Different Types of Cervical Fluid

We’re not talking discharge here people. We’re talking about cervical fluid. They’re different? Hell yeah!

Cervical fluid is fascinating when you really start learning about it.

It’s not discharge - that’s just the general slough and such from your vagina being a self-cleaning baddie. Its purpose is to keep you healthy and those PH levels in check. Very important.

Cervical fluid comes from our cervix and is all about fertility and sperm management.

Sperm? Yeah, we’ll get into it.

Our body creates different cervical fluids throughout our cycle based on where we are in our cycle. It’s actually part of many FAM methods.

Let’s start with the start of our cycle, our period. Our body is busy shedding the lining of our uterus. After the end of our period usually there’s no cervical fluid present. And in charting terms, this is referred to as “DRY” cervical fluid. If you have a shorter cycle you might not have any dry days.

The next type of cervical fluid is “STICKY” and a great descriptor of this is rubber cement, but that’s not a common thing used anymore so think of rubbery, sticky, gummy, rolls into a ball between your fingers. There’s no stretch and it will snap or gum up if you try to stretch it between your fingers. It’s also a cloudy, white, milky color.

Oh, did I mention you check your cervical fluid with your fingers? Yup. Stay with me. An easy time to do this is when you sit down to go to the bathroom. Just make a habit of it. Just a quick swipe of your finger(s) over your vaginal opening between your labia. This then allows you to visually take a look at any cervical fluid present as well as get a feel for it.

If you’re super grossed out by touching your CF, you shouldn’t be, but you can start off checking by just taking a clean piece of toilet paper and swiping that across to collect any cervical fluid.

Ok back to the descriptors. So, we’ve gone over “DRY” and “STICKY”. Next, we move into “CREAMY”. Think lotion and what that feels like between your fingers. Easy. This will be a creamy, white color as well.

And then finally is the magical baby-making stuff — “EGG WHITE” cervical fluid. Yup. It’s more liquid, watery, and very very stretchy. If you’re stretching it between your fingers it won’t break. It is like raw egg whites and that’s why it’s such a good descriptor of this type of cervical fluid. It will also be more clear in color (like raw egg whites).

So those are the potential cervical fluids you’ll see throughout a cycle. And they tell you how fertile you are. Dry and sticky - you’re not fertile. Lotiony/creamy - getting closer to ovulation. Eggwhite - very very fertile.

You might not experience all of these. But especially if you are TTC you want that eggwhite cervical fluid. And there are ways of boosting it, which I’ve written about in older blog posts.

Now, the fascinating thing about cervical fluid is its purpose. The non-fertile fluids act as a spider web or maze to trap any sperm. There’s no egg yet so there’s no need for sperm to be swimming up into your uterus and beyond.

As for egg white cervical fluid, it’s a slip n' slide for sperm straight to where your egg is waiting to be fertilized up in your fallopian tube. Fertile fluid also nourishes and keeps sperm alive when ovulation is imminent.

I hope this has piqued your interest when it comes to cervical fluid. So get to swiping and checking it out next time you head to the toilet.

VIDEO | Charting After Birth, Cycle Returning + Getting Pregnant With Baby #2

Birth control and trying to conceive a baby isn't as black and white as I thought it was before we started trying for our first baby. There's a spectrum of intention that influences how "safe" you are or how "hard" you're trying to get pregnant. I also talk about my cycle returning postpartum, how I handled charting, and how conceiving baby #2 was a much different experience for us.

Enjoy,

Victoria

VIDEO | Making Most Out of Luteal Phase

Years ago I made a series of videos going over the different phases of our cycles and I decided it was time to remake those and share how to make the most out of each phase. Today we're going over the Luteal Phase.

Enjoy,

Victoria

FAM Misconceptions + Mistakes

Women don’t want to move backwards. We want to move forward, into a time of knowledge and education, into a time where we can combine research and technology to find the best possible birth control option that works for us and our bodies.

Birth control is not a one size fits all thing. What works for me might now work for you. We don’t have cookie cutter perfect cycles, and that’s OK. That’s part of having a cycle. The exciting part, the empowering part comes from learning about your unique cycle and what you can do to work with your body to control your fertility in a way that fits with your life. 

So, while you’ll probably never hear me promote hormonal birth control options you’ll never hear me say that women shouldn’t have the option to choose them. Just like women should have the access to the actual information about FAM. 

Today I want to go over some misconceptions about FAM as well as some common FAM mistakes. 

So, what are some things one might hear about FAM? 

     + that it’s too hard

     + not effective enough

     + inconvenient (can’t have spontaneous sex)

     + we’re not smart enough to use it correctly 

     + all FABM’s (fertility awareness based methods) are lumped together

     + media confuses it with the Rhythm Method

It’s one of my main frustrations but the media regularly confuses FAM with the Rhythm Method. Which if you’ve learned anything about modern forms of FAM you know it’s very different. FAM has a perfect use rate comparable to the pill, but because all FABM’s get lumped together it takes the effectiveness rate down, because the Rhythm Method is often included in that. 

Seriously, if you go Google "Rhythm Method” right now, in the top right corner will pop up “Fertility awareness, also called: The Rhythm Method”. 

(Internal Scream) It’s not the same thing! 

Whenever you hear people (who know what FAM is) talk about it they’re usually talking about a combined method (like the Sympto-Thermal Method) where you track your basal body temperature, cervical fluid and optional cervical position on a daily basis and apply that to the rules of the method to determine where you are in your cycle and fertility. 

The Rhythm Method is based on the length of your cycle. Oh and assumes everyone has a perfect 28 day cycle and ovulates on day 14. 

Let’s move on to the “too hard”, “too time consuming” part of FAM. 

It does take a few cycles to learn, but once you know the information it doesn’t take more than a few minutes each day. Seriously I’m more in tune with and educated about my menstrual cycle and fertility now (not to mention more diligent and safe) than I was when I was taking the Pill. 

As for “spontaneous sex” people really need to widen their definition of what sex is. There are a lot of lovely sexual acts that don’t involve actual intercourse (penis in vagina), and these should be a part of your repertoire anyways. Plus there are condoms and other non-hormonal barrier methods available for those 6-7 days you have to avoid unprotected sex. 

