Charting cycles can address different health issues for women

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Charting menstrual cycles through a natural family planning method can help women address various reproductive health issues, say Gerard and Anna Migeon of Natural Womanhood. Two examples of such issues are severe premenstrual syndrome and infertility.

Severe premenstrual syndrome can often result from a drop in progesterone happening too soon after ovulation, which can lead to physical and mental pain. On their website,

Natural Womanhood writers describe medical protocols including the use of bioidentical progesterone supplements right after ovulation to restore a normal cycle.

Infertility is another painful issue the website addresses. The causes of infertility can be complex but may often be treatable. They include low progesterone levels following ovulation, which can lead to miscarriage, and poor cervical mucus secretion, which can make conception difficult, as well as conditions like endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and other hormonal dysfunctions.

Gerard and Anna say that simply knowing when ovulation occurs can increase a woman’s chances of achieving pregnancy, but too few women are aware of it.

In addition to poor understanding of proper hormone balance for fertility, Gerard says the health care system also does not provide good answers to questions about cycle dysfunctions such as irregular cycles, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, (PCOS), and infertility. Instead, mainstream medicine often masks symptoms with medications and assisted reproductive technologies instead of trying to restore a woman’s natural health and fertility.

“The big thing about using charting is you can actually know what is going on with your cycle, and the goal is to restore your cycle so it is more regular,” Gerard says.

One misconception about natural family planning is that it’s unreliable for family planning and will likely result in unplanned pregnancy. The Migeons say that that is a narrative pushed by medical institutions and the pharmaceutical industry. Anna adds that natural methods are continually evolving and becoming more precise and that these natural methods are as effective as most artificial birth control methods.

“It works if you do it,” Anna says. “You have to learn how to use the method, and if you’re attentive to it and motivated, it will work very well. Knowing doesn’t do the trick. You must follow the method.”

Anna says many practical skills learned through charting take the mystery out of the cycle, replacing the bewilderment that women often feel. For instance, taking your temperature daily following the symptom-thermal method of charting, you can detect a pregnancy early on, much earlier than an over-the-counter pregnancy test would show, because you see that your temperature rises and stays high.

“When you learn these methods and follow them, you unlock the treasure chest of mastery over your body and understanding of what’s going on all the time,” she says.