The Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) refers to a few simple
techniques that any woman can learn. Performing FAM
regularly can help a woman understand and predict
her body's reproductive cycles. There are three primary
fertility indicators to be aware of and to monitor:
basal body temperature
cervical fluid
cervical position
Basal body temperature (BBT) is the temperature of your
body immediately upon waking up, before you've done
any physical activity at all. You can use any type of
thermometer to take your temperature, but many women find
that those made especially for tracking your BBT are easiest
to read because they show temps in one-tenth degree
increments. Those tiny differences in temperature are
important to note, as they reflect important changes in
your reproductive hormone levels. A rise of only a few
tenths of a degree can indicate that ovulation has occurred.
As the hormones in your body change each cycle, so does
your body's cervical fluid (CF). As your body approaches
its most fertile time, this fluid (often called non
-menstrual 'vaginal discharge') becomes thinner and more
slippery. It is sometimes referred to at that time of your
cycle as "egg white mucus" (sometimes
seen as 'EWCM' in online conversations) because of
its appearance and texture.
Just as your cervical mucus changes during your cycle, so
does the position of your cervix. The cervix is the
lowest part of your uterus, extending into your vagina.
It acts as a gate between the vagina and uterus, becoming
softer, higher in the vaginal passage, more open, and wetter
during a woman's fertile time.
There are also secondary signs of approaching fertility
that not all women experience, but which can provide
additional information if detected. Some of the more
common include: midcycle spotting; slight pain or discomfort
in the pelvic region; increased sexual feelings; breast tenderness.
The most important aspect of using FAM to monitor your fertility
is to check the three primary indicators daily and record
the results. Tracking fertility is all about patterns,
and the best way to detect patterns is to keep good
daily records for several cycles in a row.