive methods we may be familiar with. With a success rate of over 99.6%, the magic truly happens when we are able to confidently learn the details of the method. It’s also completely hormone free and natural: truly just taking the time to tune into the signals your body sends you. And when you take a step back and think about it, it makes sense that your body would show you the 6~ days you are fertile each cycle. Our body’s are incredibly smart and also incredibly communicative with us when we think about the mind-body-spirit connection. A lot of the success of FAM comes from our willingness to listen and understand what these signs from our body mean.”
Are there any risks or drawbacks associated with using FAM?
“The only risk with FAM is the same as with any method of contraception, nothing is 100% guaranteed. However, this is why as FAM instructors, it’s so important to provide clients with the opportunity to use the method perfectly. I’ve also found that with a lot of my clients, abstaining during the fertile window isn’t necessarily something that everyone wants to do. In that case, a condom or barrier method is used in the fertile window at which point the risk for pregnancy is the failure rate of the condom. As long as we are aware of the risks and informed about how our decisions could impact the outcome of our cycle, that is the most important thing.”
Can FAM help me conceive if I'm trying to get pregnant?
“Absolutely, I have found that FAM is typically utilized for one of three things: natural pregnancy prevention, timing conception, or deepening understanding of the body. Frequently we see that the third option of body literacy is combined with one of the first two. So for those who want to get pregnant, FAM and understanding the fertile window should actually be one of the first things that is done! Frequently we see that there are recommendations to wait 6 or 12 months after trying to conceive and then to seek medical intervention. And sadly, the amount of women who have spent thousands of dollars only to realize that they were just missing the mark in terms of having intercourse during the ~6 days that they are fertile. Education about our body is so powerful and can be used to pursue reproductive freedom- true confidence in our ability to understand our reproductive status and how pregnancy actually works in relation to our personal fertility.”
What tools or resources do I need to practice FAM effectively?
“Typically, one of the larger resource commitments is that of time and a willingness to track daily. Additionally, a BBT thermometer is needed if we are using BBT as a signal. There are also overnight wearable thermometers such as the Tempdrop that can be used if taking our BBT every morning is not something that feels feasible or reasonable currently. If testing for LH, then LH strips will also be required to test for the spike during our fertile window. Otherwise, we just need a tissue to observe our cervical mucus when we wipe, and our eyes and brain to observe and interpret correctly!”
How do I learn more about FAM and get started with tracking my fertility?
“Depending on your comfortability, there is typically the option to either self-teach, or to work with an instructor. The self-teaching route does require a larger time commitment and discipline to understand every detail as you are learning. For some, self-teaching feels more comfortable as they start their learning process and are willing to take on any responsibility of self-teaching! My personal recommendation for taking that route is to read Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Otherwise, you can choose to work with an instructor! I am a firm believer that the mentor you choose for FAM should be someone that you can vibe with and feel comfortable with as this is a pretty vulnerable topic! I take limited clients monthly and absolutely love meeting women in my community and playing a small role on their journey towards understanding self and body through FAM. Feel free to check out my instagram @nataliediana.co and join my email list for updates on my openings!”