Good morning!! If you missed my post yesterday about the basics of a woman’s fertility cycle, check it out here.
Today we are going to talk about mucus-only methods of NFP. This is going to be a general overview and SHOULD NOT substitute for taking a class with a certified instructor or taking a home study course.
**TMI WARNING** This post will contain images of Cervical Mucus. If you haven’t had breakfast or are easily queasy while looking at body fluids… you have been warned.
Generally speaking, there are two mucus-only methods of NFP: Billings Ovulation Method (BOM) and the Creighton Model Fertility Care System (CrMS.)
History
In 1953, Dr. John Billings independently discovered a connection between cervical mucus and fertility. Dr. Billings instructed couples using the rhythm method to avoid intercourse on all days, and for a few days after, they noticed vaginal discharge. This advice lead to a decrease in unintended pregnancies among the couples.
In 1976, Dr. Thomas Hilgers began research into what is now known as the Creighton Model Fertility Care System. Dr. Hilgers describes CrMS as a “standardized modification of BOM,” however the Billings have refuted this and have maintained that the two are different methods and should not be seen as interchangeable.
Mucus Observations
At the heart of each method are mucus observations. As we talked about yesterday, as a hormones change in the woman’s body, it causes a change in her cervical mucus. It is in observing and charting these changes that non-fertile and fertile periods can be determined.
Non-fertile days (low likelihood of pregnancy) are generally characterized by the absence of cervical mucus (DRY DAYS) or the presence of cervical mucus observed to be “tacky” or “sticky.” This mucus may take on a cloudy and/or thick appearance and will tend to break when stretched between two fingers.
Fertile days (high likelihood of pregnancy) are characterized by what can be described as “Egg white” mucus, because… it looks like egg whites. The mucus will be clear, shiny and stretchy. When wiping after voiding the bladder or having a bowel movement, the woman may observe a slippery sensation. During her daily activities, she may feel a wet or watery sensation as well.
In both methods, observations are recorded on a chart using colored stickers and/or symbols:
Billings Chart (source)
Creighton Chart (source)
The differences in the two methods seem to primarily surround how and when the mucus observations are made. The CrMS is said to be more “scientific” primarily because the observations made are not as objective and require visual observation, not just physical sensation.
BOM:
-mucus observations are made by the changing sensations felt at the vulva throughout the day or by occasional direct observations of cervical mucus.
-recording is done at the end of the day and is comprised of the characteristics noted throughout the day
-when FIRST learning the method, the couple is asked to abstain for 2-4 weeks while continuous observations are made. This is done so cervical mucus is not confused with semen or other by-products of intercourse or genital contact.
CrMS:
-Observations are made by wiping the vulva (before and after voiding the bladder or bowel movements) with a flat, folded tissue, front to back. Visual and physical observations are made every time the toilet is visited.
-Observations include “sensation” (slippery, dry, tacky), “color” (yellow, white, clear) and “consistency” (thick, thin.) The latter two sensations are made by using finger checks and stretching the mucus between fingers.
-The final check is made right before bed time and after bearing down. The most “fertile” sign of the day is recorded and how often that observation was made.
-Also requires a period of abstinence while learning the method
So what’s the big difference? NaPro Technology.
NaPro technology is short for Natural Procreative Technology. The goal of NaPro is to determine and treat underlying causes of infertility by doctors specially trained to read Creighton charts. NaPro also provides physicians with clear and concise protocols for surgeries and other invasive techniques. In addition to treating infertility, NaPro technology can also assist women in diagnosing other reproductive issues like recurring miscarriage, PMS, irregular bleeding, infections, ovarian cysts, PCOS and endometriosis.
Now let’s turn to you!
Do you use one of the mucus only methods? What do you love about it? What do you hate? Tell us about it!
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Tomorrow: the Symptothermal Method and the Marquette Method
Thursday: Guest Post
Friday: Seven Quick Takes- Talking NFP with your husband
Saturday: Lactational Amenorrhea/ PostPartum Charting
Sunday: Non-religious Reasons to use NFP
Related posts:
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We’ve never been big on the mucus aspect, mainly because I’m not very good at checking, so we’ve relied primarily on temps. Nowadays, it’s pretty much confirming the fact that you have to have mucus to get pg. Scant or no mucus, even hitting ovulation on the nose, won’t get you pregnant. Of course, never say never!
When we explained the methods at the first NFP class or during a pre-cana class on sexuality, we always said we were giving them just enough information to get pregnant and not avoid a pregnancy.
It’s funny how things have changed, especially WRT mucus. You think, before, it was just regarded as a monthly-byproduct, but now we are learning how important it really is!
I like the mucous only methods. I’ve used sympto-thermal, Creighton, and the Ovulation Method from Family of the Americas, which is basically the Billings Method, with differences in charting. I found STM confusing and was never that comfortable with it. I finally gained confidence through Creighton, but I don’t think I’ll stick with it. I think the Ovulation Method is my fave, as it’s the most simple. I instruct in that method and I tell people that they don’t have to do anything different in their day. They just need to get in the habit of noticing what their body is telling them. But I’ve known people who started with a mucous-only method and then gone to STM and they like STM better. So I say to each their own. They are all good and effective, so it’s just a matter of personal preference.
We learned STM but honestly, I like having the option of mucus-only when breastfeeding/ postpartum. I love how each couple can find what best works for them, rather than a once size fits all approach.
I use mucus only now, it’s awesome for breastfeeding ( where I used to chart, but being awake several times each night makes getting a reliable temp impossible! ) I love that watching mucus let me know I was gearing up to “O” before my first post-partum period, which was 9 months after birth! I never had any fear, during that long honeymoon phase , because I knew I wasn’t fertile ( that first fertile window doesn’t have to be a tricky secret
Of course, the last 6 months I have been using to try to conceive again, I like knowing I am hitting in the window for my best odds , ( God will know the right timing for me )
thanks for a great comment, Stephanie! Prayers for your TTC!
We used to use ST but now after baby 3, we use CrM. With not getting consistent sleep and temps all over the place we needed something more effective. Since using CrM, I was diagnosed with PPD and general low prog. This model can be a bit more intense but I have figure out so many precursors to illnesses. Also with ST I was sure I was ovulating because of a temp rise but after charting with CrM, I now know I wasn’t. With returning cycles PP 8 weeks, abstaining for months at a time wasn’t an option. Sometimes CrM can be challenging because of non-fertile mucus,but we are learning so much more than we ever did with another method. And we have follow-up visit with our practitioner every few months and she is in direct contact with my OB/Gyn!
That is a great thing about Creighton, the additional support from medical practitioners who have help dx underlying issues… by looking at a chart! We are learning so much about the body, especially gut health, so it makes sense that your body will tell you the good and the bad.
I am extremely lazy. I cannot remember to take my temperature, either, and hubby doesn’t want the job of reminding me. So, mucus-only it is. I haven’t done any chart-keeping since I stopped STM, I just keep track of the calendar date and observe every day.
I gained a bunch of weight the last two years, and I just turned 37, though, and my period has changed a lot, so I am thinking about some sort of way to keep track so that I can look back over time for patterns that might indicate changes in my hormones. Geez, I am crappy at keeping records, though. I don’t know how to do that without failing miserably.
I would encourage you to maybe look into Creighton and NaPro, only because you mention weight gain and changes in your period. From what I understand, a NaPro specialist can look at those mucus pattern to see if there are some underlying hormonal imbalances!
Corina,
In my household the chart-keeping is my husband’s job. Would that work in your house? If every night your husband asked you what your signs were and he recorded and kept track of them? When we learned NFP, our instructors told him that the chart was his job, and he takes his job very seriously.