Natural Family Planning

The Standard Days method (SDM) is a fertility awareness-based method of family planning that helps identify a woman’s fertile days. It’s a variation of the rhythm method that’s most effective for women with menstrual cycles that are consistently 26–32 days long. 

To use the SDM, you: 

1. Count the days in your menstrual cycle, starting with the first day of your period as day 1
2. Consider days 8–19 to be your fertile days. 
3. Avoid unprotected sex or use a barrier method of birth control on days 8–19 to prevent pregnancy. 
4. If you’re trying to get pregnant, try to have intercourse between days 8–19. 
5. On days 1–7 and 20 through the end of your cycle, you’re not considered to be fertile and can have unprotected sex. 
6. When you get your next period, start the counting over at day 1. 

The SDM is considered easy to teach and requires the fewest days of alternative contraception or abstinence. However, contraindications, such as recent pregnancy and breastfeeding, can affect cycle regularity and eligibility for the method.

This is a natural family planning method that involves tracking changes in cervical mucus to determine when ovulation is occurring. It’s also known as the Billings Ovulation Method or the ovulation method. 

There are four stages of the cervical mucus method: 

(insert image- we should have our own FEW branded one)

Dry phase: not fertile, days 1-3 after period, mucus is dry or mostly dry

Sticky phase: not fertile, days 4-6 after period, mucus is white or cloudy, forms sticky globs

Creamy phase: semi-fertile, days 7-9 after period, mucus is creamy or cloud, thick

Clear phase: fertile, days 10-14 after period, mucus is stretchy and slippery

Keep a chart of the amount, texture, and color of your mucus each day. You can use a calendar and label days as pasty, creamy, wet, or dry. The cervical mucus method is more effective when used with the basal body temperature method, which involves taking your temperature first thing in the morning each day, also called the symptothermal methods.

The symptothermal method is a fertility awareness method that uses a combination of methods to identify a woman’s fertile window. The method involves tracking and observing signs of fertility, such as cervical mucus, basal body temperature (BBT), and menstrual dates. The symptothermal method is considered one of the most reliable FAMs because it combines multiple signs of fertility.

This is a natural family planning method that involves tracking your body temperature to predict ovulation and fertility. Your basal body temperature, a person’s lowest body temperature while at rest, increases slightly after ovulation, so you can track your temperature each morning before getting out of bed. Basal body temperature thermometers are most accurate because they are more sensitive and are able to detect temperatures to 1/100th of a degree, but a mercury thermometer can be used if needed. You should take your temperature the same way and at the same time each day, and record it on a fertility awareness chart. You should chart your BBT for at least three months before using it for birth control. There are many thermometers that pair with an app these days to help track and store your temperatures. Premom Basal Thermometer, Easy@Home Basal Body Thermometer, and Tempdrop are just a few examples.

The pull-out method, also known as withdrawal or coitus interruptus, is a form of birth control that involves withdrawing the penis before ejaculation. It’s better than not using any birth control, but it’s not very reliable and is less effective than other methods. The pull-out method is about 78% effective, meaning that a little more than 1 in 5 people who use it will get pregnant in a year. It’s difficult to use the pull-out method perfectly, and many factors can affect your chances of getting pregnant, such as ovulation timing, stress, and illness.