That means zero artificial hormones or latex required, as withoral contraceptivesand condoms.
Heres what youre getting into if you decide to go the natural family planning route.
Department of Health and Human Services.
(c) Jeffrey Coolidge
Day 1 of your cycle is the first day of your period.
At around day 14 (give or take), an egg is released.
If you have unprotected sex around that time, sperm can meet up with and fertilize the egg.
If the fertilized egg implants in the uterus, it can lead to pregnancy.
The key is to give yourself some extra abstinence days around ovulation to provide a cushion.
Youre actually most likely to become pregnant during the three days before ovulation and on ovulation day.
With the rhythm method, you chart your menstrual cycle on a calendar.
Now you’ve got some data to work with.
Using that data, subtract 18 from the length of yourshortestrecorded cycle.
So if your shortest was a 24-day cycle, you’d subtract 18 and get 6.
This number tells you the estimated first day of your fertile time period (day 6).
Then, subtract 11 days from the length of yourlongestrecorded cycle.
So if your longest cycle was 30 days, you’d subtract 11 and get 19.
This number gives you an estimate of the last day of your fertile time period.
So in this scenario, the fertile window kicks in on day 6 through day 19.
You’ve basically got more weapons in yourpregnancy-preventing arsenalhere.
You should avoid sex from when you start bleeding until three days after seeing your temperature rise.
Every day you ask yourself, “Were there secretions today?”
and “Were there secretions yesterday?”
If the answer is yes to either of those questions, consider yourself fertile.
Doing a potpourri of natural family planning methods is known as the symptothermal method.
And that’s not even counting the days you’re on your period and potentially out of commission.
Better safe than sorry.
Related:12 Common Sex Problems Couples Therapists Hear All The Time
