The fertility knowledge gap is real.
And it affects an overwhelming majority of people.
In 2007 the National Opinion Polls group in the UK reported that over 50% of women did not know when the most fertile time is during the menstrual cycle.
In Australia, a 2015 survey of women attending general practices found that 86% of respondents had no knowledge/poor knowledge of the most fertile time of the menstrual cycle.
This library exists to close the knowledge gap and provide a trusted platform of empowering information. Make sure you add your name to the mailing list (at bottom of page) to receive regular blog posts about the menstrual cycle, your fertility and natural contraception options.
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What Exactly Is A “G-Spot”?
Have you ever heard of the “G-Spot” and wondered what it is? Some people report experiencing orgasm and/or ejaculation and/or sexual pleasure from internal stimulation of a specific area on the front wall of the vagina, about 5-8cm inside. This area was coined the “G spot” after German gynecologist Ernst Gräfenberg who investigated the role…
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How Natural Ovulation May Boost Male Testosterone Levels
Is Your Ovulation Boosting Your Man’s Testosterone Levels? I was speaking with a client from New Zealand last week, and we got on to the most fascinating topic (which then led me down a bit of a PubMed rabbit hole). The question that came up was: “do men initiate sex more frequently when we’re ovulating?”…
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INFO HUB: Skin Wearables for Temperature Tracking
This month, I’ve decided to do a deep-dive into wearable skin temperature trackers. It’s my hope that this Info Hub will be a helpful, comprehensive resource for you to browse through should you be interested in purchasing a wearable skin temperature tracker for Fertility Awareness Based Method (FABM) charting. Without fail, one of the most…
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FABM Charting for Teens
Without fail, one of the most common laments I hear is “I wish I had known about the Symptothermal Method at a much younger age – I can’t believe I only learned how my body worked in my 20s/30s/40s”. Oftentimes, the natural next iteration of this thought process is “I can’t wait to teach my…
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FABMs in the Postpartum: Latest Systematic Review
Disclaimer: I am writing this article from the depths of postpartum sleep deprivation. Please also keep in mind that I am not qualified or trained to interpret contraceptive effectiveness estimate research papers so I encourage you to read the latest systematic review for yourself to form your own opinions about FABM charting in the postpartum…
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Trying For A Baby? Why You Should Chart Your Cycles
When I first tell people that I teach clients how to chart their menstrual cycles to conceive, the initial reaction is often “Is that really necessary? Don’t people just have sex and fall pregnant and it’s as easy as that?” Unfortunately, this is a symptom of a health education system which drums into us from…
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Can the Moon Cause Random Ovulation?
Not a month goes by where I don’t get a question or a comment along the lines of “I’ve heard that you can spontaneously ovulate when the moon is in the same phase as it was when you were born… is that true?” As it seems there are a lot of people wondering the same…
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Take The Period Quiz: What’s Your Period IQ?
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Your Menstrual Cycle Is More Than Just A Bleed
Recently, The Guardian released an article titled “Women Don’t Need To Bleed: Why Many Women Are Giving Up On Periods”. Many professionals within the Fertility Awareness-Based Method (FABM) community were concerned at how harmful the article was, and I want to delve into exactly how so! The above video is my response to The Guardian’s…
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Meet the FABM: Rebecca McEvoy
“My cycle would be one of the first indicators that it was time to slow down and engage in some serious self care”. It’s estimated that 3% of sexually active women in the United States use a Fertility Awareness-Based Method to avoid pregnancy – that’s over 1.1 million women! Unfortunately, the majority are using the outdated and…
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On A Budget: How To Chart With $20
There are already enough barriers out there that stand in the way of learning about our menstrual cycles – and I don’t think the cost of Fertility Awareness-Based Method (FABM) instruction should be one of them! Unfortunately though, because FABM instruction is not covered by Medicare or private health insurance here in Australia, it remains…
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Meet the FABM: Lee-Anne Milne
“I always knew it existed as far back as I can remember because my Mum practiced Fertility Awareness when she was trying to conceive for the second time.” It’s estimated that 3% of sexually active women in the United States use a Fertility Awareness-Based Method to avoid pregnancy – that’s over 1.1 million women! Unfortunately,…
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Cosmopolitan Magazine: Bias Against Fertility Awareness Continues
Yesterday, Cosmopolitan published an article titled ‘Do You Know Enough About Your Body To Use Fertility Tracking Apps?’ Unfortunately, the article was packed full of misinformation and displayed an astounding lack of understanding about how Fertility Awareness-Based Methods (and our bodies) actually work. Luckily for me, I see these types of articles so frequently that…
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Daysy Study Retracted From The Scientific Literature
I would like to preface this article by saying that there is no need to panic if you are a current Daysy user. Instead, this would be a good time to do a little research and re-evaluate whether you are still happy to continue using the device based on how seriously you are wanting to…
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Postpartum Fertility: I Just Had A Baby, Now What?
