Having a child, as you will now be aware, has a wonderful, significant impact on all areas of your life. Gone potentially are the days of lie-ins, late nights out and chilled one-on-one time with your partner! Hello to sleepless nights; doing everything “on the go”; multi-tasking, working Mums & Dads; maybe financial worries - all adds to the stress!! And for some, this added pressure may also contribute to a delay in conception of your next child.
Many people assume that if they have conceived one child that subsequent pregnancies will be just as easy, but unfortunately this is not always the case.
One in five couples in NZ has issues in achieving pregnancy. And when conception doesn’t happen as quickly as you expected it can be frustrating, stressful and even heartbreaking. Knowing how you can maximise your chances of achieving pregnancy puts you back in control and for many couples that is all they need!
Every couple is different and a lot of information that is found in books and online is very much for “Ms Average”...mostly about a women’s cycle that is 28 days long with ovulation occurring halfway through the cycle on day 14, but this is simply not true for everyone. It really is a very individual thing so being taught the method by an experienced educator is essential.
It’s likely that these days you know more about your cars, cell phones & Facebook than you do about your own fertility. But with this knowledge you could potentially speed up conception, save money on fertility tests, doctor/specialists appointments and be kinder to your body and the environment!
So, what is Natural Family Planning?
Natural Family Planning, is the process of observing a woman’s naturally occurring physical cues to fertility, including basal body temperature, cervical mucus, and cervix position. Fertilization can only occur during a 24-hour stage each cycle, and fertility is easy to determine for a few days on either side of that window.
Charting helps you keep track of the woman’s fertile and infertile stages, and you can decide whether or not to be intimate based on your desire for a child (or not) at the time. Natural Family Planning and the Sympto-Thermal Method (STM) is not the rhythm, Billings or calendar method.
How can STM help you fall pregnant?
Learning the STM can be an effective & inexpensive way to maximise chances of conception each cycle whilst also potentially revealing any potential fertility problems. By charting your menstrual cycles you will be able to identify when your most fertile time is and when/if ovulation has occurred.
During each menstrual cycle, one of a woman's ovaries releases an egg. This process is called ovulation. The egg moves toward the uterus through the fallopian tubes, where fertilization may take place. An unfertilized egg may live for up to 24 hours. The egg will be reabsorbed later during the menstrual period if it isn't fertilized. A woman is most likely to become pregnant if sexual intercourse takes place in the hours just before or just after ovulation.
Learning the STM of Natural Family Planning assists those who want to:
- Be more in control of their fertility & pregnancy planning
- Time a pregnancy to suit their lifestyle or specific needs
- Time intercourse to maximise chances of pregnancy where there is a low sperm count
- Maximise their chances of pregnancy in a short or specific timeframe because of
- endometriosis / polycystic ovary syndrome
- advancing parental age
- couples separated due to work commitments (shift work, military etc)
It is recommended that you learn the STM under the guidance of a qualified Educator which usually takes three appointments over 2-3 cycles, and many Educators provide ongoing advice and support for a year and beyond.
What else can you do to help?
As with all conceptions & pregnancies it is important to be as healthy as you can be by:
- Following a healthy, balanced diet by eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as foods that are rich in iron, calcium, zinc and folate, essential for reproductive health
- Maintaining a healthy weight as being overweight or underweight can affect the body’s hormone levels which in turn makes conception difficult.
- Having regular exercise such as walking, swimming or cycling, will help keep you fit and active before and during your pregnancy. It will also help get you back into shape after the pregnancy.
- Avoiding drinking alcohol and caffeine as these can affect fertility.
- Stopping smoking to increase your chance of falling pregnant and improve your partner’s sperm quality.
- Try to naturally detox and cleanse your system by drinking plenty of water and eating less processed foods. Try and eat organically.
- Take folic acid and iodine supplements as recommended by the Ministry of Health. Talk with your health professional before taking other supplements as some can be harmful in the wrong doses when trying to conceive.
- Reducing stress by practicing relaxation techniques such as visualization or meditation, listen to calming music with guided imagery or try acupuncture or acupressure.
- Managing negative emotions during the pre-conception process by gaining support from your partner, family and friends.
- Joining a support group or attend counselling services to help you to deal with depression, anger or guilt.
The Sympto-Thermal method of natural family planning empowers couples by increasing their sexual and reproductive health knowledge, and assists them to take charge of their fertility. Our fertility is a precious and wonderful thing, it is something that should be enjoyed, not feared. It can be managed, naturally, once good information and teaching has been given. It does require some commitment and motivation, but if you want to achieve a pregnancy and a more natural way of life, it really is the perfect option!
