Mucus Only Method : Billings
👌🏻 👩🏾🤝👨🏽 🚸🥼💊⛪
- Tell us a little about yourself.I'm an achiever (Enneagram 3, wing 2) who works a non-profit political job in the DC-area. I live in Alexandria, VA with a husband, toddler, and one on the way. I went to Marshall University in West Virginia where I got a Bachelor's in Elementary Education and Master's in Political Science. My interests have dramatically changed since having a kid! I now enjoy the times where I get to go to Target, Starbucks, and Trader Joes, as well as spending time with friends. I also enjoy serving on boards that help with community development and advance fertility awareness.
- What effects has fertility awareness had on your relationship?Fertility awareness has strengthened my relationship with my husband in multiple ways. I am able to enjoy sex and have a much better sex-drive after coming off of the birth control pill. We talk a lot more about fertility. My husband is very data-driven and has a fact-based personality. I am able to explain to him why my body is or isn't doing certain things and he gets it. There have been times, however, when our desires weren't in sync. I don't mind the more scheduled-routine, but it's more difficult for him. The height of that frustration came more while TTC along with the other pressures of navigating fertility with PCOS. We did it though!
- How did you find your instructor?I found my instructor through Emily Frase who was part of a FB group and asked who instructed users with PCOS. I paid a $250 donation for a year of instruction and follow-up. We met for a full year, sometimes bi-monthly and other times monthly.
- Describe your daily charting routine.I charted for over a year, but currently taking a break since I'm pregnant. I initially tracked cervical mucus observation and sensation. I had a hard time recognizing the sensation because I produce a lot of cervical mucus at almost all times. I was also pretty hard on myself mentally because I wanted to get it "right" pretty quickly. I think the reason I stuck with it is because I had a wonderful instructor who was encouraging and could identify things that I couldn't yet. She also had PCOS and had the experiences that I was going through. My chart always looked bizarre to me, but she assured me that her chart had been similar and that it would take some time to establish a pattern.
- What made you choose this method?I was skeptical of fertility awareness and also had a newborn, so I needed a method that was easy and manageable. Billings offered straight-forward instruction that I didn't feel too burdened by. As someone who produces a lot of cervical mucus though, I never felt 100% sure of my observations/sensations. If I was absolutely TTA, I would choose another method.
- Has charting helped you to understand your overall health?Charting has absolutely helped me understand my overall health. I have been able to take supplements and medicines that have improved my PCOS symptoms and then watch that improvement through charting. I have also changed my daily habits when it comes to what I eat and how I approach my mental health. Through charting, I was able to see which habits improved my cycles and which did not.
- Did you stop using this method? If so, why?I am about to switch to the Marquette Method after I give birth so that I can be more confident in my days of ovulation and when to avoid sex.