UPDATE July 2022: Before deciding to rely on a Fertility Awareness-Based Method (FABM) during the postpartum, it’s important to note that a 2022 systematic review found that “the current evidence base [for the effectiveness of fertility awareness-based methods for preventing pregnancy during postpartum amenorrhea and the transition to normal menses] is very limited and of…
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An Open Letter In Response To The ABC’s Editorial On Fertility Awareness-Based Methods
Today, ABC Life published a journalism piece titled “Before You Try Fertility Awareness Methods For Contraception, Here’s What Doctors Want You To Know” which quoted statements from doctors Melissa Kang, Amanda Newman and Black along with editorial by Grace Jennings-Edquist. You can read it here. The piece concerned me on multiple levels and I felt…
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Recommended Basal Thermometers
When using the Symptothermal Method of Fertility Awareness, a basal body temperature (BBT) thermometer is required. A BBT thermometer is a highly sensitive thermometer that measures accurately to two decimal places. This is important because the changes that you are looking to identify while charting can be as small as 0.2°C. Your basal body temperature…
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5 Reasons I Don’t Use Daysy or Natural Cycles
Daysy and Natural Cycles are right for some people, but they are not right for all people. To know whether these products are the right choice, customers really need to have been provided with adequate information through the education and healthcare systems as to how their fertility actually functions. Unfortunately, fertility awareness is barely covered…
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Meet The FABM: Aisha Mukooza
“Many women would choose a natural option of birth control if they knew there was such a thing” This week I was lucky enough to catch up with Aisha Mukooza, the co-founder of a 20,000-strong Facebook group called ‘Fertility Awareness Method of Birth Control‘. This Facebook group has played a key role in the education…
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The Myth of Multiple Ovulation
“Can you spontaneously ovulate at different times throughout the menstrual cycle?” It is a common question and the answer is thankfully no. Our reproductive system actively stops us from ovulating on multiple occasions within a single menstrual cycle. Ovulation is an event that occurs when a mature ovum bursts out of the follicle that houses it…
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Can Period Sex Result In Pregnancy?
It’s the age-old question that just won’t go away. From middle-aged mothers to experimenting teens, confusion reigns supreme when it comes to period sex and whether it carries a risk of pregnancy. The short answer is a resounding YES: You can become pregnant after engaging in sexual intercourse while menstruating. If you’re curious like me,…
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Meet the FABM: Georgie Breen
“I think a lot of people are afraid that it would ruin their sex lives” This week I caught up with Georgie Breen to hear about how she discovered the Symptothermal Method. We chat about the challenges of finding an educator in Australia, the reactions from friends and family when they heard what method she…
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Meet the FABM: Liza Patterson Blake
“I was diagnosed with PCOS, hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s after 9 months of charting” This week I chat with Liza Patterson Blake on how the Symptothermal Method played a role in getting a diagnosis of PCOS, hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s. Liza also shares how having a doctor as her father actually encouraged her to think critically about…
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Vaginal Discharge: What Is It And Why Do You Experience It?
First things first… let’s get clear on the term vaginal discharge! Vaginal discharge tends to imply that we have some kind of infection or pathological issue. In reality, the term ‘vaginal discharge’ refers to ALL types of fluid that are discharged from the vaginal canal. This can include: skin cells that slough away from the vaginal wall,…
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Benefits Of Using A Fertility Awareness Based Method
Discover the eight key benefits to the simple act of charting your menstrual cycle. Anyone who has been using a Fertility Awareness Based Method for long enough, knows that the simple practise of charting your menstrual cycle delivers boundless benefits when it comes to your health, your relationship and your lifestyle. Fertility Awareness Based Methods…
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Natural Cycles’ FDA Approval: What’s The Big Deal?
You may have heard that Natural Cycles was given the green light by the FDA last week to market itself as an official contraceptive. Natural Cycles predicts when a user can/cannot become pregnant based on that user inputting their daily basal body temperature reading. Understandably, the internet has been abuzz with proponents and sceptics alike debating…
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New Research Released On The Effectiveness Of Fertility Awareness-Based Methods
This week has been quite a momentous one in the world of Fertility Awareness Based Methods (FABM’s), with the release of a large systematic review that comprehensively critiques the quality of a huge number of FABM studies. This is significant considering the fact that reliably high efficacy rates are often the main drawcard for women…
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Natural Birth Control? Your Questions Answered
When I mention to friends, family and colleagues that I use the Symptothermal Method of Fertility Awareness as contraception (and have done so successfully for a number of years now), I typically get a blank stare, followed by a *lot* of questions! These questions normally follow a pretty predictable pattern. However, I realised that for…
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Natural Contraception: Why I Haven’t Used Birth Control In Over A Year
Ok, that’s technically not true, but hopefully the headline caught your attention. I have in fact been using birth control, but it’s a form of birth control that you may not be familiar with. I hope this article changes that, and is useful for at least one person who reads it! As of November 2016,…
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Should You Trust Fitbit’s New ‘Female Health Tracking’ Predictions?
Fitbit (the popular wearable technology company that allows users to track metrics such as activity, exercise, sleep, weight and more), has finally released their long awaited ‘Female Health Tracking’ feature this week. (And if you weren’t aware of this, well I don’t blame you for living under a rock – things are probably nice and…
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Women Share Why They’ve Turned Their Backs On Hormonal Contraception
This article originally appeared on mamamia.com.au Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. For more information, please read the Advertising & Affiliates Policy here. It’s been a year and a half now…
