You can use the Calendar method (Calendar Rhythm method) to predict your most fertile time of the

month and plan for pregnancy. If you have been dutifully tracking your menstrual cycles, now is the time to put your written records to good use. You have tracked your cycles for at least six to eight months. You have recorded all the first days of your menstrual cycles. Now from the statistics collected, you will be able to work out the number of days there are in your shortest and longest menstrual cycles. This is important because the Calendar method predicts your fertile phase by roughly calculating the number of infertile days you have before ovulation (pre-ovulatory infertile phase) and after ovulation (post-ovulatory infertile phase) based on your shortest and longest cycles. As your cycle length varies from month to month, so do your fertile days. The length of your pre-ovulatory infertile phase is calculated by subtracting 18 days from the total number of days in your shortest cycle. The length of your post-ovulatory infertile phase is calculated by subtracting 11 days from the total number of days in your longest cycle. Then, the fertile phase is calculated from 18 days before the end of your shortest cycle through 11 days from the end of your longest cycle. Confused? All right, let's see how the Calendar method formula works with some concrete examples: Example 1: If your shortest cycle is 22 days and longest cycle is 27 days: Step 1: 22 -18 = 4 (pre-ovulatory infertile phase) Step 2: 27 -11 = 16 (post-ovulatory infertile phase) Your fertile window will last from Day 4 to Day 16. Example 2: If your shortest cycle is 30 and longest cycle is 36: Step 1: 30 - 18 = 12 (pre-ovulatory infertile phase) Step 2: 36 - 11 = 25 (post-ovulatory infertile phase) Your fertile window will last from Day 12 to Day 25. So there you have it!

Time Frame

The menstrual cycle of the typical female is 28 days long. Day one is the day her period starts. In females with 28 day cycles, an egg is released from an ovary at day 14 in the process of ovulation. Between days 14 and 17, approximately, a woman is fertile. Women

wishing to become pregnant that have intercourse on these days will have a good chance of conception. Avoiding intercourse during these days is known as the rhythm method of birth control.

Features

The rhythm method typically has a success rate of about 75%. The success of the rhythm method is highly dependent on the female knowing how long her menstrual cycle is. For instance, a woman with a menstrual cycle that is 31 days long can still use the rhythm method, but she must know when she is ovulating for it to be entirely effective. A woman must also always be aware of where she is in her menstrual cycle.

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The Calendar Rhythm Method

This method of natural family planning is also known as the Periodic Abstinence or the Calendar Method. It is based on an individuals menstrual cycle. People, who apply it, simply avoid having unprotected sexual intercourse during the days, when the woman has ovulation. This method is also used by a lot of couples, wishing to conceive a baby, who time their intercourse during the period of ovulation in order to improve their chances of getting pregnant. Using the Calendar Rhythm Method In case if someone wants to try to use this method of birth control, then this woman will have to track her menstrual cycle in order to understand the pattern of her body and know exactly the days, during which she is most fertile. As soon as she manages to do this, it becomes possible to avoid having unprotected sexual intercourse on these, so called fertile days or apply some other birth control option, like a condom, or whatever, in order to prevent an unplanned pregnancy from occurrence. It should be pointed out that sperm can survive inside the woma ns body for about 5 7 days, though an egg usually does not live longer than 24 hours. However, there are cases, when a womans egg gets fertilized by a mans sperm even 2 or 3 days after intercourse, when the ovulation occurs and a living sperm is still present in the body. Therefore, 24 hours after a woman has ovulation, it is not likely that she might get pregnant up until the next menstrual cycle begins. But there is a question: how can a woman know the days, when she is most fertile? As a rule menstrual cycle of every healthy woman may be divided into three following phases: Pre ovulatory infertility phase; Fertility phase; Post ovulatory infertility phase The first day of menstruation is called the first day of the cycle. If a woman wants to find out when her pre ovulatory infertility phase begins, she will have to track her menstrual cycles for at least several months in a row. It would be better if she keeps the track during not less than six months. After that it is necessary to take the shortest cycle and subtract 19: in case if the shortest cycle lasted 26 days, a woman has to subtract 19 from 26. The result is 7; which means that she will be infertile up until the 7th day of her menstrual cycle. As for the post ovulatory infertility phase, it should be calculated by deducting 10 from the womans longest menstrual cycle. Thus, if the longest cycle lasted 32 days, then 10 from 32 gives us 22, this means that the post ovulatory infertile phase begins on the 22nd day of a womans menstrual cycle. In addition, a woman should take into consideration, that form day 8 up to 21 of any given cycle she will have to avoid having sexual relations or apply some other method of birth control, because the likelihood of pregnancy is the greatest during this period of time.

