Level up your charting game

Are you a fertility awareness expert and looking to upgrade your charting routine? Looking to spice up your cycle tracking game and take it to the next level? If you’re going to use fertility awareness in the long-term, your method needs to fit your life. Here are some strategies for advanced charting that can help you gain a deeper understanding of your fertility and keep you excited about charting even after you’ve been at it for some time.

Incorporate additional fertility signs

Basal body temperature and cervical mucus observations are the primary fertility signs used in the symptothermal method of fertility awareness charting. However, there are other fertility signs that can be incorporated into your charting, such as secondary fertility signs (urine hormone testing like LH tests, Proov tests or Estrogen testing) and other cycle observations. Paying attention to these secondary signs can help provide a more complete picture of your fertility and identify patterns and trends that may be missed by relying solely on basal body temperature and cervical mucus. And it can be kind of fun to experiment with other fertility signs!

Introduce menstrual cycle awareness charting techniques

In addition to tracking additional fertility signs, there are several advanced charting techniques that can provide further insights into your fertility. For example, menstrual cycle awareness charting involves paying attention to the phase and cycle day you’re in, and noting your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing in each phase. After doing this for several cycles, you can begin to notice your own patterns in each phase of the cycle. It’s about observing your cycle vulnerabilities and joys, and beginning to make space for your own needs.

Do a chart inventory

Take a look at your chart, especially any custom data lines, and make sure that what you’re charting is still relevant to your lifestyle and method. Perhaps you want to chart different lifestyle factors or habits, especially if it’s been a few years since you first started charting. I like tracking things like volume of blood during menstruation, caffeine and alcohol, mood, exercise and stress levels. Paying attention to these factors and how they impact your cycle can provide additional insights into your fertility and help you optimize your charting results. For example, tracking your sleep patterns can help you identify any disruptions that may be impacting your cycle, while monitoring your nutrition can help ensure you are getting the necessary nutrients to support reproductive health.

On the contrary, instead of adding new lifestyle charting lines, you might also want to simplify and be realistic about what you’re actually charting.

Work with a fertility awareness educator

Working with a certified fertility educator can provide additional support and guidance in your charting journey. A fertility educator can help you refine your charting technique, identify any areas of confusion or inconsistency, and provide personalized recommendations and advice based on your unique charting data. They can also provide guidance on advanced charting techniques and help you develop customized cycle-specific rules. You might also find it interesting to learn a new method of fertility awareness, especially if you’re a veteran charter!

A fertility awareness educator can also walk you through shortcut charting techniques, if you’ve been charting for some time!

I offer my Cycle Love clients additional follow up sessions after the course is finished, for this reason exactly. It’s natural to need a refresher if it’s been a while or your charting intentions have changed.

Use your data to optimize your health

In addition to optimizing your charting results, your charting data can also provide insights into your overall health. For example, monitoring changes in your cervical mucus can help identify changes in vaginal pH that may be indicative of a vaginal infection. Similarly, tracking the length of your menstrual cycle and the timing of ovulation can help identify potential hormonal imbalances or other health concerns. By paying attention to your charting data and seeking medical advice when necessary, you can optimize your reproductive and overall health.

Fertility awareness can be a practice that stays with you for your entire reproductive life. But it is a practice that needs to be nourished and revisited from time to time. It’s a good idea to reflect on your current charting routine (especially if you’ve been at it for a while) and decide whether it still fits your life.