1 in every 6 couples in Australia has difficulty in getting pregnant. A healthy young woman can conceive on only a few days in each cycle. Even if a couple have intercourse during their fertile time, the chance of pregnancy is only 1 in 5. In other words, it is not unusual for a healthy young couple to take 6 months to conceive.
Obviously, should a couple’s health be compromised, particularly their procreative health through contraception or abortion, then it can often take longer not only to conceive but also to sustain a pregnancy. Fertility awareness can help a couple become pregnant by enabling them to recognise their signs of fertility and to make love when they are at their most fertile.
The menstrual cycle is influenced by the female sex hormones: oestrogen and progesterone. These cause physiological changes in a woman’s body, which can be monitored using these clinical indicators:
Couples take charge of their own personal fertility by observing, recording and interpreting the cyclical changes based on the above. Conception is more likely if they make love when the indicators reveal that they are at their most fertile.
If a couple do not achieve a pregnancy and wish to pursue medical investigations, their charts reveal valuable and time-saving information:
This information enables doctors to prescribe an appropriate treatment more quickly than if the couple had not used the Symptothermal method. With their personal fertility knowledge, a couple also has a clearer understanding about what a proposed treatment could mean, and so they can truly make informed decisions.