The Basic Infertile Pattern and the Billings Method
The Basic Infertile Pattern (BIP) is one of the strengths of Billings, a cervical mucus-only method of fertility awareness. The BIP allows the user to recognize a pre-ovulatory pattern of infertility, which can allow more freedom with the method, especially in longer cycles.
The fertility awareness method (FAM) is rooted in the fact that you are only fertile about 5-7 days per cycle. With FAM you chart your fertile signs to determine when pregnancy is possible and when it isn’t. Conception occurs when sperm stay alive in cervical fluid long enough to fertilize an available egg. We know when we’re fertile and when we’re not based on the presence of cervical fluid, which responds to the levels of hormones being produced by the ovaries.
Cervical mucus will tell us when the fertile window begins, when the hormone estrogen is rising and conception is possible. Between menstruation and the beginning of the fertile window, most people will have an unchanging phase of infertility. In cycles under 35 days long, this pattern can be either dry (nothing seen, nothing felt) or it can be a pattern of unchanging discharge. This pattern before ovulation is called the basic infertile pattern (BIP), because after menstruation, hormones are at their base level. During the BIP the cervix is plugged, and sperm are not able to enter.
Other methods that I have studied have acknowledged the presence of the BIP, but haven't gone much further than that. The strength of the Billings Ovulation Method lies in the very clear guidelines for establishing someones BIP. This is based on in-depth, individual chart reviews with an instructor, where the unchanging pattern is determined over the course of several cycles.
If you are in a long cycle (such as PCOS, perimenopause, post-HBC, postpartum), and you’re using a double-check symptothermal method, you have very few available days for unprotected intercourse.
What is a double check symptothermal method? With this fertility awareness method rule, you are relying on both a calculation rule as well as your mucus point of change to open the fertile window.
Once the fertile window opens, it's open until ovulation is confirmed. But the presence of fertile mucus doesn’t always guarantee ovulation will actually happen. In long cycles where ovulation is delayed, you might experience a phase of fertile mucus followed by a return of infertility, which isn’t recognized as infertility in most methods. Billings allows the identification of the return of this infertile time based on establishing the BIP and allows more days for unprotected sex.
To determine your BIP, you’ll need to work closely with a Billings Ovulation Method instructor. I take a limited amount of Billings clients per year, you can join my newsletter list if you’d like to hear when I’m taking on new clients.
Which is better, a symptothermal method or Billings?
The ability to establish a BIP is one of the strengths in a method like Billings. A symptothermal method like Sensiplan or Taking Charge of Your Fertility has its own strengths. Each method has their pros and cons.
A symptothermal method uses basal body temperature as well as cervical mucus to determine the fertile and infertile time. Some symptothermal methods will use a calculation rule to open the fertile window. Symptothermal methods generally have a little more leniency in regards to self teaching or less instructor support. There is more leniency with using barrier methods or anything that might confuse your cervical mucus observations.
Symptothermal methods carry less pressure to confirm ovulation with peak mucus alone because there is a cross check of mucus and basal body temperature. Symptothermal with calculation double-checks will mean there may be less safe days for unprotected sex; especially in longer cycles.
The Billings Ovulation Method is really best learned with an instructor, because the user needs to be closely coached until they reach autonomy with the method. It is a very simple method, and the concepts are quite easy to learn. Billings relies heavily on vulval sensation, and because it uses cervical mucus only, its quite a simple and freeing method.
Billings has a much better protocol for long cycles, like in the case of PCOS or during postpartum, because you can establish a BIP. It’s important to note that the origins of Billings are Catholic. Religious viewpoints underpin the method, and it does not acknowledge sex outside of PIV sex.
The more I learn about fertility awareness, the more I realize how much nuance there is in every individual method. This is one of the benefits of learning fertility awareness - it is a lifelong learning journey, and more seems to be uncovered every day!
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Learn about fertility awareness in a fun, free, concise way in FAM Fundamentals ✨