What a fertility educator can do for you

 As a fertility educator and SymptoPro instructor, I'm passionate about helping couples to manage their reproductive health in a safe, effective, and empowering way.  But what does that mean, exactly? What role does a fertility educator play in a woman's journey of using natural family planning (NFP)? 

The first thing a fertility educator can do is to teach you the guidelines of natural family planning. During the main instructional period, you will learn about the function of various hormones, the phases of the menstrual cycle, the signs of fertility, how to observe and chart the signs, and how to apply the guidelines for avoiding (or achieving) pregnancy.  Your instructor will work with you closely to make sure you feel confident in the method and can apply the rules correctly.

Your NFP instructor will also review your charts. Besides simply learning the guidelines of NFP, you will also be getting to know the unique rhythms of your own cycles. Your instructor will be available long after your initial class series has ended, to answer any questions you may have about observational techniques, your charts, your fertile window, and more.  You'll probably have several in person follow up meetings, as well as continuous phone/email support.

A fertility educator is also trained to guide you through various reproductive circumstances. Whether you have long, short, or irregular cycles,  are premenopausal, coming off of hormonal birth control, breastfeeding, or suffering from gynecological problems, your instructor can teach you to interpret and navigate charts that may look different than what you saw in class. This also means that an instructor can help you throughout your reproductive life, as your circumstances and body changes and matures. She can help you make the switch from trying to conceive, to trying to avoid pregnancy, and back again. 

Your NFP instructor is someone you can ask anything without fear of embarrassment or funny looks.  She is a coach, cheerleader, and a teacher with a wealth of experience. 

Interesting in learning more about how a fertility educator can help you? Leave a comment below or contact me here!

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