Most women do not know this, but your menstrual cycle follows a predictable pattern.
You can prevent pregnancy or get pregnant if you learn to track accurately.
How do you do this?
Let’s talk about the fertility awareness method 👇🏼
WHAT IS THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE?
The menstrual cycle is a monthly hormonal rhythm that prepares a woman’s body for pregnancy.
It begins on the first day of your period and ends the day before your next period starts.
- It typically lasts 28 days, but for many women, it ranges between 24–35 days.
Because cycle lengths vary from woman to woman (and sometimes month to month), safe and unsafe days are personal, not fixed.
📌 3 phases make up your menstrual cycle:
- Menstrual/follicular phase
- Ovulation phase
- LUTEAL phase.
Let’s break them down 👇🏼
📌 MENSTRUAL / FOLLICULAR PHASE (Days 1–13 on average)
This phase starts on the first day of your period, and marks day 1 of your cycle.
It varies the most, lasting for 12-16 days in most women.
In this phase, hormones are low at the start, but estrogen rises as the body matures an egg.
It ends right before ovulation.
📌 2. OVULATION PHASE (Around mid-cycle)
Ovulation is when your ovary releases an egg, the most fertile time in your cycle.
This egg lives for 12–24 hours.
However, sperm can live in your body for up to 5 days.
That’s why the fertile window is 6 days:
- 4 days before ovulation
- Ovulation day itself
- 1 day after ovulation
If you’re trying to avoid pregnancy, this is when you avoid unprotected sex.
If you’re trying to conceive, this is when to try.
📌 3. LUTEAL PHASE (Always 14 days)
This is the most stable phase of the cycle.
It happens right after ovulation and lasts for 14 days.
Progesterone hormone rises to prepare the womb for pregnancy, however if none occurs, the hormones drop and a new cycle begins.
📌 Key fact:
No matter your cycle length, the luteal phase is usually 14 days.
That’s why we use it to calculate ovulation.
📌 HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR OVULATION DAY
Formula:
Cycle length – 14 = Ovulation day
Example (32-day cycle):
32 – 14 = Day 18
Ovulation likely occurs on Day 18.
Your fertile window is:
- Day 14 to Day 19
(Sperm may survive from Day 14 and fertilize the egg released on Day 18)
Unsafe days = Days 14 to 19
Safe days = Any other day, if your cycle is consistent
📌 DOES THIS METHOD WORK?
Yes, when done accurately.
But here’s the catch:
- It has a fail rate of 32% with typical use
That means out of 100 women using FAM, 32 may still get pregnant
Why?
- Cycles can shift due to stress, illness, weight changes
- Ovulation may not always happen when expected.
To make FAM more reliable:
- Track your cycle for at least 6 months
- Be consistent and honest with your tracking
- Combine with other ovulation signs
📌 OTHER SIGNS YOU’RE OVULATING
1. Stretchy, egg-white discharge: Indicates peak fertility
2. Heightened libido: Nature’s way of encouraging reproduction
3. Mittelschmerz (mid-cycle pain): Some women feel sharp pain on one side of the pelvis
4. Slight rise in basal body temperature (BBT): Track daily temperature before getting out of bed
Apps like Flo, Clue, or Kindara can help track patterns.
You can also use ovulation test kits for more accuracy.
📌 IN SUMMARY:
- Your fertile window is about 6 days long , ending with ovulation
- Your unsafe days fall within this window
- Your safe days are before and after the fertile window — if your cycle is stable
- Always track for months before trusting this method as contraception
If you’re sexually active and not planning a baby, consider combining this method with condoms or another form of birth control.
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