One of the ways that Natural family planning is remarkable is how it accumulates a menstrual cycle history for us that gets recorded and documented through months and years of charts.
I always recommend we hold on to our old charts for at least a year because it provides us with so much data about the pattern, rhythm and health of our cycle. This information can be incredibly helpful for both us and our doctor whenever we detect a shift in our menstrual health or in the pattern of our menstrual cycle.
Learning NFP gives us a solid base knowledge of our reproductive physiology, how our menstrual cycle works and what impacts our cycle.
Putting this knowledge into practice by charting our fertility cycle means we know immediately and in real time whenever there are sudden changes in the length or pattern of our cycle or if we experience our cycle differently.
As soon as we experience unusual menstrual discomfort or new physical symptoms, we can use our charts to track it. For example, if we start to experience headaches or menstrual pain, we can track when we experience them and their severity on our chart. This enables us to see quickly if there are any correlations between our symptoms and the hormonal shifts we know to look for through NFP on our chart.
This data is really helpful for us because we already know a lot about what is happening for us and can feel empowered by having the tools to track our symptoms and hormone shifts in a methodical, clear way.
So what happens when we notice or experience something that doesn’t feel right or normal for our menstrual cycle? How do we stay aligned with our values and feeling empowered if we end up at the doctors with our menstrual health?
It is helpful when we have a history of charting our cycle because we can present our doctor with a lot of information from the start. We are not going in empty handed trying to remember symptoms and when they started. We instead go in with specific data we have recorded on our charts that can show the doctor exactly what our symptoms are, when we experience them and how they are impacting us and our cycle. We can also show them what a healthy, normal cycle is for us on a previous chart as an example and a contrast.
When we have our charts, we can walk into medical appointments feeling more informed and empowered. We get to feel more involved in the process, leading it rather than feeling powerless.
The level of knowledge, experience and intimacy you have of your fertility cycle through practising NPF, means that you are able to go to your doctor understanding what your normal, healthy cycle looks and feels like and likewise, why it now feels unusual, worrying or unhealthy for you. It gives you certainty and a menstrual language to speak to them with.
Your doctor will be able to see the evidence in your charts in front of them then and there which helps them to understand the severity and frequency of your symptoms. It also helps them to determine if your systems are connected to a hormonal issue or to something else. Taking your charts in with you helps the doctor know how best to support you faster and more appropriately from the very first appointment.
To medicate or not to medicate; this is often the big question we are faced with. The good news is that NFP can help you gain clarity and authority on this.
NFP coupled with menstrual awareness is birthing a wave of women who know their menstrual cycle health intimately. They are informed, tuned in and understand the power of their cycle. From this place, we are empowered to talk about our menstrual health with doctors and medical professionals in a whole new way. We have the understanding, we have the language and we have the evidence in our charts to enter into a conversation of equals where we are respected and listened to as the authority over our bodies.
No more will women be going into the doctors with a set of confusing symptoms and be led down into a path of medication with her eyes and mind closed. Thanks to NFP and months worth of cycle tracking, we are going into these conversations more informed and empowered.
NFP is the difference between walking into a doctors appointment saying, “I’m getting this pain and menstrual headaches. I’m having to take time off work at the last minute. I feel awful and I just want it to go away”, and “I’m suffering with menstrual pain and headaches to the point of having to plan time off work. My charts show me it happens after ovulation between days 22 and 26. I need some support. I can show you my old charts when this didn’t happen and also exactly when the symptoms started”.
To medicate or not to medicate; this is often the big question we are faced with. The good news is that NFP can help you gain clarity and authority on this.
In our medical systems, a course of action is often presented as a given but remember you always have choices. The BRAIN tool can really help us with this. It provides a logical approach to helping us think through all available options to us and we can even use it to talk with your doctor or consultant too.
What does B.R.A.I.N stand for?
Benefits – What are the benefits of making this decision?
Risks – What are the risks associated with this decision?
Alternatives – Are there any alternatives?
Intuition – How do I feel? What does my ‘gut’ tell me?
Nothing – What if I decide to do nothing/wait and see? What happens next?
The pill is often prescribed as a medicine to treat menstrual discomfort, disorders or disease
Many women come to Natural Family Planning because they care deeply about their current and long term health and wellbeing.
Some switched to NFP because they experienced such strong and challenging side effects from taking hormonal contraception. Some were using NFP when they started to experience varying levels of menstrual discomfort, fatigue or disease such as painful, heavy periods or endometriosis. It seems standard practice these days to be offered the pill as a treatment or a solution to such symptoms. Got a menstrual problem? Simply take the pill and ignore it!
When we learn the theory behind NFP and practise it every day, we come to understand that the way our menstrual cycle and menstrual symptoms present each month is a reflection of our overall health. Women practising NFP know that the menstrual cycle is a remarkable, fine tuned set of processes that start in the brain and are easily impacted by stress, changes in diet, medication or sleep, travel or other big life changes.
NFP women get to know their cycle intimately through charting which means they also realise quickly if their cycle and cycle health isn’t what it usually is.
As a result, women practising NFP are less likely to want to suppress and switch off their cycle using the pill when things get uncomfortable. Because they have a high level of menstrual awareness, they are able to make an informed decision about whether the pill can help them or not. They are more likely to understand that changes in their cycle are not something to ignore but something that needs more looking at. They are far more likely to feel empowered to ask for more tests, scans and options before simply accepting a magic pill to make the problem go away.
We don’t need a doctor to tell us we’re in peri-menopause; our charts can do that for us
Charting is a huge way we can reclaim some authority over our health as we approach or during peri-menopause. If we are struggling, we can keep a record of exactly how and when we are struggling. We will know way before our doctor ever could if we are peri-menopausal or not.
NFP is the difference between walking into a doctors appointment saying, “my cycle is all over the place and I don’t know where I am. I feel awful and I don’t know what to do”, and “My charts are showing me I’m likely peri-menopausal, this is what my cycle is doing and these are my symptoms and I want some support”.
We can avoid a whole load of stress by knowing this.
It is important for us to do what feels right for our body and our individual needs.
Remember that it’s always ok to ask to help and it’s always ok to ask for more information before making a decision about what is best for you.
Take your time to explore the contraceptive options that are available for you with your partner(s) and your medical provider if appropriate. You can reach out to talk to me about this too.
This process will support you to feel empowered on your fertility journey and give you the information and solutions that are best for your individual needs.