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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE
Do you know when you are ovulating?
Do you know what day to expect your period?
Do you know when you absolutely need to use birth control to avoid pregnancy?
Get to know your menstrual cycle, and you'll know the answer to these questions and more. You'll know when you could get pregnant and when you won't. Be responsible. Take charge. Know your body and protect yourself. If you don't who will?
Here's how. The first step in natural birth control/fertility awareness is charting your cycle. First you will need a calendar, what ever size is handy will do, though a pocket size one can be carried with you easily. This method is generally called the Rhythm or Calendar Method, it is rated as 79 percent effective. Keep this in mind when you are just learning about your cycle, if you have not been keeping track of your cycle, or if you have been on the Pill you can't know for sure when you will ovulate. Some women can feel ovulation occurring, which is great, but won't give you enough warning of approach to protect yourself.
The main reason the Rhythm Method fails is because the body starts producing fertile mucous 4-6 days before ovulation. Most sperm die in two to three hours in normal non-fertile vaginal acidity. The fertile mucus is naturally alkaline which protects the sperm from the acidic secretions of the vagina. Once in the cervical canal sperm can remain alive and vigorous for three to four days.
Needless to say the calendar alone is not very reliable form of birth control. To reduce the risk of pregnancy and increase the effectiveness it is best to use the calendar as a basic guide. It becomes a historical record of your cycle and will enable you to make educated decision based what has been. When the calendar is combined with other methods of natural birth control you get more detailed information about what your body is doing right now.
An average monthly cycle is 28 to 29 days. But this is by no means the norm, every woman's cycle is different. And what is normal for one woman is different for another. There is a wide fluctuation in women's cycles. My cycles range from 27 to 34 days, with the norm being 27 to 29 days, the only time it's been 34 days is when I'm traveling or sick. So watch and observe your cycles. Just because your cycle is 28 days one month doesn't mean it is going to be 28 days next month, so be careful. Observe closely. It takes time and energy to know your body.
Sister Zeus: Here's How - Charting Your Way Through the Cycles
Fertility Awareness Directory Index - Sister Zeus Preventing & Ending Pregnancy
This site © Copyright 1998, Sister Zeus Email
Reprinted with permission from Sister Zeus
The Conception Kit™ - Contents & Use
MoonDragon's Contraception Methods Compared
MoonDragon's Contraception Information: Oral Contraceptives
MoonDragon's Contraception Information: Natural Methods of Birth Control
MoonDragon's Contraception Information: Fertility Cycle Basics
MoonDragon's Contraception Information: Herbal Birth Control
MoonDragon's Contraception Information: Lactational Amenorrhea Method
MoonDragon's Contraception Information: Withdrawal Method
Sister Zeus: What Men Need To Know About Fertility Awareness Methods
Sister Zeus's Fertility Awareness, Herbal Abortion, & Herbal Contraception
Natural Contraceptives by Elizabeth Burch, ND
Herbal Methods of Contraception & Abortion Links
Ovu-tec Fertility Detector for Visualizing Cervical Mucous
Sister Zeus: Determining Your Risk of Pregnancy
Sister Zeus: Basal Body Temp - In Determining Risk for Pregnancy
MoonDragon's Contraception Information: Total Abstinence
MoonDragon's Contraception Information: Natural Family Planning (NFP)
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