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fertilitycharting

I’m currently supposed to be on a social media b

I’m currently supposed to be on a social media break 😅 but I woke up to a text this morning from my vulva diversity champion friend Ellie @comfortableinmyskin_ to say that she’d shared a meme about cervical mucus and people were super curious and wanted more info! So, here goes:

💦Cervical mucus is a marker of fertility and is something that we track with the Symptothermal Method. The information can be used to achieve pregnancy, or avoid pregnancy (specific rules must be followed if wanting to prevent pregnancy).

💦Cervical mucus is a hydrogel produced in the cervix (maybe you're more familiar with the more generic term 'vaginal discharge'). The cervix is the bottom 1/3 of our uterus and it opens into the vagina.

💦Cervical mucus is designed to assist or impede sperm at different times of the menstrual cycle. This means that cervical mucus changes in sensation, colour, amount and texture throughout the menstrual cycle.

💦In the week (or weeks) leading up to ovulation, the water content of cervical mucus increases. Usually there are some dry days after your period ends, then sticky cervical mucus may appear. Eventually, the water content increases so that the mucus is creamy or milky. Eventually, the water content is so high that cervical mucus appears like runny, slippery raw eggwhites. Some people don't experience this, and simply feel a slippery sensation at the vaginal opening.

💦With an increasing water content, the gaps between each mucus molecule grow large enough so that sperm can swim through toward the uterus. Plus, cervical mucus is alkaline, and protects sperm from the acidic environment of the vagina, where they would otherwise die within minutes to hours. Cervical mucus also has a high fructose (sugar) content, which provides sperm with energy on their long journey. In high quality cervical mucus, sperm can survive up to 5-7 days (although the average is closer to around 3 days).

~Continued in comments~

This is how good it felt running in the opposite d

This is how good it felt running in the opposite direction to hormonal birth control and diving into the world of Fertility Awareness Based Methods (FABMs) 😆

In all seriousness though, nothing beats true body literacy. Learning how to monitor my cervical mucus and basal body temperature with the Symptothermal Method means I am completely self-sufficient when it comes to contraception. I don’t need to rely on a prescription from my GP if I want to prevent a pregnancy! In fact, when learned with a certified instructor of a Symptothermal Double-Check Method, perfect use is estimated at 99.6% effective - not bad for a natural method eh? 😜 Conversely, I have full visibility over my fertile days so that I know exactly how to maximise my chances of conception every cycle, too! This is the true versatility of the Symptothermal Method: it grows with you throughout your different life stages and can help you to achieve many different reproductive goals (avoid pregnancy / achieve pregnancy / monitor your hormonal health).

All that said, this is a reminder that every six months, I take 4 weeks off social media (because we all know that social media can be very all-consuming). That time is fast approaching, so if you want to stay in touch, please add your name to the email list (I will put a swipe up in my stories, otherwise you can find the sign up form if you scroll to the bottom of my website, too).

Side note: how good is Australia summer?! 😍💙💚💛

I have had so many beautiful customer reviews comi

I have had so many beautiful customer reviews coming in lately that I am just itching to share! Thanks to course participant Katie for the one you see above 💛⁣
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The Chart To Conceive online self-paced course is: ⁣
⁣
🌿Demystifying cervical mucus observations⁣
🌿Providing confidence with BBT charting⁣
🌿Helping people to maximise their chances of conception each cycle⁣
🌿Letting people take a break from trying on infertile days⁣
🌿Reducing the stress and uncertainty of not knowing whether ovulation is occurring⁣
🌿Allowing people to take the wheel of their own TTC journey ⁣
⁣
Most of all, it is empowering people with knowledge. Knowledge that guides them to make decisions that are always in their best interests.⁣
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If you're curious and want to know more, head to the link in bio to read all about the Chart To Conceive online self-paced course. Work through 8 modules in the comfort of your own home: ⁣
⁣
🌻How to OPTIMISE odds of conception using your chart⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
🌻The preconception care timeline⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
🌻The journey sperm take to the egg⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
🌻Fertilisation and implantation⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
🌻Identifying a pregnancy on a chart⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
🌻Debunking common pregnancy chart myths⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
🌻Official guidelines to time sex to conceive⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
🌻App predictions and TTC charts⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
🌻Sex frequency (is there such a thing as too much?)⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
🌻Avoiding harmful personal lubricants⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
🌻When and how to take a home pregnancy test⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
🌻How to use charts to calculated an estimated due date⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
🌻How to test for your LH surge plus pros and cons⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
🌻And so much more!⁠⠀⁣⁣⁣
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Body literacy is a skill that we CAN learn with the right support!

I've been seeing some horrific TikTok's lately (th

I've been seeing some horrific TikTok's lately (thanks to the people who forward them to me!), of people shaming their friends/partners/wives for the bleached gusset in their underwear.⁣
⁣
I'm going to do my best to avoid a rant on why shaming other people for their bodily functions is harmful, and a symptom of a deeply uneducated and misogynistic society where women's reproductive body parts are only valued for their sexual availability, and INSTEAD focus on some education!! Scroll on if you're interested!⁣
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🗣Bleached underwear can be a variation of normal!🗣⁣
⁣
For the majority of your menstrual cycle, your vaginal pH sits at a healthy level of between 3.8 - 4.5. pH levels reflect how acidic or alkaline something is. The scale runs from 0 – 14. The lower the number, the more acidic. The higher the number, the more alkaline. Number 7 on the scale is considered neutral.⁣
⁣
During menstruation, the pH level of our vagina rises slightly as blood has a higher pH level than the vaginal environment. Cervical mucus around the time of ovulation also has a higher pH. This makes the vagina less acidic. The vagina is also rendered less acidic when in contact with semen (which has a pH of around 7.2 – 7.8). ⁣
⁣
Our vaginas are usually colonised by various lactobacillus bacteria species. These bacteria help to keep our vaginas healthy and protected from unwanted infections, by producing substances such as lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide. ⁣
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Hydrogen peroxide is commonly used as a bleach (and even a hair lightener!) because of its ability to break up the chemical bonds that cause colour to be visible to the eye.⁣
⁣
Therefore, it is no surprise that a healthy vagina can cause some bleaching of our underwear. Our lactobacillus bacteria species are busy producing hydrogen peroxide and keeping our vagina at a healthy pH to ward off things like yeast infections and vaginal dysbiosis.⁣
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And finally: I am not an expert on the topic of the vaginal microbiome! This post is based on my own basic level research and may contain inaccuracies. For more in-depth, accurate information on the vaginal microbiome please check out Moira at @intimateecology 👏

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