Natural Birth Control: 5 Reasons to Track Your Menstrual Cycle The Right Way
Menstrual charting is a fertility awareness method (FAM), casually referred to as tracking your period. Learning this skill offers women and girls the advantages of natural birth control independent of contraceptives, greater self-awareness, better daily health maintenance, and useful insight into chronic disease risk prevention in partnership with a feminine healthcare provider.
Tracking your periods effectively, however, requires a holistic view of the menstrual cycle rather than simply recording a list of dates marking your last menstrual period. This means including daily observations of specific bodily functions and subtle changes, each holding valuable insight into your health. These subtle changes are a language through which your body’s systems communicate the overall status of your present and future health.
Studied as a means of natural birth control, this comprehensive method of determining a woman’s fertility phases was found to be up to 99.6% effective¹ when used properly. However, although highly effective, still only 1-3% of U.S. women² are even using such natural methods of fertility awareness.
The lack of awareness around this FAM is the main reason why millions of people are not using it. Women and girls deserve access to a holistic education in feminine care, which includes the knowledge of how to chart their menstrual cycles effectively so that they have greater bodily autonomy, and improved reproductive health outcomes.
So, how does it work? By observing your fertility signs, you can clearly identify and distinguish between the fertile and non-fertile days of every menstrual cycle. Your daily observations include cervical fluid, waking temperature, and the option of cervical position if you wish to corroborate the other two signs.
In this article, we will dispel the common myth that you can get pregnant every day of your cycle and explore five key benefits of menstrual charting. You’ll learn how the menstrual cycle works, what the scientifically proven signs of fertility are, and how menstrual charting can assist in the early detection of gynecological issues and chronic diseases.
With that said, the information present in the article is for educational and research purposes only. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness, nor is it a substitute for licensed medical advice. This information may be a great asset to your discussion with your licensed feminine healthcare provider to determine the best path forward.
HOW THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE WORKS
MYTH: You Can Get Pregnant Every Day of Your Cycle.
FACT: You cannot get pregnant every day of your menstrual cycle—it is biologically impossible!
Every menstruating woman has fertile days and non-fertile days, which can be visibly observed with the right tools and a bit of practice. Let’s begin this journey by exploring what happens during your menstrual cycle.
The menstrual cycle is the hormone-regulated process of ovulation and menstruation that women experience throughout their reproductive years. It is divided into 2 phases: the pre-ovulatory or follicular phase and the post-ovulatory or luteal phase.
Your cycle begins on the first day of your menstrual period and ends on the last day before your next period. Menstruation is a tissue degeneration stage of the menstrual cycle wherein the mucous membrane lining the uterus (endometrium) and an unfertilized egg are released from the body in the form of blood.
PRE-OVULATORY OR FOLLICULAR PHASE
As menstruation winds down towards the end of the first week of your cycle, your pituitary gland secretes follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which instructs follicles (a small sac) within the ovaries to start developing mature eggs. This is referred to as the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle.
Each follicle contains one egg and responds to FSH by secreting estrogen to promote cell growth and maturation. Only one follicle reaches maturation first and is selected as the dominant follicle to release its mature egg at the time of ovulation.
OVULATION
Once estrogen levels reach their peak, the pituitary gland is triggered to release a wave of luteinizing hormone (LH) instructing the dominant follicle to rupture and release its egg into the Fallopian tubes—this is the glorious moment of ovulation.
POST-OVULATORY OR LUTEAL PHASE
Once ovulation has occurred, the ruptured follicle secretes the hormone progesterone in increasing levels for 12-16 days until the next menstrual period begins. This stops ovulation from recurring for the remainder of the cycle, manifests changes in your observable fertility signs, and causes the endometrium to thicken and grow in preparation for the egg to implant if fertilized.
MENSTRUATION
If the egg is not fertilized by a sperm cell leading to implantation and pregnancy—the endometrium is completely shed during the next menstrual period as the next cycle begins again concurrent with the fall of progesterone levels.
Many of the most common menstrual symptoms women experience are due to the continuous dance of hormones and the transformation that takes place within the yoni. For instance, the tissue destruction and regeneration that naturally occur as a part of a healthy cycle are usually not felt physically. However, if there is a disruption in your cycle due to underlying health issues, these inflammatory processes can occur with pain and cramping.³
This is why menstrual charting is so important. It is vastly empowering to know when you can and cannot get pregnant because you no longer have to rely on contraceptives to live in natural harmony with your fertility.
5 BENEFITS OF MENSTRUAL CHARTING
Most adolescent women are introduced to the idea of tracking their periods each month in a journal to monitor their fertility. We are told to write down the date when our period starts and repeat that process every new cycle.
However, this style of documentation is incomplete and lacks all of the benefits provided by proper menstrual charting including natural birth control, monitoring your health and detecting gynecological issues early, optimizing your chances to consciously conceive, and understanding your body’s natural rhythms⁴, and getting more out of your wellness visits with your feminine healthcare provider.
BENEFIT #1: NATURAL BIRTH CONTROL
The #1 reason that most women learn the art of menstrual charting is to gain access to a safe, reliable, and natural form of birth control. By observing and tracking your fertility signs with precision, you can usually pinpoint your fertile days and the moment of ovulation—no more surprises!
Alternatively, most women are well-versed in other forms of birth control such as:
- Physical barriers: Condoms or cervical caps
- Hormonal contraceptives: The pill, injection, patch, implant, and IUD
- Surgery
- Withdrawal
- Abstinence
Each method of birth control features pros and cons, but we’ll focus on the most common: hormonal contraceptives. Hormonal contraceptives work by suppressing ovulation with the introduction of synthetic hormones into your system.