Alright, let’s talk about some mistakes. 

+ not taking temperature consistently

     - not taking it at the same time

     - not taking it first thing when you wake up

     - lounging in bed for awhile before you take it, even though you haven’t actually gotten out of bed

     - not taking it every day

     - not taking it with a BBT thermometer

+ not following the rules/not learning them

     - don’t just read a few articles online

     - at least read a book like Taking Charge Of Your Fertility

     - best to then back that up with taking a course (online or in person)

[Shameless self plug: I offer an easy to digest Chart Your Cycle course]

+ not learning an actual method (creating a Frankenstein method)

     - i’ve had a few people comment on stuff saying FAM is crap, but then they go on to explain some frankenstein method that they’ve concocted

     - you should learn how to correctly take your BBT and check your fluid, choose a method and learn the rules to that method, and follow them

     - ovulation test strips should not be a part of your birth control plan

          + perfectly OK if you’re trying to conceive

          + and if you’re curious

+ apps are great, but you should learn the rules and implement them yourself rather than relying on what the app tells you

     - it’s best to choose an app that doesn’t have fertility prediction because they might sway your thoughts against what your signs are actually saying

          + I’m currently using Kindara, which allows you to input all of your data into a chart, draw a coverline, etc.

     - unless it’s an app like NaturalCycles, Daysy or LadyComp that has the algorithms, data and research to back it up

     - What I’m saying is don’t rely on predictions in simple period tracking apps as birth control

+ calendar methods, methods that don’t use fertility signs

     - don’t guess when your fertile phase based on past cycles

     - it’s not about the number of days, it’s about taking your temperature and fluid every day to calculate fertility 

+ only casually tracking temperature

     + don’t underestimate the importance of cervical fluid (it’s the greatest indicator of fertility and where you are in your cycle)

     + it is much more telling to me than temperature is

     + temperature only tells you when you’ve ovulated and when you’ve started a new cycle

     + using a temp-only method after you have realized you can’t track your fluid is one thing. But I think women should be learning how to and tracking both if they can. Especially at first

Phew! Ok I know that’s probably a lot to digest, and I may have gotten a little ranty at times, but hopefuly you get the gist. 

You are smart enough to safely use FAM if you so desire. 

It’s based on science, not some hippy, woo woo seance. 

Normal people like you and me use it. 

Do you use FAM? Have you considered it? Let me know down below. 

I Miss My Menstrual Cycle

I read a newsletter email the other day from Claire Baker about being productive and on her period. And it made me miss the ebb and flow of my menstrual cycle. 

I miss the monthly reset of my period. 

I miss the energy boost that comes with the end of my period. 

I miss the outgoing, energetic, take on the world mentality of ovulation. 

I’ve said it before but pregnancy feels like you’re stuck in your luteal phase. 

And I guess that’s because you are. 

Your luteal phase is the two(ish) weeks between ovulation and when you start your next period. So, if you get pregnant and don’t start that period you are kind of stuck in luteal limbo. 

Normally, the luteal phase is a great reminder to slow down and take it easy on your upcoming period. But being stuck here for 7 months has left me wanting that fresh restart and energy that comes from a new cycle, and I know it’s not coming anytime soon. 

I am really curious to see how my body rebalances after giving birth, what my hormones do, and how my cycle returns. But I have to say I’m looking forward to having a cycle again when it comes back. 

I’ve had a few people say, “Oh I bet it’s been nice not having a period.” And honestly I like my period. I like my cycle. And I miss it.

I look forward to documenting my returning cycle and fertility after birth and how I’m handling it. 

I’m not complaining about being pregnant. It’s been lovely and I’m so grateful that I am. I wouldn’t trade having a monthly cycle for this pregnancy. I’m just excited to get it back, that’s all.

Boosting Cervical Fluid Quality + Improving My Luteal Phase

Today I want to talk about what I did to boost the quality of my cervical fluid and improve my luteal phase. They were two separate “projects”, but both very important in having a healthy cycle. 

[Disclaimer: Everything I’m sharing with you today is from my own personal experience. I’m not recommending any of this as actual medical advice so please make sure you do your own research.]

Ovulation is obviously a very important part to your cycle, and if you’re trying to get pregnant then very important. But a lot of people forget about the role of good cervical fluid and an adequate luteal phase. 

So, let’s start by talking about cervical fluid. What is its role in your fertility? 

Your cervical fluid is made up of water, sugars, electrolytes and proteins that nourish and protect sperm. These are all important ingredients when it comes to getting his sperm to your egg. 

Your fluid provides an alkaline environment for his sperm. Our vaginas are naturally slightly acidic and “hostile" to sperm. Like his semen, your fertile fluid is alkaline which helps sperm make their way through the vagina. 

There are different types of cervical fluid ranging from dry and sticky to creamy and egg-white. And certain types are more fertile than others. 

Least fertile to most fertile descriptors:

— dry or no fluid present

— tacky, sticky, or gummy

— creamy or lotiony 

— egg-white

— watery/egg-white

It takes at least a cycle to notice the difference between which types your body produces. But if you do chart it and notice that it never really gets past feeling like rubber cement then you might have some difficulties when it comes to conceiving. 

Think of it this way. Your cervical fluid can either act like a spider web, catching or trapping your partner’s sperm, or like a fun ol’ slip and slide up to your egg. 

So, what are some things you can do to make sure you’re getting that good, baby making egg-white quality cervical fluid? 

The first thing you need to do is drink more water. Boring, yeah, but your cervical fluid is 90% water so if you’re not hydrated enough it’s obvious your fluid is going to suffer. 

Another thing I did was take a primrose oil supplement from Cycle Day 1 until I ovulated, where I would then switch to a flax oil supplement until my next cycle started. And this is because primrose can potentially cause your uterus to contract. 

One weird thing that I tried out, but didn’t think would have an impact was drinking grapefruit juice, as well as other citrus juices leading up to ovulation. I got a big bag of grapefruit and started juicing them around Cycle Day 10 (I normally ovulated between CD 13-15). 

And eating more veggies is said to be helpful in creating that alkaline environment necessary for not zapping his guys. 

