Natural family planning - Ways to avoid or plan getting pregnant

Ways to avoid or plan getting pregnant

Temperature method

A fertility awareness technique that involves taking your temperature every morning to identify ovulation by noting a rise in temperature over three consecutive days.

Cervical mucus method

A method of tracking fertility based on changes in the amount and texture of cervical mucus throughout the menstrual cycle.

Not ovulating

Dry or sticky cervical mucus.

Ovulation is very close

Wet and watery cervical mucus.

Ovulation may be coming

Creamy cervical mucus

Ovulation

When cervical mucus is very wet, stretchy, and resembles raw egg white.

Calendar method

A technique for predicting fertility by tracking menstrual cycles, allowing for uncertainty in ovulation timing.

Advantages of fertility awareness methods

Can be used for both planning pregnancy and avoiding it, and does not involve additional hormones.

Disadvantages of fertility awareness methods

Does not protect against STIs, requires daily record-keeping of fertility signals, and can be affected by factors like illness and stress, making it potentially unreliable.