NFP and Charting

Clarasmom07 · **NFP and Charting**

When Amanda posted her chart yesterday, that got me thinking....how do you do it? What do you have to do? I'm so dumb when it comes to this. When I had DD last year, i wanted to do NFP, but I started having PPD so I had to go on birth control to help my hormones go back to normal. Its not that I even want it for TTC, but just so I know my body better.

stephpook · 06-11-2008, 08:41 PM

The best advice I can give you is to check out the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler from the library. It explains everything, in detail, with lots of sample charts. It's a big book but is really a fairly fast read.

Basically, you chart your waking temperature, cervical fluid, and cervical position (this one is optional) every day and use them to keep track of where you are in your cycle. Even if you didn't end up using it as a birth control method, like you said, it is a great way to get to know your body better. I only used it for 5 months before getting pregnant, but I fully intend to use it for long term birth control in the future.

flybygrace · 06-12-2008, 08:18 AM

I agree - get the book. I need to buy it. Checking it out from the library was great, but I want it for reference, and I needed to get it through inter-library loan, so it's not even like I can go back and look at it real quick when I need to.

I do agree that it makes you so much more aware and knowledgeable of your own body. I wish, just for that reason, I had started this years ago. I chart my BBT (temp) and CM (cervical fluid). I have tried to chart my cervical position, but it was confusing to me without the book, so I need to get the book again and then start charting that.

Jane Austen · 06-14-2008, 09:26 PM

Another good place to check out is Fertility Friend (an online charting service). I also have 'The Art of Natural Family Planning.' (It is written from the Catholic perspective, just a warning). We use NFP for religious--we are Catholic--and medical reasons (we don't use any artificial BC at all). Contrary to popular opinion in the world, I am not popping out babies left and right--unless you call four children left and right, LOL. I haven't read 'TCOYF' but I hear from even my Catholic friends that it is pretty good.

I will be honest that I really don't chart anymore, but I watch my body's signs and go off of that. Maybe not the most reliable way, but if another little one comes along, then we just accept what we're given!