Eating raw garlic was another one I saw, but I never gave that a try. But the cycle I started drinking more water, grapefruit juice and taking 1500 mg of evening primrose oil leading up to ovulation there was a big difference in the amount and quality of my egg-white fluid. 

Ok, what about some things that could be negatively impacting the quality of your cervical fluid? 

+ Accutane (an acne medication) 

+ Pain drugs (advil, idol, ibuprofen, aleve, etc.)

+ Antidepressants (zoloft, prozac)

+ Clomid (fertility drug)

+ Antihistamines (Sudafed, Claritin)

+ Motion Sickness (Benadryl, Dramamine)

+ Laxatives 

+ Progesterones

+ Antibiotics 

+ Hormonal Birth Control

And I think this list is just worth mentioning because often we don’t think of how medications affects us. 

Next, let’s move into the luteal phase, and what I did to improve mine.

My cycle is pretty regular and on schedule, but one thing I have found that throws it out of whack is flinging my body through many different time zones. 

It’s usually after a big international trip that I start spotting more and more before my period, sometimes 9 days or more. 

A “normal” luteal phase is anywhere between 11 and 17 days, with the average somewhere between 12 and 14 days long. 

So, if you’ve noticed that your luteal phase is shorter than 10 days that’s not the best when it comes to giving a fertilized egg long enough to implant in your uterus and send signals back to your ovaries to have the corpus luteum keep producing progesterone to keep the lining of your uterus in place. Because obviously if your uterus starts shedding that’s not great for your fertilized egg. 

I tried a few different supplements that didn’t have any impact on my spotting before discovering Vitex. 

I’ve made a few videos about this before so you can watch those here, here, here, here and here. 

I ordered this Vitex (two bottles), which is two pills per dose. After my period ended I would start taking those two pills each day throughout the rest of my cycle, taking a break again when my period came. And I would do that for 2-3 cycles, but often my spotting would clear up in that first cycle of taking it. 

Actually, the cycle before I got pregnant I had 6 days of spotting leading up to my period, and of course I thought, crap that’s not good. So I started taking Vitex the following cycle. 

Well, then I found out I was pregnant. I’m not sure what exactly you’re supposed to do in this situation but I just cut down to one pill a day and then just stopped taking it within a week or two. 

And that’s what I did to get my cycle in tip top shape when it came to killer cervical fluid and a strong luteal phase. 

For anyone trying to get pregnant I always recommend looking into a few things that boost your cervical fluid because they are nonintrusive and good quality fluid is so important. 

My Most Popular Videos of 2018 | FemmeHead

The end of the year is a great time to get reflective. 

I was curious what my most popular videos on YouTube were this year, and I thought, what the heck, I’ll share the list with everyone. 

So, here are the top 15 videos for FemmeHead this year. If you haven’t watched one you might enjoy it. 

1. Minimalism | Yearly Big Declutter 

2. Favorite Period Products | 2018 

3. Two Weeks in a Carry-On 

4. Difference Between Cervical Fluids 

5. Why I Switched to a Plant-Based Diet 

6. Getting Started | Choosing a Cup 

7. 12 Things that Make My Period Easier 

8. Outfits I’m Wearing From My Capsule 

9. Spring Capsule Wardrobe 

10. How I Get My Life Together | Reset Day 

11. Things That Can Mess With Temp + Fluid 

12. What I’m Packing For Sri Lanka 

13. My 26 Piece Fall Capsule Wardrobe  

14. Making the Most Out Of Your Phases 

15. How I Use My Bullet Journal 

What was your favorite video I did this year? Did it make the top 15?

Irregular Cycles, Are You Ovulating?

The first thing I always think, and often ask, when people ask about their irregular cycles are:

+ have you been charting your cycle?

+ do you know if you’re ovulating?

So many people think that they can’t and shouldn’t chart their cycle if they think it’s “irregular” but there is so much insight that comes with having a chart to look at. 

I definitely believe it can help figure out what’s going on. And it definitely won't hurt the cause. 

And the next thing I wonder, which helps if you're charting is whether you’re ovulating. Because often, not ovulating means really long, messed up cycles. 

So, if you’re not already charting, I suggest starting. 

If you want to learn how to properly and effectively do it I’ve got a course you can check out. 

If you’re not going to be using it as birth control the two important things to chart are your basal body temperature and cervical fluid. 

So, grab yourself a basal thermometer and start taking your temperature when your first wake up at the same time each day. 

I recommend an app like Kindara to input all of your data. 

And you can start checking your cervical fluid a few times each day when you go to the bathroom. Before you go take a minute to “swipe” across the opening of your vagina and take note of what you feel and see. 

You’ll want to look for a spike in your temperature that is higher than the previous six temperatures to signify that you have ovulated. You can also look up chart examples of those with a regular cycle and those with an anovulatory cycle. 

And charting your cervical fluid is good because you can see whether there is a pattern or if your fluid is all over the place. 

Now, obviously there is a lot more that goes into charting, even to just track your cycle (and especially if you’re going to use it as birth control), but that’s a good place to start. 

And another tool you can use to see if you’re ovulating are ovulation test strips. You can get a big pack of cheap ones off of Amazon pretty easily. And you can start testing around day 10 of your cycle. This tests for a surge in LH, and a positive test is when both lines are the same darkness. Unlike with a pregnancy test, a faint line on an LH test is actually a negative. 

If you see that you’re getting two lines but not a positive for an extended period of time means that you’re probably not ovulating. 

So, this post isn’t about fixing your irregular cycles. No, it’s about that first step into figuring out what might be going on. And there’s no one size fits all fix for irregular cycles. And there are many different things that could be causing them. But keep learning, keep charting and keep asking questions. 

Learn the Method Before Relying On a Device

I’ve been getting a lot of messages and questions from gals looking to quit their hormonal birth control and they want to know what I recommend when it comes to Daysy, Natural Cycles, Wink and things like that. 

And I’ll share my thoughts but I always start with highly recommending learning something like the sympto-thermal method (STM) before relying solely on a device or app.

I can’t begin to explain the benefits of understanding the method, your fertility and all of that before you pick up a device. 

