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Is Fertility Awareness Right For You?
I have seen many women come into my office who experience uncomfortable side effects from using the Pill, as well as women who have had terrible side effects when coming off of hormones like Depo Provera. I have also seen women with symptoms that are often associated with hormonal imbalances like acne, moodiness, PMS, and even difficulty losing weight. Most women are in the dark about how their symptoms may be associated with their hormone levels, let alone the knowledge of what they can do about it. In the last few years I have begun to learn about something called the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). I have found it to be a very effective tool for women to become more aware and knowledgeable about their body. In fact, I would myself consider it an essential piece of information for all women who are in their fertile years. The cherry on top is that it can be used as a natural method of birth control as well as help you in your efforts to achieve pregnancy. Not the Rhythm Method Just so we're clear, we are not talking about the rhythm method. FAM is a system a woman can use to begin understanding and interpreting her body's signals throughout her menstrual cycle. Through checking your temperature, cervical fluid, and cervical position daily (it's not as difficult as you might think), you can learn to determine when you are fertile and when you are not, completely naturally. You can interpret the rise and fall of your various hormonal levels, and even discover changes that occur when something is wrong. Detect Problems That Could Go Unnoticed I believe all women should be empowered by this information about their own body. You do not have to have a medical degree to comprehend or appreciate this very important natural process that occurs every month. Using FAM can alert you to problems that may need medical attention like thyroid disease or PCOS. You can also discover if you are not ovulating and seek treatment to correct it. These are all common problems that you may not notice as quickly had you not been using FAM. Discover Your Body Knowledge is power. And what better knowledge could you have than that of your own body? It is very empowering to understand how your own estrogen and progesterone levels affect you at different times of the month and to be able to prepare yourself for the symptoms. It is also empowering to be able to partner with your doctor in discovering and resolving problems that are related to your hormonal cycles. How Effective Is It? You may be wondering just how effective a natural birth control method can be. Just like the pill, FAM has a perfect" use and typical" use effectiveness rate. Its perfect use rate is between 97-99%, which means that if 100 couples use the method perfectly for 1 year, 1-3 will experience an unplanned pregnancy (more detailed info at www.fertaware.com). The other great news about FAM is that it allows for times of spontaneity ... no condoms, no diaphragm, and no spermicide (except when fertile of course!). Get Started! So what now? How do you get started? I would love to go into more detail, but this newsletter would turn into a book, so I am going to direct you to the best person I know here in the city who can teach you about FAM. Her name is Ilene Richman and you can find her and more info on FAM at her website www.fertaware.com Ilene holds classes at the BEAUTIFUL Center For Health and Healing here in the city. In just 4 two-hour workshops (you also get a private follow-up session) you will have the tools you need to begin. Call her to sign up. 212-475-4490 Want even more info? Here are some websites to check out: www.gardenoffertility.com Book: Garden Of Fertility Please let Ilene know how you found out about her! xoxo |
Though Melissa King has taken great care in the books, products, and practitioners she recommends, Melissa King and myheartdances do not take any responsibility for the advice, information or practices performed or provided by any of the recommended practitioners or products.