This program is a good fit if you are: 

• Committed to taking your temperature every morning
• Comfortable observing, noting, and talking about your cervical mucus
• Interested in learning what your natural hormonal pattern is
• Wanting to avoid pregnancy
• Ready to take control of your fertility

Here's the thing about charting your cycle

It seems really complicated at first, it seems like it takes a lot of dedication and time. But once you start and you get a chance to see what your hormones are doing, once you are able to identify ovulation for yourself for the first time, you'll want to keep going and catch it again and again. 

It's so incredibly empowering to finish a cycle and look back at the data you've collected about your personal cycle, to know fully that your fertility is in your own hands. 

Does it take dedication?

Yes! I'm not going to lie to you, some people find this difficult. It requires that you take your temperature every morning, and most people need to do it within 30 minutes of the same time every day to get data that is helpful in identifying ovulation. For some people this is an easy habit to make, others really struggle. It's best to be honest with yourself and evaluate whether this is truly doable for you. 

If getting up at the same time every day isn't possible due to life circumstances, such as your schedule or having children that may get you up at all hours of the night, you could consider purchasing a Tempdrop. This is a thermometer that is worn on your arm all night that allows you to get a valid basal body temperature reading despite nightly disturbances or irregular wake times. 

Another aspect of dedication is self-control. Do you have enough self-control to avoid risky intercourse during your fertile days? The success of the method hinges on the answer to this. If you are strictly trying to avoid pregnancy, you'll need to be aware that any intercourse on fertile days could lead to an unintended pregnancy.

The symptothermal method was proven in a 20 year study of 900+ women to be 99.6% effective when abstinence was practiced within the fertile phase. If you choose to use back up methods during the fertile phase, such as barriers, your efficacy then relies on the rates of the alternative method rather than the 99.6% found in the study. Again, evaluate your level of motivation and whether or not you want to practice abstinence or depend on other forms of birth control. 

Does it take a lot of time?

Not really. It takes only a few minutes a day to input your data in your chart. Temperature taking time depends on the thermometer you purchase but likely will be anywhere from one minute to five minutes. Observing cervical mucus can be done as you go about your daily activities, or when you visit the bathroom during your normal bathroom breaks. 

I avoided charting my cycle for years because I'm so bad at creating routines that I never thought I could do it. But once I set my mind to it I was determined to stick with it, and learning to identify my signs of ovulation had me hooked. It was easy to implement daily practices with just a few minutes a day because I wanted to. It doesn't have to take a lot of time!

Where there's a will, there's a way

Don't be afraid of trying it out even if you have some doubts. I want you to be successful. If you begin and find that you're struggling to understand the method or aren't quite sure how to read your chart, I'm here to help and we'll figure it out together.

If you feel unsure about this program and want to talk to me about your specific circumstances to find out how well the method will work for you, you're more than welcome to schedule a short consultation with me to talk about it!