You can go the old school way of using a paper chart as you learn and practice the sympto-thermal method, but I prefer doing my charting on the Kindara app. (I’m not sponsored, I just really love their app).

I love that it doesn’t give you predictions, and is basically a paper chart in an app. You have to input all of your data, draw your coverline, choose your peak day plus you can add custom data as well. 

A lot of people assume charting, FAM and STM are complicated and hard to learn. And therefore they want the security of a device so they don’t have to rely on just themselves. 

But I sincerely believe that anyone who wants to learn how to chart can do it successfully. 

The recommended timeline is three cycles to get the hang of it before relying on just the STM. I remember when I first started seeing what I had read and learned about play out in my own cycle and on my own chart. 

Not only was it just really cool, but it was super empowering. And yes you can get a similar sensation from using a device, but I don’t really quite think it’s the same as when you’ve learned the method and implemented it on your own. 

A lot of the devices and apps I’ve seen are based on temperature-only methods, which is fine, and there’s definitely a place for it, but I have so much more confidence in the STM because there is both temperature and fluid to cross check each other. 

Cervical fluid is this amazing indicator of fertility, and there is so much that I would miss out on if I wasn’t charting it. I can tell how hydrated I am that cycle by how much fluid I have. If my temperature is off because of travel, sleep, sickness, stress, you name it I have my fluid to cross-check my chart with to make sure I’m being safe. It's an added security that makes me more confident in the method rather than if I was just charting my temperature. 

So, yes, there have been some cool advances in technology, which is awesome and something I hope to see continue in the future. But I really do believe that you’re better off, in the long run, learning the sympto-thermal method before relying on a device. 

If you’re ready to learn STM and start charting, I’ve created just the course for you. 

Chart Your Cycle is for those new to FAM, and the STM. I teach you how to chart, about your different phases and the four FAM rules, which will give you the perfect foundation of knowledge to start charting. 

When did you start charting, and why do you recommend it?

Too Much Estrogen?

Today I just wanted to share some gathered information I had on having too much estrogen, what that means, how it presents and what you can do. 

Excess estrogen is normally caused by a higher production by your ovaries as well as your body not being able to process and get rid of estrogen properly. 

Symptoms:

+ gaining weight unexpectedly, trouble loosing it, find weight sitting around hips, bloating

+ tender swollen boobs as well as fibrocystic breasts

+ heavier periods

+ mood swings

+ low libido

+ headaches

+ hair loss

+ poor memory

+ trouble sleeping

+ feeling exhausted

+ a normal cycle that becomes irregular, as well as shorter cycles

+ cold hands and feet

If you want to get test your estrogen levels it’s suggested that you test midway through luteal phase because you can test your progesterone level as well. Your estrogen level should be no higher than 270 pg/mL or 1000 pmol/L. 

Your doctor may prescribe some sort of hormone therapy, but if you’re curious about what you can do at home it most focuses on what you can do and eat to help your body flush out estrogen better. 

1. take care of your liver

     - drink less alcohol

2. eat more fiber

     - keep things moving

3. take a probiotic

     - keep your gut health in check

     - also avoid antibiotics for this reason

4. manage your stress levels

     - go outside

     - journal

     - meditate

     - whatever your techniques are

I don’t have a ton of experience with high levels of estrogen personally beyond having low progesterone and therefore more estrogen that progesterone, but I think it’s worth talking about. 

Think you might have an irregular cycle but not sure? Learning how to chart your cycle is a great way to not only learn about your cycle, but to gain a better understanding of what’s actually going on. And it might help you get answers faster. 

I’ve created a Chart Your Cycle course for those new to charting. If you’re curious and want to learn more, click here. 

Things That Could Be Messing With Your Menstrual Cycle

Ok, so I’ve been really into making lists lately. 

And today I wanted to talk about the variety of things that could be messing with your cycle. 

But first, a fun fact. Did you know that only ovulation can be delayed, not your period? I remember back in the day hearing gals tell other gals, “As soon as you stop worrying about your period being late, it will show up.” Basically saying that by stressing over the fact your period had not shown up would somehow delay it from showing up. Oh, and I believed it. 

You can, however, delay ovulation by being stressed out (as well as other things), and that, in turn, will extend your cycle as a whole, making your period late. But as long as you’ve ovulated your cycle is pretty much set from there. 

So, starting with stress, here’s a list of a few things that can mess with your cycle:

+ stress — cortisol is no joke.

+ travel — even if you’re having fun, hurtling your body through different time zones and schedules can throw your cycle out of whack. I should know. 

+ sleep — goes along with the whole cortisol thing. 

+ diet — your hormone production is partially affected by what you eat. 

+ alcohol — having too many drinks can mess things up.

+ exercise — when I was deciding on training for a marathon or not one of my concerns was messing up my cycle with that. 

+ weighing too much, or too little — you want a nice cocktail of hormones for everything to run smoothly in your body. Just like having too little fat/estrogen can mess things up, so can having too much. 

+ medicine — of all varieties can impact your cycle in many ways

+ smoking — worse PMS, less oxygen getting around your body, and messes with most hormones. 

+ sickness — goes back up to the cortisol thing.

+ breastfeeding — from what I hear your hormones can be a bit whacky as it as after giving birth to a baby, but did you know that breastfeeding suppresses your fertility? 

I think the most important take away today is that having a balanced cycle is somewhat of a delicate dance. You need to be taking care of your body. And it’s not that hard. Avoid the things you know are bad for you, sleep more, eat your fruits and veggies, and find your choice of stress-reducing activities to try out. 

Obviously, there are more than just this list. And there are real hormonal imbalances that could be really screwing with how you feel, so don’t just write everything off. If you know something doesn’t feel right go figure out what’s going on.

It might be a simple fix or change you can make, but it also might be something you need help with. 

I just made a video this week about why you should consider charting more than just your basal temperature and cervical fluid. You can go watch that here. 

And if you haven’t heard of or tried out charting for yourself, but are interested in learning more. I have a great course for those new to FAM (Fertility Awareness Method) and the sympto-thermal method more specifically. You can check that out and sign up here!

Have there been things that you’ve noticed impact your cycle? What were/are they and how have you fixed it?  

