Getting Pregnant using Fertility Awareness
Join the thousands of couples around the world who use Fertility Awareness to both plan, and space their babies. If you are planning on getting pregnant, or if you have already started trying, Fertility Awareness can help to shorten the time to conception, and provide some insightful information on your fertility as you embark on this exciting journey.
Once you have learnt about your own unique signs of fertility, you can maximise your chances each cycle by timing your baby making sex to catch the egg. At Natural Fertility NZ, we teach couples about their ‘combined fertility’, and as such both partners are encouraged to take part in the learning process.
Our educators have extensive training in Fertility Awareness, in particular the Sympto-thermal Method. You will learn all about YOUR menstrual cycle (the 28 day cycle is a myth), including how to recognise YOUR signs of fertility, how to interpret them, and whether there might be an issue that warrants further investigation or support.
Preparing for a Healthy Pregnancy
It takes 3 months for sperm and eggs to develop and mature, so it is a good time frame to work to before actively trying to conceive. You’ll want to be taking your prenatal (at the very minimum folic acid) for 3 months before conception too. We recommend practicing Fertility Awareness as one part of your preconception journey – which should also include:
- Visiting your GP to get some prenatal blood tests, up to date smear, and a script for prenatal supplements
- Self care for both you and your partner – healthy diet and lifestyle
NFNZ’s Fertility Educators can support you further with making healthy changes, with a basic preconception health guide provided at the first appointment.
Learning Fertility Awareness to help me conceive
Choose your Fertility Educator, and make an appointment either in person, on the phone, or online. You will have a total of 3 appointments:
- At the first appointment, you will learn how to recognise and record your signs of fertility on a paper chart
- At the second appointment, you will learn how to identify when your fertility starts and ends on your first chart
- At the third appointment, you will bring your 2nd chart, and your Fertility Educator will make sure you understand how to interpret it.
You will also learn about cervical palpation (checking the cervix) which is an optional extra check, and also preconception healthcare. Natural Fertility NZ Educators can also set you up on Read Your Body App. Appointment costs do vary, however there is funding available for those eligible (just ask).
It’s taking longer than I thought to get Pregnant
Did you know that it can take up to 12 months for the average couple in New Zealand to conceive? Knowing when you are fertile can shorten the time to conception – it could be as simple as having intercourse at the right time!
But what if you have been timing it correctly, and it is taking longer than expected? Here are the dates you need to know:
- If you are under 35 and have been trying for 1 year, visit your GP to get a referral for further tests.
- If you are 35 or over, only wait 6 months before visiting your GP.
Even if you are not wanting to go down the track of fertility treatment, these tests could provide some important information to support your next steps (for example blocked tubes or issues with sperm health). Make sure you organise your referral as soon as you are eligible, as there can be significant wait times for an appointment.
Our educators can provide you with guidance should you need to navigate the public health system. Another organisation, Fertility NZ is uniquely positioned to support you in all areas relating to infertility (including support groups).
To track or not to track?
That is the question that some couples find themselves asking. If you have been trying for a while, Fertility Awareness can be a huge support – but it can become a source of stress and anxiety for some.
The key thing to remember is that when tracking your signs of fertility, you are looking for the overall pattern – not an individual temperature record. Just like how its not that helpful to weigh yourself everyday on a weight loss journey, focusing on daily temperature rises and falls does not provide any useful information – only extra worry.
If you are worried about adding another thing ‘to stress about’, it might be helpful to reframe your understanding of what Fertility Awareness can offer you:
- It can provide insightful information while you await further fertility testing
- Some natural health practitioners can use the information on your fertility charts to support your ttc journey.
- If you are not ovulating, then your educator can prepare a report for your GP, so that your testing can be expediated
- Focus on the overall picture:
- When does my fertility start? (so that I can time intercourse correctly)
- When does my fertility end?
- Am I ovulating?
- Am I having sex at the right time?
This is why it is important to learn how to track your fertility for conception from an Accredited Educator – you will be able to filter out all of the misinformation, and be able to focus on what matters. Once you know how to recognise when your fertility starts and ends each cycle, you have this information for life, and later down the track, alongside some extra guidelines you can then use this method to avoid pregnancy.
Next steps…
If you want to find out more, or have a specific question about whether this is right for you, then contact your local Fertility Educator: