If you are in the midst of ttc (trying to conceive), you have probably heard the terms Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) and Natural Family Planning (NFP). In actuality, both techniques are very similar with only one exception. 
 
Both the FAM and the NFP are methods that use the body’s signals to alert you to the most fertile time of your cycle. This is done by tracking your waking temperature, cervical mucus and cervical position. The one difference between the two approaches is that if you are using FAM, you use protection to keep yourself from getting pregnant; whereas with NAP, you abstain during that same fertile time.
 
Not only can using one of the above methods help you to identify the fertile times of your cycle, but it can also help doctors in diagnosing any medical issues that may be keeping you from getting pregnant. Some of the problems that can be diagnosed using information about your cycle are the absence of ovulation, a late ovulation cycle pattern, a short luteal phase, unfriendly cervical fluid, hormone imbalances, unbalanced progesterone levels and the reasons for miscarriage.
 
Another wonderful thing about charting your cycle is that it allows you to make notes about specific symptoms on a daily basis. These symptoms are often incredibly helpful for doctors in diagnosing many other gynecological issues such as bleeding, infections, lumps, PMS and conception dates.
 
 
There are many doctors however who feel that using these methods are not helpful and discourage women from wasting their time with them. Whether they were never trained on the methods or if there more political reasons for the nonuse, we may never know. 
 
So if you are looking for a fertility doctor and feel as if the Fertility Awareness Method is something you would like to include in your overall ttc plan, you may want to check that your doctor will support you!