My Skin Is Best During My Period

So, you know how everyone talks about how one of the woes of their period arriving is the acne that comes along with it? 

I always thought I was in that camp, acne during my period, but this past year I’ve noticed that I may have been wrong all along.

Does anyone else have better skin during their periods, or is that just me?

I find that the zits show up around ovulation, and that’s when my skin is usually at its ‘worse’ (which really isn’t all that bad usually). I also find that it’s a bit more uneven, dry and all that jazz around ovulation, and that it actually seems to clear up during my period. 

I wanted to share this today because before I actually started paying attention to my cycle, and tracking the different things that happen at different points, I used to be one of those people who blamed everything on their period.  

For so long my period was responsible for all the negatives that came along with having a menstrual cycle. I knew other stuff was happening in my body for my period to happen each month, but I never gave a second thought to what all those changes were doing. 

But ever since I started charting I’ve been much more aware of the little changes and at what point, during my cycle, things actually happen. 

And the one I’ve noticed is that I actually have clearer skin during my period than during ovulation. Right now I’m in my ovulatory phase and while my skin is doing pretty good overall, I do have a bit of a break out on my neck, along the hairline. I’m sure this is partially because I’ve been outside a lot, and I think when I use more hair products (like dry shampoo) that can make it break out.

But there are a few other factors beyond where I am in my cycle that play a role in the radiance of my skin. 

+ regular exercise — my skin looks best in the summer when I’m running consistently (not to mention sunshine heals everything).

+ sugar — if I’m eating too many sugary things, my face, especially my forehead breaks out (this is why I can’t drink Cuban coffee anymore).

+ processed food — my skin 100% shows this (not to mention it makes my PMS worse).

+ drinking enough water — this is a huge one as well, my skin just overall looks worse when I’m not drinking enough, which is most of the time. 

That last one is why I want to do a 30-day water drinking challenge to help kickstart my hydration habits. I’ve settled on the decision that at the bare minimum I want to get in 64 oz (1.8L), which is the recommended 8 glasses a day. But I would love to shoot for 80 oz, which is recommended for my weight. 

I also know that being adequately hydrated helps immensely with all other menstrual related happenings, so I’m hoping to see improvements there as well. 

My Period is a Morning Person

I’m not here to brag, even though it kind of feels like that. 

I just want to share something positive about my period. So here we go. 

My period is very polite in her arrival, and what I mean by this is I never seem to start my period in the middle of the day or the middle of the night. 

It always starts first thing in the morning when I go to the bathroom.

It’s like it waits for me to wake up, walk to the bathroom and to sit down to do my business, and then she’s like “Oh hello, good we can begin." 

And each time I’m like oh hello, thank you so much for being so patient and freaking polite. 

But just because it starts so easy doesn’t mean I don’t have my difficulties with my period. 

I still get cramps which require me to plug in my heating pad and take hot baths to soothe. 

I still leak and bleed through things, a lot. 

I still get tired, and emotional. 

But my period is a breeze compared to what it used to be. And I have a few things to thank. 

+ Going vegan — I truly believe diet has so much to do with how well your body functions. And I think going vegan played a huge role in lightening up my periods, calming the PMS and all that jazz. 

+ Getting off hormonal birth control and learning about my body — Yup, finally understanding how and why my body does different things made life so much easier. I felt empowered by this knowledge. 

+ Switching to menstrual cups and period underwear — Getting all the irritants that come with disposable products away from my vagina made everyone involved just so much happier. 

So you may be thinking “Screw her and her perfect period” but I’m here to share that even though it’s such a chill period I still have period problems. But also know that it hasn’t always been this easy and that if you have a period you’re not happy with it doesn’t have to be like that. 

I’m not saying what worked for me will work for you, or that there’s a right or wrong way to deal with cycle issues. I just want to encourage you to keep searching for your solution because I truly believe it is out there. 

What is something you’ve done that’s improved your period or cycle? 

Mild Melancholy at the End of My Cycle

I’ve gotten a similar sensation at the end of the past two cycles and I was trying to put my finger on it, to give it a name. 

And the best way to describe it is a mild melancholy, “a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.” 

I’ve really come to terms with my cycle, my period and have grown to appreciate each of the phases for what they have to offer. 

Instead of getting frustrated or upset about something that happens I’m more curious than anything. 

And I’m pretty sure I feel this way the last day or two of my cycle because all of the plummeting hormone levels as my body prepares for the start of a new cycle. 

I just feel myself slowing down, turning inwards and either wanting to be out in nature or curled up at home.

There’s no cause for feeling “low”, but it’s not necessarily a bad feeling. I just feel reflective and a bit day dreamy. 

I find it’s best to journal, you never know what’s going to bubble to the surface. Or to get out into nature, whether that’s for a walk, run, lounge in the hammock. Being outside is what I find helps best to soothe the sad aspect of it, and nourish the pensive side of this sensation. 

Because regardless of what it is that I’m feeling I figure it’s got to be happening for a reason. The worst thing you can do is ignore a feeling or an emotion. Even if it’s negative or unpleasant, something is making you feel that way. And I find that working through it, digging into whatever it is always is what’s best. 

No matter who you are or what you do in life you’re going to come up against subconscious resistance, “Stay where you know, stay where it’s comfortable and easy.” But the best stuff is just beyond your comfort zone. Isn’t that what they always say. 

I’m guilty of trying to numb myself to things that are uncomfortable: conversations, situations, you name it. But I’ve been working to force myself to recognize these things, to acknowledge them and then ask myself where it's coming from. 

Because when I dig into it I discover new things about myself. Or I’m able to push myself outside my comfort zone where really cool things happen. 

So while some might see this sensation of melancholy as a negative aspect of getting your period, I see it as a positive. I see it as just another way my cycle connects me to things and challenges me to keep reaching for more. 

Have you noticed any interesting nuances of your own cycle that have made you stop and think? 

Boosting Your Cervical Fluid Naturally

Once I got my luteal phase in order the next thing I set out to fix was my cervical fluid. 

Huh? 

For me, my menstrual cycle serves as a report card of sorts for my overall well-being. If something is off in my cycle, it usually means there’s something off somewhere else too. 

