Consider this before learning fertility awareness
Take control of your life with natural birth control
Practicing a natural form of birth control with a fertility awareness method (FAM) is a great way to avoid the side effects that come from the pill, IUD, implant, patch, etc.
Most doctors confuse FAM with the rhythm method which was an archaic way of writing down your period and guessing when you’d be fertile next month based on past data.
But science has advanced since the days of predicting when to avoid pregnancy. Now we know what the qualities of cervical mucus tell us about how close we are to ovulation. Basal body temperature can pinpoint the three day window when the egg was approximately released from the ovary. Heck, you can even track your cervical positioning to see how fertile you are.
I think many doctors warn against FAM because it requires a lot of personal responsibility. It also decreases the chance of you paying them for a service… so of course they’re going to caution you against something that ultimately puts money in their pocket.
I’ve been practicing natural birth control since late 2020. If you’re on the fence about adapting this method in your life, here are a few things you may want to think about & prepare for before diving in.
1 — Tempdrop will make your life WAY easier
Part of having an effective natural birth control method is taking your basal body temperature. Newbies typically opt for the oral basal body thermometer, which is perfectly fine. The goal with the oral option is to take your temperature at the SAME TIME every day to ensure accurate data across the board. You’re looking for that consistent timeframe to see evidence of progesterone (a heat-inducing hormone in the luteal phase post-ovulation).
My mommas with newborn night time feedings (or just busy ladies with inconsistent sleep schedules) tend to opt for the Tempdrop armband that’s worn overnight. Wearing this BBT thermometer helps account for erratic evenings for the most accurate reading. Some people get scared by the price tag but if you do the math from your 20s-30s until menopause… a $200 investment spread out over a couple decades is a wise choice. They’re having a Black Friday sale where you can snag one for $160, so I highly suggest ordering one if you’ve been thinking about it!
2 — Routine is the name of the game
As someone who struggled with building habits as an adult, integrating FAM into my day-to-day was quite an adjustment. Consistency with BBT and writing down your cervical mucus observations is important for the effectiveness of natural birth control. Sporadic data based on backtracking with your memory is a sure-fire way to sending you into panic mode when your period is later than expected.
The routine you’ll be building looks like this:
Every time you go to the bathroom, bring your phone. Before you pee, pay attention to the feeling when you wipe and stretch the toilet paper before dropping it in. Then once you’re done your business, jot down what you saw in your tracking app. This routine is tough for most people because we go pee so many times during the day. At the BARE MINIMUM you want to make sure before bedtime that you jot down the most estrogenic sign of the day (aka — the most slippery + stretchy cervical mucus).
Before you go to bed, put on the Tempdrop. When you wake up, sync it to your phone before you get out from under the covers. Or if you’re doing oral BBT, stick to a consistent wake up time even on weekends to make sure you’re taking your temperature AS SOON as you wake up. DO NOT get up to pee or anything until you’ve taken your temp, or you could screw with the data.
3 — Communication with your partner is key
You’re the gatekeeper with FAM. He needs to know BEFORE you start making out whether he’s throwing on a condom, prepping for a pull-out or if he’s cleared for a full stay from start to finish. HOW you deliver that status change throughout the cycle will make of break your intimacy levels. It also doubles as a motivator for keeping on top of tracking everything so you can get the most out of your safe days. I offer tips to my clients that I’d rather not post on the internet for all to see lol — but essentially, get creative & make it fun!! While FAM is a serious practice for avoiding pregnancy, you can still play around with the role it plays in your romantic life.
You’ll love the power of FAM
All in all, fertility awareness is a great form of natural birth control without the hassle of side effects from the pill, IUD, etc. It also doubles as a way for managing PMS/PMDD moods, which is the biggest reason why I teach FAM essentials to all my clients. But in terms of contraception, I caution a bit of mental preparation for fully committing. A little bit of research beforehand will definitely help in the long run :)
If you want to learn how to chart your cycle…
I have been a certified fertility awareness instructor with Fertility Education & Medical Management (FEMM) since 2021. I’m releasing updated video trainings in January 2026 with the option to receive free emails/calls if you’d like extra support. For more information or to sign up, email me at fertilityawarenesspath@gmail.com 💜
Later Gator,
Mary Nordahl