4. Times of fertility
a) Moderate and heavy days of the menstrual flow.
Avoid intercourse or alternative sex on the moderate and heavey days of the menstrual flow. This instruction is for beginning charters until a woman is confident in identifying a “true menstruation”. Once a woman is confident in identifying a true menstruation she can consider the first three days of menstruation infertile.
A true menstruation is a bleeding event that follows a Peak Day event with a BBT Shift if temperature is used (ovulation) by twelve to fourteen days (life span of the corpus luteum). In addiotn, a true menstruation is accompanied by mild to moderate uterine contractions and other premenstrual symptoms particular to the individual woman. If these factors are in place then a is experiencing a true menstrual bleeding event. Menstrual bleeding has particular characteristics: it is deep wine-red to bright red in colour, with a fluid mucousy consistency. The mucousy fluid is part of endometrial tissue that has been influenced by progesterone, which only happens after ovulation. Healthy menstruation should not be black or brown in colour, nor should it be thick and pasty on the heavy and moderate flow days – it should flow. The recognition of a “true” menstruation is one of the ways a woman develops confidence in identifying her Peak-Day/ovulation.
b) Non-Peak mucus days.
The change from dry days to observing the presence of non-peak mucus marks the beginning of fertility. Non-peak mucus is fertile. Ovulation can be associated with a non-peak mucus day.
When there are 3 or more days of non-peak mucus, the acidic environment of the vaginal changes to alkaline, and remains so for three days following. An alkaline environment enables sperm survival and transport. Therefore, when the non-peak mucus returns to dry you must count 3. You do not have to count 3 after only one or two days of non-peak mucus.
c) Peak Mucus days.
Sperm survival is optimum in peak mucus and for 3 days after. Ovulation can occur when there is just one day of peak mucus.
d) Any days within a count of 3.
The vaginal environment may still be favorable to sperm survival during the count of 3. As well, ovulation can occur on one of the days within a count of 3 following a Peak Day.
e) Any days of unusual bleeding plus a count 3.
Unusual bleeding (not true menstrual bleeding) is commonly associated with ovulation. Because of this you must consider yourself fertile on days of unusual bleeding regardless of the presence or absence of mucus. On days of unusual bleeding do your observational routine as usual. The last day of the unusual bleed is followed by a count of 3.