And I love to test out and see if natural solutions really do work. So, last month I set out to boost my cervical fluid with a few things I had read about. 

The first thing you need to do to improve your cervical fluid is to make sure you’re drinking enough water. This is obviously important for so many other reasons, countless benefits that I could go on and on about. But your cervical fluid is over 90% H2O. So, if you’re not keeping up with the water demand you’re going to see that play out in less cervical fluid.

So, each morning, and especially around your fertile phase try and drink at least one glass of water before starting in on your morning coffee. Because you naturally wake up a bit parched from not drinking any fluids while you’re asleep, and coffee can have a dehydrating effect. 

I also try to limit myself to a cup or two of coffee per day. Have your morning ritual of a warm cup of joe, but then switch to either water, herbal tea or something that’s a bit more hydrating, and less caffeinated for the rest of the day. 

I really liked the combination of water with lemon, and then adding a dash of your choice of honey or maple syrup to sweeten it up a bit.

The next thing I tried was taking 1500 mg of Evening Primrose Oil throughout the day (one capsule with breakfast or lunch, and then the other two with dinner).

[Please note that you should only take E.P.O. from the start of your period until ovulation. From there switch to Flax Seed Oil or something similar to get your omegas. The recommended dosage is 1500-3000 mg per day.]

Going back to hydration, something that I saw pop up, again and again, was drinking grapefruit juice during your fertile phase to boost cervical fluid. This one I was a bit skeptical about but thought what the heck, I like grapefruit. So, I bought myself a bulk bag of grapefruit and started juicing two a day on CD 10. First off, I was shocked with how delicious and fresh grapefruit juice is. I was expecting it to be bitter but loved that it tasted like the fruit minus the skin. 

I continued to eat or drink my grapefruit each day past the end of my fertile phase and I have definitely rekindled my love for them. 

There are many other suggestions out there, but I didn’t want to do so much I wasn’t sure what was doing what. But I can say that from the combination of more water, 1500 mg of Evening Primrose Oil and grapefruit juice there was a very noticeable change in the quality and amount of my cervical fluid this last cycle. 

I’m going to continue doing the same for this cycle, and I’ve also started training for the half so I’m curious to see how that affects things as well. (Exercise boosts circulation which in turn is supposed to boost cervical fluid.) 

I also think it’s worth mentioning that I had no noticeable PMS leading up to my period last cycle as well as no pre-menstrual spotting besides the tiniest amount just the day before I started my period. I had some cramps that called for a heating pad on the first day, but nothing by the second. I’ll take those side effects of Evening Primrose Oil any day!

Have you tried boosting your cervical fluid, or healing another part of your cycle naturally? What sort of results have you had? 

Your Period Is Not Evil

I’m just continually trying to do my part in breaking the taboo surrounding our periods and menstrual cycle. And today I want to talk about how our periods aren’t evil. 

Because I see all too often so much negativity surrounding our periods. 

When we’re younger, and first get our periods, there’s this sense of “this is unfair, boys don’t have to do this!”

When we get older they’re seen as an annoying inconvenience mixed with gratitude that they came. 

Then when women start trying to conceive their periods transform into something that is downright evil. 

Our poor periods can’t ever win with us. 

Our periods aren’t this thing separate from us, happening to us. They’re just a part of our reproductive system, just like breathing is a part of our respiratory system and our heart beating is part of our cardiovascular system. 

But at the same time if there’s something painfully wrong with your period, don’t feel like you just have to deal with it. It takes women so long to get diagnosed with hormonal issues like PCOS or Endometriosis. And most of the time doctors will try and put you on hormonal birth control to “balance your hormones”. Don’t even get me started with this BS “band-aid”, one size fits all solution. 

This idea that our periods and our fertility are all things that need to be controlled by some outside source is ridiculous. 

I’m guilty of these beliefs just like anyone else. 

I fell into the trap as a teenager thinking my period was this out of body thing that I needed to contain. I went on hormonal birth control to “make my periods easier”, but the pill didn’t improve them that much, and not enough to make up for all the negative side effects that being on the pill came with. 

By trying to control something, my period and later my fertility, I ended up doing more harm than good to my body, and mind. 

Don’t get me wrong I am forever grateful for the easy access I had to hormonal birth control at that age. But I’m also really bitter about everything I didn’t know at that age too. 

These days I hear about teenagers who use period tracking apps to actually know where they are in their cycle, something so simple now was always a guessing game for me growing up. I never knew you could track, let alone chart your cycle. 

I just wish I could share the knowledge I now have surrounding cycles and charting with every girl headed into getting her first period, every teenager and young adult annoyed with her period, trying to control her fertility, and every woman trying to get pregnant. 

That’s part of the reason the first course I created was Chart Your Cycle for everyone who is new to FAM and charting. It’s a place to learn the sympto-thermal method in an understandable and relatable way. Zero judgment, embarrassment, and very little confusion. And the confusion is where I come in to answer questions. 

Knowledge is power and learning about my cycle, my fertility and my body were one of the most incredible things I have done for myself. I wasn’t always this period or body positive. I used to groan when my period showed up, expected the guy I was dating to know what to “do” instead of telling him what I liked, and I mentally picked my body apart wishing I looked different than I did. 

You wouldn’t think there were so many positive effects from one small change, but it was a huge change in my little world, splitting it wide open, changing my direction in life and so much more. 

I truly believe I wouldn’t be who I am today without getting off the pill and learning about my body. It all stems from small shifts in our attitude and perception, and can start with something as simple as realizing that our periods are a part of us, not some evil witch out to ruin our lives. 

An Intuitive Menstrual Phase This Cycle

I’ve seen a number of people talking about intuitive eating, where you listen to your body and eat what you feel like, not forcing meals if you’re not hungry and just eating what you want. 

I’ll always be learning and evolving in this area of life, but I have made great progress over the past few years to just listening to my body. 

Who would have ever thought it would have been so difficult to just give your body what it needs? 

I’ve talked before about some different strengths and weaknesses we have in each phase of our cycle. And that’s the obvious first step, just recognizing the different phases and acknowledging that you have different needs in each. 

I feel like I’ve done a good job this past menstrual phase (period) of really slowing down, and going about my days differently. 

