Current Method: Billings Ovulation Method
Previous Method: TCOYF
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- Tell us a little about yourself.Navy wife, college student, passionate about sweet tea, space, and midwifery
- What effects has fertility awareness had on your relationship?Fertility awareness has been tough on our relationship. It helped our relationship before we conceived, but after our daughter was born, we had a lot of fear of unplanned pregnancy due to health conditions. It led to a lot of abstinence, which was for the best, since we weren't yet married. Since being married, as a military family, it feels like our safe days are prechosen by when he gets leave. Because of the constant abstinence from him being frequently gone, we discerned the best thing for our marriage at this time is to take the TTW approach, so neither his job nor the fertile window felt like a gatekeeper to intimacy. We share fertility by him asking me about my chart and if he needs to pick up ice cream or provide extra support during my luteal/menstrual phases.
- First Method: TCOYF - How did you find your instructor?There was not one
- Describe your daily charting routine.I would wake up with my alarm, take my temp, then fall back asleep if I did not have work. I would observe any mucus when I'd use the bathroom. I charted with mucus for about 18 months, with temperature for the final 6. While I was single, it was useful for health reasons, but for sex both regular cycles and postpartum, continuous mucus made me feel like a gatekeeper of sexuality. It allowed for me to gave a 24 hour heads up on when my period would arrive as well as when my PMDD would appear.
- What made you choose this method?My main reason was it was cheap and easily accesible. For me, it was simple in normal cycles, but as I said previously, it made me feel like a gatekeeper, especially since I had no instructor to ask.
- Has charting helped you to understand your overall health?I already knew I had PMDD, but charting helps me to know when to expect it, instead of being blindsided by its appearance.
- Did you stop using this method? If so, why?I stopped using it while pregnant and when I noticied continuous mucus, I stopped charting and became abstinent until I felt confident with my current method.
- Second Method: Billings Ovulation Method - How did you find your instructor?Facebook group. She's free as an instructor in practicum. I used her for multiple follow ups as well.
- Describe your daily charting routine.I just notice sensation throughout the day and take notice of mucus qualities when I use the bathroom. It's about 30 seconds to my day to note in my phone.
- What made you choose this method?I had heard it was good for postpartum and that it had protocols for ID'ing health concerns. I like that it's a customized method, but sensation was a hard biomarker to switch to.
- Did you switch to this method from another one? If so, why?Switched due to continuous mucus. The transition for me was while husband was away for military, so I was able to gain confidence in my chart without the pressure of trying to have sex