The synthetic hormones simulate a normal period every month, though it is not a real period—it is a simulation. Real periods occur as a result of ovulation as explained above. Women do NOT ovulate on hormonal contraceptives. Therefore, the normal biological processes that include the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, cervix, and uterus are overtaken by synthetic hormones.
Not only can hormonal contraceptives cause serious side effects, but they have also been associated with an increased risk of “serious autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease (which causes inflammation of the bowels), Lupus (which causes inflammation in many organs), and interstitial cystitis (which causes inflammation in the bladder).”⁵
Discontinuing the use of hormonal contraceptives is not necessarily the end of the roller coaster. A woman can experience several months or even years of irregular menstrual cycles as her body readjusts to its natural rhythm.³ Remember, hormones play many major roles throughout the entire body—not just the reproductive system. Disrupting this natural cascade has systemic effects.
BENEFIT #2: MONITOR HEALTH AND DETECT GYNECOLOGICAL ISSUES
Menstrual charting provides vital insight into the structure and function of several organs, glands, and body systems. Just as with any other vital sign (i.e. Blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and temperature), the menstrual cycle provides real-time updates about your health status.
The three main fertility signs observed as a part of menstrual charting are cervical fluid, basal body temperature, and cervical position to corroborate the other two signs. Your basal body temperature represents the rate of cellular metabolism and can provide insight into how your cells use energy.
Your daily basal body temperature (also known as waking temperature) can provide insight into the function of your thyroid gland, which is often indicated in irregular cycles and other menstrual issues.
1 in 8 U.S. women will develop a thyroid disorder in their lifetime and 60% of those women will live completely unaware of their condition. Menstrual charting is one way to detect a potential thyroid issue early on, especially if you share your charts with your feminine healthcare provider.⁶
Cervical fluid (not to be confused with daily vaginal secretions produced within the walls of the vagina) is produced by cervical cells in accordance with your fertility. Women have fertile days when cervical mucus is secreted and non-fertile days, which are dry.
Learning to recognize the color and texture of your cervical fluid is a highly effective means of determining your fertility and where you are in your cycle. Also, changes to the presence, color, and smell of cervical fluid can signify underlying health issues, such as a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or abnormal cervical cell growth (i.e. Cervical dysplasia or polyps).
Proper menstrual charting is a powerful diagnostic tool that you can present to your feminine healthcare provider for a closer look into your health. Although complementary and informative, menstrual charting is not a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be used to self-diagnose. Always talk to your doctor about your concerns regarding your health.
BENEFIT 3: OPTIMIZE YOUR CHANCES OF CONCEPTION
When you understand how the menstrual cycle works (the cascade of events explained above), you can use your menstrual charting methods to pinpoint where you are in your current cycle. The combination of basal body temperature and cervical mucus observations can provide highly accurate insight into your fertile window and ovulation day.
Your basal body temperature and cervical mucus observations can be cross-checked with the position of your cervix for verification. If all three signs point to fertility, you’ll know that your chances of conception are most likely to be successful.
Although there are several mobile apps and mathematical formulas that claim to predict your ovulation date, they are not simply estimations based upon your past cycles. This approach is referred to as the Rhythm Method and cannot provide a definitive ovulation date for you because the menstrual cycle is a fluid process. It shifts and changes with the currents of life and in accordance with your stress levels.
Oftentimes, women can mistake bad timing for infertility. The more practice you have with precise menstrual charting, the better you will come to understand how your cycle adapts to everyday life and how you can move in sync with it. You will learn to recognize when ovulation is a bit delayed or if there is a deeper issue that requires your attention.
BENEFIT 4: UNDERSTAND YOUR BODY
The most amazing benefit of menstrual charting is the level of self-awareness and womb consciousness that you cultivate through your daily practice. You will learn more about how your body works, how it responds to its physical and energetic environment, and how your cycle speaks.
Womb consciousness is a primordial state of self-awareness embodied by honoring your connection to the cosmic yoni or sacred feminine principle of the universe—it is a lifestyle characterized by mindful union with the source of all life through holistic yoni care.
Of course, menstrual charting is just one element of your self-care routine. If you don’t already have a routine, click here to read our comprehensive article entitled, “A Woman’s Guide to Holistic Self-Care Planning.”
Yoní (योिन) is a Sanskrit word meaning “source,” “sacred passage,” “origin of life,” or “Shakti—the womb of creation”.
Stress has a major impact on the menstrual cycle and can be a factor in delayed ovulation, irregular cycles, hormone imbalances, and fertility issues. When you make a practice out of intimately observing yourself on a daily basis, you will begin to notice patterns emerge in your body’s response to your state of mind and your lifestyle.
BENEFIT 5: GET MORE OUT OF YOUR WELL-WOMAN VISITS
Menstrual charting has a way of organically educating you on how to monitor and assess your own signs of fertility and vitality. Imagine walking into your next well-woman visit able to confidently discuss your cycle with holistic insight. Imagine how much more excited your feminine care provider will be to take that conversation to a new level.
You can also bring your menstrual charts into visits with a physician, dietician, chiropractor, etc. Imagine how much more insight and personalized advice you can receive from your providers when you show up equipped with greater self-awareness and ask better questions!
Just remember, it is not your doctor’s job to be the expert on your body—that is yours alone. They can help you to get more out of your wellness journey when you do the work at home to know yourself first. This is why menstrual charting is an essential part of feminine healthcare as a foundational practice that every woman and girl deserves equal access to.
REFERENCES
- https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/22/5/1310/2914315
- https://www.aafp.org/afp/2012/1115/od1.html
- Hendrickson-Jack, L. The Fifth Vital Sign: Master Your Cycles & Optimize Your Fertility. Fertility Friday Publishing Inc. 2019.
- Weschler, T. Taking Charge of Your Fertility:The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health. HarperCollins. 2015.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5592309/
- https://www.thyroid.org/media-main/press-room
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