There can be many reasons why you might be having difficulties. Sometime when trying to conceive, you’ll find that friends are getting pregnant quickly; without even trying. What gives? Friends will comment that they are extremely fertile, and don’t want to risk getting pregnant, but that's not always the case. Not everyone is aware of their body, and to be quite honest, if you’re not using the Family Planning Method (FPM), then you have more to learn. In recent years FPM has become more popular since it's a hormone-free alternative to birth control. There is a lot more to it than popping a pill so it might be hard for those that do not have extra time in the morning. Typically you start with taking your temperature at the same time every day, and you have to keep track of your cervical mucus throughout your cycle. Why? Because you tend to be a little hotter during the ovulation period, but also your mucus changes during the stages of your cycle.
To add some clarification, let’s give you a visual. Yes, it's also called the “moon cycle” by some but we are going to refer to it as the four seasons. Fall will be the bleeding portion, winter will be the transitional period from menstruation to ovulation and summer will be the same, the transitional from ovulation to menstruation.
People who are using FPM become more aware of their bodies each season because of the cervical mucus change. They have to be familiar with the changes to predict what time they are ovulating, or the period they can conceive. You ovulate for a period of 48 hours, but male sperm can wait, and female sperm live a bit longer so you have a window of 7 days of fertility.
What we are not told, especially when we have been on the pill since our teenage years, is that most birth control is created to halt the natural cycle of ovulation. Some women that have been on birth control for years have a hard time conceiving because they have not ovulated for years, and their body doesn’t know how to do it anymore, so it needs a few cycles to jump back to their natural track.
So when trying to conceive be aware that the window is pretty small- more or less 7 days out of a 28-day cycle. Of course, everyone is different, so that window might be smaller or shorter. Another thing to consider is your lifestyle and diet. A more plant-based diet will help your body adjust easier, why? No outside hormones from other animal products. I will not sit here and preach veganism, I will, however, preach eating your veggies. There are also some herbs that promote fertility, and vaginal health. Keep in mind, your cycle is natural, so the most natural approach to it should help you achieve conception. If it has been impossible, approximately a year after getting off birth control then I would recommend you see your OBGYN.