Hormonal, Emotional, Cyclical Beings P2

After sharing my personal experiences with birth control, I finally get into the Symptothermal Method- a combination of the cervical mucous method, the standard days method, and the basal body temperature method. It uses these combined methods to indicate when one is highly fertile (ovulating) and has lower fertility, and then consenting partners can abstain from sex during the fertile period or use a barrier method (condom). I forgot to mention this very important fact in the podcast, but this method is 98-99% effective with normal use and 99.4-99.6% effective with perfect use. I discuss the follicular phase, ovulatory phase, and luteal phase of the cycle, what is happening hormonally, and what to expect/look for in one's cervical mucous and basal body temperature with the goal of avoiding pregnancy. I also talk about when to take your temperature and how to check your cervical mucous for this method. Tracking my cycle and being aware of my hormonal fluctuations had helped me feel connected to myself and now I celebrate and honor each phase of my cycle. Being emotional just means you're emotionally regulating- which is really important for overall health. Being hormonal is just a fact- yes, my hormones are constantly changes throughout the phases of my cycle. This should not be an insult, but is another way to minimize and delegitimize women to perpetuate sexism. I talk about self-care during one's cycle through menstruation, the follicular phase, the ovulatory phase, and the luteal phase too. Sources:

The Period Repair Manual by Lara Biden

https://moodymonth.com/articles/female-hormone-cycle-the-basics

https://www.factsaboutfertility.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/SymptoThermalPEH.pdf https://www.factsaboutfertility.org/sexual-behavior-and-the-efficacy-of-the-sympto-thermal-method/ https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/22/5/1310/2914315

https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/women-s-health-issues/biology-of-the-female-reproductive-system/menstrual-cycle#:~:text=The%20menstrual%20cycle%20has%20three,Luteal%20(after%20egg%20release)