Therefore, it is necessary to mention, that women, who have irregular menstrual cycles, should better not apply this method of Fertility Awareness, just as well as teenagers, whose cycles are usually irregular yet. Calendar Rhythm Method may require the application of period abstinence; this is the reason why it is considered to be more recommended for people, who have long term stable relations. However, it is always better to ask the doctors advice before beginning to use this method of Natural Family Planning. It is usually the womans physician or gynecologist, who can be able to tell exactly how she can track her cycle and whether there is a necessity for her to apply any other device, which might help in knowing her ovulatory phases.

Calender Method of Contraception

The calendar method of contraception, or the rhythm method, works by finding the likely date of ovulation, which is the day an egg is released from the ovary. Extra days are then added, taking into account the uncertainty of the ovulation date and the fact that sperm can live up to five days in a woman's body. During these fertile days, the woman either abstains from intercourse or uses another method of contraception. Read more: Calender Method of Contraception | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5194455_calender-methodcontraception.html#ixzz28Jhxe8NZ

Finding Your Fertile Days

In order to use the calendar method of contraception effectively, track your cycle for a minimum of four months by circling the first day of each period. Count the days for each cycle and pick out the shortest and the longest cycles. Subtract 18 from the total number of days in your shortest cycle (i.e. 28 - 18 = 10 days). Starting with the first day of your next period, count the number of remaining days (10 in this example) and mark an "X" on that day. Now take the longest cycle and subtract 11 days (i.e. 30 - 11 = 19). Counting the first day of your next period, count the remaining days (19 in this example) and mark an "X" on that day. You should ovulate somewhere in between the days marked with an "X" and will be fertile during that time.

Effectiveness

According to Contraceptive Information Resource, the failure rate of the calendar method of contraception is between 13 and 20 percent, depending on the regularity of a woman's menstrual cycle. To maintain the best possible effectiveness, women should recalculate their calendar every two months and should seek other forms of contraception if their periods are or become irregular. Additionally, effectiveness improves if the woman abstains from sex entirely during the fertile periods. Otherwise, the effectiveness of the birth control method used may impact the overall effectiveness of the calendar method.

Body Cues

By combining the calendar method of contraception with some simple bodily observations, the risk of unwanted pregnancy can decrease even further. Examine your body's changes throughout your cycles. Some observations may include the amount and quality of cervical mucus, the position and condition of the cervix, changes in breast size or tenderness, and changes in moods. These signals can tell you if your calendar is incorrect or if you are experiencing sudden changes in your menstrual cycle which can affect the calendar method of contraception.

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Calendar rhythm method

The calendar rhythm method to avoid pregnancy relies upon calculating a woman's fertile period on the calendar. Based upon her 12 previous menstrual cycles, a woman subtracts l8 days from her shortest menstrual cycle to determine her first fertile day, and 11 days from her longest menstrual cycle to determine her last fertile day. She can then calculate the total number of days during which she may ovulate. If a woman's menstrual cycles are quite irregular from month to month, there will be a greater number of days during which she might become pregnant. The calendar method is only about 80% effective in preventing pregnancy and when used alone is considered outdated and ineffective.

CALENDAR METHOD
The calendar method, also commonly referred to as the rhythm method, uses the estimated date of ovulation each month to determine when you and your partner can have sexual intercourse without getting pregnant. Although not an exact science, in general the calendar method consists of counting back 14 days before your menstruation to estimate ovulation. This means you have five days before and three days after ovulation when you are most fertile and likely to become pregnant. During that time, you and your partner may stay abstinent, or you may use a barrier method, such as a condom.