Billings Method... Q's

[~amysarah~]

Ok so DH and I have agreed to use the Billings Method combined with a diaphram following my surgery next month. I have heaps of questions!!

Where is the best place to find a chart?

When do I start charting?

What do I record? (i.e. temp, CM etc)

How do I know when I am ovulating?

Do I have to temp?

There is a clinic where I live that teaches the Billing Method. Has anyone been to one of these seminars? Is it worth DH and I going?

[~amysarah~]

BUMPITY BUMP!! Come on ladies... there has to be someone out there who uses this method!

[DoubleDee268]

Hi Amy....

I have a book on this method I can lend you if you like....

My MIL used it .... and had 4 kids ...lol so I am not game but I am more than happy to shoot the book your way

[~amysarah~]

Thanks for the offer Dee... I should probably just buy a book because I have a habit of scrawling notes on things like this!

What is the name/author of the book?

[DoubleDee268]

I'll have a look when I get home tonight and PM you.

Honestly though you are more than welcome to have it.
It was given to me as a not so subtle hint ...LOL and it's not a method I will use personally so at the moment it's just taking up space in my book shelf

[Purplemamma]

I have used this method for years, it works great, just look at my sig!!!!



But seriously I do use it, and it has worked very well so far. All the bubbas were planned.

I have never tempe'd, just gone by cycle and CM. I also get a noticalbe ovary cramp at O time too, which helps... I have found I have a very regular cycle and can almost predict AF and O to the hour!!

So I guess that made it easy in my case.

I think a class to learn how is a great idea, it can be tricky to start out....

[Kitt3n]

Ok - I am not a specialist, but I will try :

Where is the best place to find a chart? try googling fertility friend - alternatively, Alan made a spreadsheet a while ago, I have it on my home pc and i will send it to you

When do I start charting? as soon as you like - even just to get into the rhythym of doing it

What do I record? (i.e. temp, CM etc) temp - cm - and cervical position

How do I know when I am ovulating? Your temp will dip slighlty - i suggest you do some googling on this very important part - but if you get fertility friend it will give you a graph and will show you when you are fertile

Do I have to temp? yep! before you gt out of bed each morning.

There is a clinic where I live that teaches the Billing Method. Has anyone been to one of these seminars? Is it worth DH and I going? sounds good to me!

[~amysarah~]

Hehe.. please excuse poor little naive Amy... but ummm... how to I check my cervical position???

Would love a copy of that chart Kitt3n. I'll PM you tonight.

I'm guessing it will take a while to work out my cycle once I go off the pill... we will be using a diaphram as well so how will I know when is safe/unsafe in those first few months? I smell an oopsie baby heading our way LOL

Thanks Dee - I'll let you know if I need it or not. This seminar is probably going to have heaps of info.

[Snacks]

Get a book called Natural Fertility by Francesca Naish. It's good, comprehensive stuff. She also talks about lunar cycles which can make a difference for some people.
I think taking a class would be very useful.
Personally, I find CM is the best indicator of O time, but of course this is different for everyone. If yours is cooperative (lol!) you'll find that it gets creamier closer to O time, then becomes like the consistency of egg white at O - hence the term EWCM.
If you like, go to the Fertility Friend website (like Kitten suggested) - they have charting tutorials as well. They give you 1 month free to try it out then I think it is relatively inexpensive to use. (Though I just made up my own charts based on one that came with my basal thermometer when I bought it. I just made the chart on the puter and added the bits I liked.)
Good luck!

ETA: I would suggest using alternative contraception all the time for the first few cycles. Just til you get the hang of it and so that you're more relaxed! (Also, you'll no doubt need the practice using the diaphragm at first too, LOL!)

[~amysarah~]

I bought a Basel Thermometer today while at the chemist. I haven't opened it yet but it said that it comes with charts. I'll have a look at that website and check out the tutorial.

[Karina]

I used to use fertility friend also. I found it pretty easy to use. I just had to remember to update every day though.. sometimes I'd forget and end up with a big gap in my chart.

[~amysarah~]

So can someone explain this whole cervical postion to me?

I didn't know it changed!

[rufalina]

The cp take a while to get used to... But with me, I just checked it out, every day, at the same time of day, and over the course of a month you can track the movement and texture changes that happen with it. It is not a huge noticable change, but it is obvious when you are regularly checking it. Some people do it in the shower...

Definately check out the FF website, and there is a great charting course you can do and great info on the fertility signs. Here is a link for a FAQ to get you started ... FF FAQ on fertility signs... . I found that course there really helped when I was learning it all. And the chats online give you a good place to record it all, and there are some great tools in there for charting, like chart comparisons and predictions...

Good luck and happy charting!

ETA - You don't really need to check CP, as it is a secondary fertility sign, so you don't tend to use it alone to determine fertility, but combined with the other signs it can give a clearer picture...

[Snacks]

Sorry, I can't help with that one, Amy. I've never been able to find my cervix

[NicoleTracy]

Hey AmySarah,

I also recommend the fertility friend charting course - it's free and will give you a good understanding of your fertile signs. Natural Fertility by Francesca Naish is great (as mentioned by Snacks and The Billings Method by Dr Evelyn Billings is also a great resource (with interesting pics of fertile mucous). You can often pick up these books at secondhand stores or on ebay.

The most simple and accurate way to determine fertile times is through cervical mucous, backed up with recording your basal body temp. Once you've done some reading or the charting course, you'll be aware of your fertility forever

All the best - the Billings Method is around 97% effective when used properly!

xxx

[~amysarah~]

DH and I did the FF tutorial last night and he thinks it's great! He asked a million questions... the funniest being "Is cervical mucous the kind of mucous that you have when you get a cold?" Then he went into a fit of laughter calling it "cervical snot" EWWWWW. I have a feral husband

But it's looking good and he's on board and I asked him to be heavily involved in my charting so we are BOTH responsible for birth control (thanks for the tip Kitt3n).

Still not sure about the cervical positioning thing... I guess it takes practice?

[sangie]

Amy I never bothered with my cervical position - I wouldn't have a clue lol!

I started out charting using temp and cm for a few cycles. Now I don't even need to bother with a chart and I don't temp either - cm is a good indication for me. But everyone is different so you will just need to try it and see how you go. Might be a good idea to use some other form of contraception while you are learning!

If you have a clinic nearby then definitely take advantage of that! Good luck!

[Kitt3n]

Originally Posted by amysarah85

"Is cervical mucous the kind of mucous that you have when you get a cold?" Then he went into a fit of laughter calling it "cervical snot" EWWWWW. I have a feral husband

Oh that tops it. I know we have a "funny things kids say and do" thread - I think this statement should be the first on a "funy things men say and do" thread!!!!!!!!!