Family of the Americas
Frequently Answered Questions

Can the Ovulation Method help us achieve a pregnancy?

Since the Ovulation Method teaches couples to recognize when the woman is fertile in each cycle, it can help them to maximize their chances of conceiving. In fact, couples of normal fertility are usually able to conceive within three cycles when using the Ovulation Method.

A study by Dr. Allen Wilcox and his colleagues at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences made news late in 1995 by concluding that a woman's "window of fertility" is six days per cycle, the actual day of ovulation and the five days preceding it. As early as 1972, Ovulation Method researchers published reports that women participating in their studies could recognize approaching ovulation 6.2 days before it occurred by using the Ovulation Method. Additional research found that women who had been taught the Ovulation Method were aware that they were potentially fertile 5.2 and 5.9 days before ovulation. The World Health Organization reported that 93 percent of participants in a WHO study of the Ovulation Method were able to interpret their pattern of fertility in the first teaching cycle.

The naturally-occurring secretion upon which the Ovulation Method is based not only nourishes the sperm, keeping them viable for three to five days, it also provides channels to aid swimming sperm in their efforts to reach the egg on the day of ovulation.

Is there any way we can increase our chances of having a boy (or girl)?
There are several theories regarding sex pre-selection, none of which have been scientifically proven. The one we will summarize here deals with timing intercourse to favor conception of one sex over the other. We would like to emphasize that this is a theory and that Family of the Americas does not advocate sex pre-selection. In addition, a familiarity with the phases of the woman's cycle is necessary to attempt to use this system.

Theoretically, if a couple has sexual relations during the early part of the fertile phase, and then abstains for the remainder of the fertile phase, they will increase their chances of conceiving a girl. Conversely, if they abstain during the early fertile phase and postpone relations until the most fertile days of the cycle, immediately preceding or on the actual day of ovulation, they will increase their chances of conceiving a boy.

The basis for this theory is that girl-producing sperm are stronger but slower swimmers, allowing them to navigate through denser cervical secretions produced early in the fertile phase, yet requiring extra time to complete their journey. The boy-producing sperm are weaker yet faster swimmers, requiring the clearer channels found in secretions produced close to ovulation. Fewer of them would be able to make their way in the early fertile phase, while fewer of the girl-producing sperm would be fast enough to reach the egg before it disintegrates if they were released close to ovulation.

Can the Ovulation Method be used by women who are breastfeeding or women who have irregular cycles?
Yes, the Ovulation Method can be successfully used by women in all reproductive circumstances, including those who are breastfeeding, discontinuing artificial contraceptives, or premenopausal. The Ovulation Method does not depend on regularity of cycles since each woman learns to interpret a naturally-occurring sign of fertility whenever it appears in her cycle. Women with average, short or long cycles are able to interpret this sign in order to determine the fertile and infertile phases of the cycle. The Ovulation Method can be used to either achieve or avoid pregnancy.

Is the Ovulation Method the same as the temperature method or the rhythm method?
Absolutely not. The old Calendar Rhythm Method was only effective for women whose cycles were extremely regular. Based on the average length of previous cycles, this method did not allow for variations that are experienced by most women over the course of a year. For this reason, many unplanned pregnancies occurred.

The Temperature Method uses calculations of a woman's Basal Body Temperature to determine when ovulation has taken place. Because it is difficult to use in determining infertile days prior to ovulation, it can unnecessarily limits marital relations for some couples in the early part of the cycle if pregnancy is to be avoided, and cannot, by itself, alert couples to the days of potential fertility if their goal is to achieve pregnancy. In addition, women with infants or toddlers may find it troublesome to comply with guidelines for measuring the Basal Body Temperature.

Numerous laboratory and clinical trials have determined that the cervical mucus secretion on which the Ovulation Method is based, correlates with the fertile days more closely than any other marker of fertility, including complicated hormonal assays. For this reason, and for its simplicity--a woman need only observe for this secretion during the course of her normal daily activities--the Ovulation Method is the easiest natural method to learn and practice, as well as the most reliable.

Is internal examination of the cervix part of the Ovulation Method?
No. Internal examination is not necessary and is discouraged. The cervical mucus can be checked when the vaginal opening is wiped with a tissue. When internal examinations are done there is the possibility that harmful microorganisms could be introduced into the vagina.

How long does it usually take for a woman to learn the Ovulation Method?
Most women can be taught to use the Ovulation Method in about one hour. Once they actually begin charting, the majority of women report that they are confident of their ability to distinguish between the fertile and infertile days after one cycle of charting. 

Is it possible for pregnancy to result from sexual relations during the menstrual period?
While most women experience a few infertile days between the end of menstruation and the beginning of the fertile phase, it is possible, in a short cycle, for mucus production to begin before the bleeding has ceased. Because the blood may mask the appearance of mucus, it is recommended that the couple abstain from sexual relations during menstruation if pregnancy is to be avoided.

How long do the egg and the sperm live?
Once the egg has been released from the ovary, it remains viable for approximately 24 hours. Once the egg disintegrates, conception is no longer possible. In a hostile environment, sperm die within hours. However, in the presence of fertile cervical mucus, sperm can survive for 3 to 5 days, making it possible for conception to result from an act of intercourse early in the fertile phase.

Will the use of artificial contraceptives cause me to have difficulties conceiving?
Many women experience residual infertility for several months following discontinuation of artificial contraceptives. It is generally recommended that couples wait about six months following discontinuation of artificial contraceptives, or until they have experienced three normal cycles, before attempting to conceive.

Can barrier methods, such as condoms, be used during the fertile phase to eliminate the need for abstinence?
The use of barrier methods during the fertile phase (called bafting) is strongly discouraged and is never acceptable as part of the Ovulation Method. Barriers can fail and failure during the fertile phase will very likely result in pregnancy. When this happens, it is not the Ovulation Method that fails -- the Ovulation Method did correctly recognized the fertile phase. When this happens, it is the barrier method that failed.

Can the Ovulation Method be used to predict when ovulation will occur?
Because cycle length can vary from month to month, there is no way to know in advance when ovulation will occur. However, by careful monitoring of each cycle, a woman can learn to interpret her individual pattern, and thus know whether she is fertile or infertile at any given time in her cycle.