Normally, I love getting up early and getting going on my day of work pretty soon after. 

But last Monday was the start of a new cycle, and for whatever reason, it hit me fairly hard. 

I was exhausted, but not sleeping well, which just snowballs as you know. I was feeling zero motivation for work and frustrated for that lack of spark. 

I wanted to stay home and be alone but knew I would feel more inspiration if I went out and worked somewhere public. 

So, instead of pushing myself to conform to my normal schedule I decided to create a new one for that week. 

I let myself sleep in. I took my mornings slowly, making sure I was eating a breakfast, even if it was something small. 

The weather was nice so I made sure I was spending time outside, walking to the coffeeshop or library to work, going on walks in the afternoon, getting a bit of physical movement each day. Even if this meant cutting my work day short I knew that getting outside when it was warm, and moving was going to do for me mentally and physically then forcing myself to stay inside and work. 

Each morning after I made my way to where I was going to work for a bit, I wrote out a to-do list, and focused on the things I had to actually get done for the day. Then if I got those tasks completed, and didn’t feel like working for the rest of the day I didn’t. 

There was one day that I was feeling very reflective, thoughtful and curious. And I used that to focus on some research I needed to do instead of pushing myself to do other projects I wasn’t drawn to. This was a way for me to still be productive, but also to listen to what I needed that day. 

I always find that my menstrual phase is a great time to reflect on how things went last month, what goals I want to focus on coming up. And it’s always a great idea to come up with ideas for content, projects or things I want to do. 

I know I’m very lucky in that I have control over my work days, but there are ways you can support your needs regardless of your lifestyle. 

One thing that always helps me is to cut back on how social I am during my period. Instead, I choose to focus on myself, have a little pamper "me" time, and plan meet-ups for the following week when I’ll be wanting to connect with others. 

Sleep is always a big thing for me. And while we can’t all sleep in, we can usually tweak our bedtime a little. Whether this is to squeeze in 30 more minutes or sleep or an hour more. I promise this always has such a positive effect for me. And make sure the quality of sleep you’re getting is adequate. If you’re tossing and turning it doesn’t matter how much time you spend in bed. You’re not going to be well rested. 

For me this meant taking a homeopathic sleep aid a few nights, and giving myself to wind down with a little meditative music to fall asleep to. I’m very guilty of technology right up until bed time. But I always notice it’s negative effect more during my period. Give yourself an hour or so before bed to disconnect. Maybe this can be when you get ready for bed, take a bath, read a book, meditate, whatever fits into your schedule. 

And whenever I focus on taking care of myself during those few days of my period I ways find that I come out of it with so much energy, motivation and spunk for life and work. So, while I feel that frustration during my period of “why can’t I just focus and be productive?!” I always remind myself to give myself those few days and all of that will return soon enough. 

This month that meant that the first of my period was pretty rough and I didn’t get much done, the second day was a bit better, but by the third day I was back at it and super productive. I just have to back off for a few days and the results are so worth it for me.

What are ways in which you listen to your body? How do you nurture yourself? What are some of the things you’ve noticed since you’ve taken more of an intuitive approach? 

Different Types of Fertility Awareness Based Methods

I wanted to write this today because I think there is a big misconception when people hear about charting or Fertility Awareness. There’s this assumption that it all means the same thing, when in fact there are quite a few methods within the umbrella of FAM. 

Today I’m going to share 8 different methods, as shown in Taking Charge of Your Fertility, the fertility signs used within that method as well as the effectiveness. All of this will hopefully show you that there are a lot of options (good and bad) within Fertility Awareness based methods. And you can see why lumping all of these together as FAM will give you inaccurate results for “effectiveness”. 

Sympto-Thermal Method (STM) FAM/NFP

Fertility Signs Used: Cervical fluid and waking temperature (option to chart cervical position as well). 

Effectiveness: This is considered the most comprehensive and reliable method because the two signs must corroborate each other before you’re considered safe (it’s the method taught in TCOYF and what I teach in Chart Your Cycle). It’s on par with the effectiveness of the Pill.

A method where two of three signs are observed, in addition to optional secondary signs.

BBT Method (Basal Body Temperature)

Fertility Signs Used: Waking Temperature

Effectiveness: very effective but only after ovulation

The days before ovulation aren’t safe for unprotected sex because the rise in temp only indicates you’re safe after ovulation. But it is an option for those that can’t rely on their cervical fluid patterns. 

Justisse Method

Fertility Signs Used: Cervical fluid (option of waking temp or cervical position)

Effectiveness: just like with Creighton and Billings (below) it’s effective because it uses fluid, but unlike those other two you have the option to chart your waking temp and cervical position which can make it as effective as the sympto-thermal method.

It’s similar to Creighton model since it uses almost the same descriptions of fluid. It also provides holistic health-care support to women having different types of hormonal problems. 

Creighton Model System (CrMS)

Fertility Signs Used: Cervical fluid

Effectiveness: quite effective like Billings because cervical fluid is most important sign to observe when charting to avoid pregnancy, but you don’t get temp shift to confirm ovulation. 

It’s also called fertility care system. It’s similar to billings but uses extremely precise and standardized description of fluid.

Billings Ovulation Method

Fertility Signs Used: Cervical fluid

Effectiveness: quite effective because fluid is most important sign to check when avoiding pregnancy naturally, but you don’t have the added benefit of a temp shift to confirm ovulation so it’s not as effective as STM.

The classic and first method in which only fluid is observed.

Two-Day Method

Fertility Signs Used: Cervical fluid

Effectiveness: You don’t have the benefit of temp shift to confirm ovulation since rules aren’t as strict as other methods that observe fluid it may not be as effective

It’s a simplified version of Billings Ovulation Method. It asks whether you observed a secretion the day before or that day. If it’s yes to either you’re considered fertile. It doesn’t differentiate between types of fluid so it’s easy to apply. 

Cycle Beads

Fertility Signs Used: None

Effectiveness: same as Standard Days Method (below)

Cycle beads are simple braclet of beads that can be used with the Standard Days Method. But it’s easy to get confused with what day you're on because there are no dates on the beads. Because of this, an actual calendar would be more effective to use with Standard Days. 

