Myth busting

MYTH: Fertility awareness is just a fancy name for the calendar method.
FACT: Fertility awareness NOT the rhythm method! I like to refer to the latter as fertility guessing, as you simply work with assumptions. Fertility awareness works with the actual signs of fertility that you observe, so a delayed ovulation is not going to put you at risk for pregnancy and a "late" period will not be a cause for panic.

MYTH: Fertility awareness is unreliable

FACT: Fertility awareness is over 99% effective when someone learns with an instructor, diligently charts and applies the rules correctly. This is exactly why you should work with me!

Charts that compare the effectiveness of birth control methods often lump the calendar method and any other fertility guessing practices in with FAM, skewing the effectiveness rates downwards.

NOTE: Since FAM's effectiveness is completely user dependent (you need to remember to chart, apply the rules and choose to follow them), the use effectiveness is lower than that of other methods. Next to that, in some studies that have found lower use effectiveness rates for FAM, pregnancies from people who had changed their intentions were included in the failure rate, even though they knew they used fertile days and were happy with the outcome. The beauty of FAM is that you can change your intentions at any time and will not need to wait for a doctor's appointment to be able to stop preventing and start achieving.

MYTH: My app can tell me when I'm fertile

FACT: Repeat after me: "My phone does not know what is going on in my ovaries!"

Period tracker apps are just that, apps to track the dates of your period. Many of these tracking apps estimate a fertile window simply based on dates, which is the unreliable calendar method.

... But what about Natural Cycles?

You may have also seen ads for the app Natural Cycles. This app is linked to a thermometer and estimates a fertile window based on calculations and temperatures. Although temperatures can confirm ovulation, they cannot predict it. Hence, natural cycles (as well as Daysy and Ladycomp) are less effective methods of Fertility Awareness. I have seen these devices/apps give false safe days and result in unintended pregnancies. Note also that these fancy thermometers only work for regular cycles. The money you would spend on these expensive devices is way better spent on working with me! Not only will you reach higher efficacy, you will also be able to confidently handle whatever your cycle throws at you.

MYTH: I have irregular cycles, FAM won't work for me

FACT: Fertility guessing (the rhythm method) won't work for you indeed. However, Symptopro is perfectly able to help you navigate any kind of cycles, including irregular cycles.

MYTH: I have to be on the pill to regulate my cycles and manage symptoms

FACT: Although regular ovulation and with that regular menstruation is ideal, the pill will only regulate bleeding. It shuts down ovulation and the bleed you experience while on the pill is simply a withdrawal bleed. I can refer you to an awesome naturopath to work on your symptoms and we can work together on understanding and working with your cycle!

MYTH: I can't afford learning FAM

FACT: A baby is way more expensive! I do of course acknowledge that some people are on tight budgets. Therefore, if you are a student or if you have a low income card, you can contact me for discounted rates. Do please keep in mind that I keep my courses as affordable as I can, and that I work with small margins, so if you can afford the regular rates, please pay those so that I can keep offering discounted rates for those in need!