Finding a fertility awareness method instructor

Fertility Awareness Methods often get lumped together, whether that’s at the doctor’s office (“FAMs are basically the Rhythm Method and not effective!”) or in the media (“The MAHA-Fueled Rise of Natural Family Planning”).

All fertility awareness methods are not created equal, and it’s important to understand the difference if you’re looking for an educator that is right for you.

The educator/method that’s right for you may depend on:

• Your cycle regularity

• Your comfort with different observations

• Your technology preferences

• Your risk tolerance

• Your values and lifestyle

The Basics of FABMs

Fertility Awareness Based Methods (FABMs) is an umbrella term that encompasses anything about tracking your cycle at all, from having a period tracking app on your phone to the Rhythm Method to a symptothermal method.

All FABMs are based on identifying the fertile window (when you can possibly conceive).

There are three main categories of FABMs that are helpful in comparing efficacy rates:

• Calculation-Based

• Observation-based

• Double Check Methods

Religious vs. Secular Methods

Obviously people with uteruses have been monitoring their fertility long before these methods were codified, especially in cultures that were and are connected to nature and earth’s rhythms.

But why does religion enter the conversation so often around FABMs?

In 1930, the Rhythm Method was created by Johannes Smulders, a Roman Catholic physician from the Netherlands based on the science of ovulation. The first U.S. Rhythm Clinic was founded to teach Catholic couples in the 1930s.

The FAMs Billings, Creighton, Marquette and Boston Cross Check are still linked to the Catholic Church.

The term Natural Family Planning (which you may have seen in media lately) is often used to describe practices promoted by the church. These practices are usually for married heterosexual couples and teach abstinence during the fertile wave.

The term Fertility Awareness Methods is generally used in reference to secular practices.

More recently, the risks of hormonal birth control have come into the influencer space alongside the “natural is best” movement.

But with that said - often these terms get collapsed together in public discourse. So let’s pull apart the methods a little more clearly.

Method Comparison

Calculation-Based Methods

These are charting practices that are based on past data/algorithms. They use history to make assumptions about the present.

Arguably, they are the least effective group of FABMs because it is not based on the individual’s present tense cycle.

Some methods in this category include:

• The Rhythm Method

• The TwoDay Method

• Lactation Ammemorreah Method (after birthing)

• Most apps

Observation-Based Methods

This is a charting practice that uses observation of the biomarkers cervical fluid and/or basal body temperature to determine fertility on a daily basis.

Generally speaking, these methods will be more effective than calculation based methods for both contraception and conception.

Under this umbrella include methods like:

• Cervical fluid only: Billings & Creighton

• Symptothermal methods (I teach a single-check sympto-thermal method that you can learn more about here)

• Cervical Mucus Only Methods

Double-Check Methods

This is a charting practice that is a mixture of calculation and observation. Some methods under this umbrella include:

• Symptohormonal methods like Marquette & FEMM

• Calculothermal methods like the Natural Cycles App & Daysy

• Symptothermal Double Check methods like Sensiplan

How do I know what Method is right for me?

Finding the method that’s right for you is a personal choice, but here are some important factors at play:

• Efficacy rates

  • If you are using a FAM to avoid pregnancy, efficacy should be a key consideration. This scientific review is a great resource to look at efficacy rates. The highest efficacy rate is based on the Sensiplan Method (99.4-99.6% perfect use; 98.4% typical use), which is a Double-Check Symptothermal Method.

    • A NOTE: Sensiplan is very similar to the method I teach. We teach in Fahrenheit (which is more precise than Celsius), which gives us a little more flexibility on other charting rules.

• Lifestyle

  • Tracking cervical fluid is a biomarker you can check in with daily to help determine your fertility, but it takes some time to learn and may occasionally be obscured. With that said, an educator can support you in charting protocols for many scenarios!

  • If you have an erratic sleep schedules, tracking your basal body temperature may be a concern - but there are some wearable technologies that can support like TempDrop (you can use my referral link to get 15% off your TempDrop order)

  • Hormone tests like LH strips can be clarifying if you have confusing cervical fluid patterns and/or temping issues, but you will need to be comfortable with the ongoing cost and waste associated with those tests.

• Teaching style

  • There are teachers around the world who teach in-person and/or online, both live and asynchronously. There are a range of offerings that may be right for your learning style.

  • I encourage you to find an instructor who has been through a certification program. I personally recommend instructors trained by schools that are accredited by the Association of Fertility Awareness Professionals.

    • NOTE: I received my Fertility Awareness Educator certification from The Well School of Body Literacy, a two-year program accredited by AFAP.

• Secular vs. religious teachings

  • Some methods are offered within religious frameworks, which may or may not be right for you depending on your beliefs and lifestyle. These include:

    • Philosophies on barrier methods during the fertile window

    • Working with LGBTQ+ individuals or those in non-heteronormative partnerships

    • Emergency contraception

    As a reminder, language about “natural family planning” rather than “fertility awareness” often signals an approach rooted in a religious (usually Catholic) framework.

Where can I find educators?

As a student and a Fertility Awareness Educator, I have seen firsthand how 1:1 instruction significantly improves success rates, especially in the critical learning period. I can’t recommend it more highly.

Read Your Body has an incredible searchable directory you can use to find educators around the world in a variety of methods.

You deserve accurate information and support so you can make informed decisions about your fertility. Go find your educator match!

Note: This post reflects current evidence as of 2025. Fertility awareness research continues to evolve. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers about your reproductive health decisions.