Standard Days Method

Fertility Signs Used: None

Effectiveness: It can be effective for those with consistent cycle lengths, but like the Rhythm Method (below) it doesn’t involve charting fertility signs day to day so it doesn’t account for an abnormal ovulation. It’s only recommended for women who are spacing their kids or would be OK with surprise pregnancy. 

It’s similar to the rhythm method and couples avoid unprotected sex during presumed fertile phases of days 8-19 if she has consistent cycles between 26-32 days.

Rhythm Method

Fertility Signs Used: None

Effectiveness: It’s unreliable because it doesn’t involve observing any fertility signs day to day, so it doesn’t take into account an abnormal ovulation. 

It’s an out of date method that uses past cycle lengths to predict future fertile phases. Not recommended. 

I hope you can see from this that there is an array of options for charting. And that methods like the Rhythm Method is very different from the Sympto-Thermal Method. 

What’s your preferred method? 

How Charting Can Help You Know You're Pregnant

I absolutely love that FAM can be used for a number of things including natural birth control, learning more about your body, and to get pregnant. Today, I thought it would be interesting for me to share a few of the ways in someone who charts may know they’re pregnant sooner than someone who doesn’t. 

The first obvious one for me is that if you chart then you know the average length of your cycle and you know the different lengths it’s fluctuated between.

Now, there are plenty of women who don’t chart that probably know around when to expect their next period, but there are also a countless number who couldn’t answer the questions of how long an average cycle was or when their last period was (that was 100%  me before I started charting). 

And knowing when you should be starting a new cycle can let you know when to test for a possible pregnancy. And since you’re charting waking temperatures you can see the drop in temperature at the start of a new cycle. 

Moving on, you know when you ovulate, and whether you ovulated that cycle. Because obviously if you’re not ovulating you’re not going to get pregnant. You also know if you ovulated earlier or later than normal. 

Going along with that you know how long your luteal phase is (average is 14 days, but anywhere between 10 and 16 days is normal). Once you get past, or even close to that 16 day of your LP you know you can test. The luteal phase is rarely longer than 16 days unless the woman is pregnant. 

Because you’re charting your cervical fluid you know if you had sex on a fertile day that could result in a possible pregnancy. 

And finally, you know what’s normal for you, symptom wise leading up to your menstrual phase. And while a lot of pre-menstrual symptoms are quite similar to pregnancy symptoms, women who chart can have a better knowledge of what is normal because they can chart data beyond temperature and fluid. 

Now, I’ve never been pregnant so I can’t say any of this with experience, but these are the ways in which I could see charting coming in handy when it comes to knowing what’s normal for you and when to test. And it makes me curious for when the time does come for me (hopefully) how soon will I be able to tell?

And this doesn't even include all of the amazing ways charting can help you conceive a baby (or avoid it). 

If you’ve been pregnant, at what point did you know? Did you chart/practice FAM and did that play a role in you finding out sooner? 

Light + Our Menstrual Cycles

Recently I keep seeing passages in books and paragraphs on blogs about the effect of light on our cycles and fertility. It has really intrigued me so I wanted to dig into that a bit more and share some of what I've found today.

In her book “Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom” Christiane Northrup shares:

“Living in artificial light without going outside into the natural sunlight regularly can have adverse consequences on fertility, because light itself in a nutrient. Far too many people are not only stressed at work, they don’t get outside much. When I was trying to conceive my first child, my basal body temperature rose very slowly at ovulation.”

“The ovary produces progesterone at ovulation, which in turn produces this rise in body temperature."

“I decided to walk outside in the sunlight without glasses or contact lenses for twenty minutes each day. Natural light has to hit the retina in the eye directly. We shouldn’t look at the sun directly, but we must be out in the daytime. Within one menstrual cycle, my basal body temperature rose very sharply at ovulation — a big improvement in the pattern. I got pregnant within two cycles of doing this, having tried for five months before."

There seems to be a correlation between the amount of melatonin and what signals our body is sending and receiving. We need to be getting an adequate amount of natural light during the day, and blocking out the artificial light at night. 

When light hits our eyes, this tells the pineal gland (in our brain) to decrease production of melatonin. And the opposite happens when it’s dark, a.k.a. melatonin  increases. 

Research shows that in some women, melatonin may affect our cycle regularity and our overall fertility. 

It looks like some women might have too little melatonin, and when melatonin is too low, estrogen rises. And some women have found success in blocking out all types of light while they sleep, which has, in turn, increases melatonin and progesterone levels. 

In the book “Fertility Cycles and Nutrition”, Joy DeFelice "has found that eliminating light from the sleeping area can improve cycle irregularity and infertility. Women who have carefully reduced night lighting in their bedrooms have experienced improvements in their cycle lengths, their bleeding patterns, their mucus patterns, and their temperature patterns, including longer, more normal luteal phases.   Such changes generally occur within three menstrual cycles of reduced night lighting. Pregnancy among couples previously experiencing infertility has been achieved following elimination of night lighting, and early miscarriage rates have been reduced by eliminating night lighting while sleeping."

Another interesting note is that it looks like caffeine reduces melatonin, and that paired with night lighting greatly decreases melatonin. 

I haven’t figured out a way to black out the window in my bedroom (it’s pretty big). I have cut out caffeine this month, and there's been a drastic change in how well I have been sleeping.

It had become just a normal thing for me to wake 3-4 times a night to go to the bathroom, and at the end of November when I had a cold I was only getting a few hours of sleep a night. 

Just for that reason alone, the break from caffeine has been worth it because since cutting the caffeine I've been sleeping through the night. 

I’m curious to hear if anyone has tried blocking out artificial lights at night, and if they’ve noticed any change in their cycle (or sleep quality). I’ve started another round of Vitex this cycle so it wouldn’t be a variable free time to guinea pig myself with cutting out the light. But I want to give it a go in the future, even if it's just for an even better night of sleep. 

If you’re ready to learn more about your cycle, what’s going on in your different phases, with your fluid and temperature patterns, not to mention find an effective form on natural birth control, you have a few days left to sign up for my Chart Your Cycle course. Come join in and learn all about the sympto-thermal method!