Your Most Common Fertility Awareness Questions Answered

Below I’ll answer your most common Fertility Awareness Questions.

Does this sound like you? 👇🏼

You’re considering ditching birth control and finally starting Fertility Awareness Method … but you’re feeling totally stuck.

On one hand, you’re so nervous to stop the pill because you’ve been on it more years than you can count, and on the other hand, you’re terrified of getting pregnant.

It feels so paralyzing!

I hear these fears a lot and you’re absolutely not alone.

The best way to ease the fear of transitioning to FAM (aka natural birth control) is to become more educated and confident in the method before taking the leap!

In this blog post, I have compiled some of the most common Fertility Awareness Method questions I get about learning FAM after years on birth control.

I hope it helps answer a few of your burning questions, too, and gives you the boost of confidence you need to start FAM!

Common Fertility Awareness Method Questions:

1. Can I learn FAM while I’m still on hormonal birth control?

You can absolutely begin learning FAM and gain a deep understanding of how the method works so you can hit the ground running when you’re off birth control. 

Having said that, it’s important to note that you can’t apply the “rules” of FAM while on hormones. This is because your go-to fertility biomarkers (cervical mucus, basal body temperature and luteinizing hormone) will be suppressed while on hormonal birth control.

Some women find it relieving to learn the method ahead of time, and even though they can’t apply what they are learning until the stop birth control, they can still build amazing FAM habits.

For example, you can still get into the habit of taking your basal body temperature every morning or putting your Tempdrop on each evening. (ps – use code NINA12 for 12% off!)

You can also get into the habit of remembering to check for wiping and walking cervical mucus sensation even though you aren’t experiencing true fertile CM.

These tiny habits will put you ahead of the game when you finally transition off birth control and begin learning the FAM! 🙂

2. Can I learn Fertility Awareness Method while still having a copper IUD? 

YEP!! I’ve had women join my 6-month LUNA membership while still using the copper IUD so that they feel extra confident with natural birth control when they choose to get it removed.

Because the copper IUD is hormone-free, it should not affect your natural hormones. Therefore, you should still see and feel fertile quality cervical mucus. You will also experience the 4-phases of your cycle and see a shift in temperature after you ovulate. If you want to learn more about the Copper IUD and Fertility Awareness Method you can read my blog post here. It’s super helpful!

3. How long does it take to learn the Fertility Awareness Method successfully?

I alway say that it takes about 3-months to learn FAM and start to feel comfortable with your cycle patterns.

For some women who have just come off birth control, it can take about up to 6 months to begin feeling super cozy. This is because birth control has suppressed your natural hormones and you might notice very weird and inconsistent cycles and fertility clues for the first few months post birth control. Some studies have said that it can take up to 9-months post birth control for cycles to regulate. 

Having said that, many women quickly fall into a normal pattern post birth control again! And, if you have already been on hormones for a while and your cycles are fairly regular, I would go with the 3-month benchmark.

4. Do I need a course or can I learn FAM on my own?

You can definitely learn Fertility Awareness Method on your own, but your success will be completely fast-tracked if you’re working with a certified instructor.

Meaning, the 99% FAM effectiveness rate is definitely higher when you’re working through a specific program with guidance.

If your cycle is fairly regular and you feel confident in assessing dry days vs cervical mucus days… then using a free resource like Taking Charge of Your Fertility or Sensiplan might work just fine for you!

But, if you’re someone who wants a very clear and step-by-step method, plus a trained educator who can communicate with you and check your charts… I highly recommend joining a program.

5. I want to work with a certified instructor! When is the best time to  join LUNA?

LUNA is my 6-month Fertility Awareness Method Membership and online course.

It is always enrolling! You can join while you’re still on birth control if you want to learn ahead of time or you can join as soon as you get off birth control… it is totally up to you. The course materials are yours forever, so you will always have that to go back to!

6. Can I extend my LUNA Membership if I still need your support beyond 6-months? 

You can ALWAYS extend your membership for only $33/m if you need my support beyond your first 6-months. This is the beauty of learning FAM with an instructor. If you join LUNA when you’re transitioning off birth control, I can support you through all the ups and downs of navigating and balancing your hormones again. This can be a crucial time for support when your cycles may feel like the “wild wild west” when first coming off of birth control. I always say it is better not to wait to join the program and GO for it when you’re feeling ready!

Do you have other questions about FAM that I can help answer? Send me a DM on instagram: @nourishedwithnina and I will personally get back to you!

You can also watch my FREE Fertility Awareness Method training that will help you gain the confidence to ditch birth control and begin a more natural method – for good!