Beware of Methods that Claim to Predict Your Fertile Window

Beware of Methods that Claim to Predict Your Fertile Window by Leilani Navar at healgrowthriveflow.com

Fact: On most days of every cycle, you can't get pregnant.

Myth: You can predict which days these are ahead of time.

Beware of methods that tell you which cycle days will be fertile and infertile ahead of time. This includes the Rhythm Method, the Standard Days Method, and some of the Fertility Awareness apps that are available. If you use the Justisse Method, or another Fertility Awareness Based Method (FABM) that relies on signs your body gives every day to tell you whether or not you are fertile, you have highly reliable natural birth control (99.6%). But, looking ahead on your calendar, or your string of beads, to tell which days you could get pregnant, leaves a lot more room for error.

Why? Because your cycle lengths (the number of days from the start of one period to the start of the next) can and will vary at some point. The statistics used to predict fertile days can be accurate a lot of the time, for a lot of women, but I personally know multiple women who used to rely on the Rhythm Method or the Standard Days method, until they had an unplanned pregnancy during their breastfeeding years, as they entered perimenopause, or during a time of stress.

It’s healthy and normal to ovulate earlier than usual, or later than usual, sometimes. You can be almost sure of timing variations during times of stress (physical, mental and/or emotional) and times of hormonal change – postpartum, breastfeeding, perimenopause, or when you have thyroid or adrenal issues, to name a few. But at all of these times, your cervical fluid, Basal Body Temperature, and cervical position will keep you posted as to when you are and aren't fertile.

Fertility Awareness can also be a lot more empowering. Instead of relying on mathematical averages and counting of days, it relies on your intimate understanding of your body’s cycle and your body’s language. You get to know yourself, not just statistics.