Hormonal Forecaster - Natural Family Planning to Calculate Ovulation and Fertility

Natural Family Planning

Natural Family Planning (NFP) is a technique that utilizes natural indicators of fertility to identify ovulation. This approach is highly effective as it utilizes the Symptothermal (Sympto-Thermal) method, parts of which are sometimes referred to as the Billings Ovulation method. Personal information is recorded on a daily basis and charted. Natural indicators of ovulation such as basal body temperature, cervical mucus characteristics, and/or cervix position are used to gauge fertility. This information is typically combined into an ovulation chart to facilitate interpreting your fertility. Charts can be constructed manually from your personal records or automatically using charting tools like the Hormonal Forecaster.

While sometimes confused with the calendar or rhythm method, this approach can be taken well beyond simply counting calendar days to estimate ovulation. Women chart daily symptoms such as their temperature, mucus observations, and cervical state to sense when their body is naturally preparing for a possible new pregnancy. By monitoring their body's natural indicators, women can identify their approaching or passing ovulation and time intercourse accordingly.

More information regarding the differences between the symptothermal and calendar methods of fertility prediction can be found on the fertility page. The Hormonal Forecaster supports both techniques.

Avoiding Conception

The Hormonal Forecaster can be used as a natural family planning method of birth control. By recording and charting your daily symptoms, ovulation and associated increased fertility levels can be identified. Couples can then abstain from sexual intercourse during periods of high fertility to avoid pregnancy. This natural form of birth control keys off of natural fertility indicators and is therefore endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church.

If you goal is to avoid conception, you should consider tracking your basal body temperatures at a minimum. BBT readings are important to identify ovulation after it has occurred. Once ovulation has passed, your fertile window ends and your chance of pregnancy drops. Ideally, users should chart multiple symptoms to get a more complete overview of their fertility. This helps to more accurately identify ovulation and the fertile days of your cycle.

Detailed charting offers users interested in birth control another advantage too. By logging your cycle history and symptoms, you create a history of your fertility. This history can be extremely valuable if you later decide to begin trying to conceive. Historically many users of the Hormonal Forecaster have initially used it as an approved method of natural family planning for birth control only to later turn around and use it to increase their odds of conception once they were ready to start a family. By identifying ovulation and the fertile days of your cycle, the Hormonal Forecaster can help you achieve either goal.

Trying To Conceive

If you are aspiring to conceive, the same general principals apply. Again it is ideal to track as many symptoms as possible to paint the best overall picture of your fertility. One of the more useful symptoms for women trying to conceive are cervical mucus observations. These indicators are valuable because they identify the onset of ovulation. Basal body temperatures pinpoint ovulation after the fact. If you are trying to conceive, you want to time intercourse when your fertility is highest in the days up to and including ovulation.

Awareness of your fertility levels can drastically improve your chances towards conception. Although it obviously cannot overcome all forms of infertility, charting can be extremely valuable for individuals trying to conceive who may be experiencing difficulties as studies have shown.