What Is Family Planning? A Guide on Healthy Timing for Pregnancy

Are you and your partner talking about the future? Maybe you're wondering when the best time is to have your first or second child. If so, then you’re probably asking questions like, "What is family planning and how does it fit into my life?"

Family planning is the process of deciding how many children to have and when to have them, using information about your fertility and different contraceptive methods. This thoughtful approach has benefits that go far beyond just timing your pregnancy.

Family Planning Benefits

Choosing when to have children creates a healthier and more stable future for everyone. Here’s how it can help you:

You and your baby stay healthier.

When you plan your pregnancies, you give your body time to fully recover from a previous birth. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend waiting at least 18 months before trying for another baby.

This practice, known as birth spacing, reduces the risk of complications for both you and your next child. So, it’s crucial to explore birth control options after having a baby.

You opens doors for education and career growth.

The WHO highlights that family planning empowers women to pursue education and employment. When you can decide the timing of your pregnancies, you give yourself the opportunity to achieve personal and professional goals, contributing to your family's finances.

You get to decide about your health.

The WHO also emphasizes that having the ability to decide freely and responsibly if, when, and how many children to have is a fundamental human right. This approach helps you make informed choices about your own sexual and reproductive health, putting you in control of your future.

You get time to be financially and emotionally ready.

A 2020 study in the Journal of Marriage and Family highlighted that time pressure, emotional demands, and financial strain are key stressors for parents. Family planning helps by giving you time to prepare your finances, ensuring you can provide a stable and nurturing home for your child.

Additionally, by spacing your children, you can give each one more individual attention during their crucial early years. It helps you manage parenthood’s demands without feeling overwhelmed.

What Are Your Family Planning Options?

Now that you understand the benefits, you might be wondering about the specific methods available. Family planning generally falls into a few main categories:

• Hormonal methods (like the pill)
• Barrier methods (like condoms)
• Long-acting reversible contraceptives (like IUDs)
• Natural family planning (NFP), like Fertility Awareness-Based Methods (FABMs)

While each has its own benefits, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about all your options.

How Natural Family Planning Works

Many people are drawn to NFP because it's a natural, hormone-free way to work with your body. You learn to track your body’s fertility signs using FABMs to identify when you're fertile.

With all FABMs, a method will only be effective with "perfect use." What does this mean? You track your signs carefully and follow the rules every single time. ACOG says "perfect use" has led to about 1 to 5 out of 100 women getting pregnant in the first year.

Here's the catch: in real life, many women apply "typical use" with FABMs, which means they make occasional mix-ups in tracking or missed steps. With typical use, ACOG notes, the chance of pregnancy goes up to around 12 to 24 out of 100 women in a year.

Plus, even when you follow any of the methods here correctly and regularly, they're not always 100% effective in preventing pregnancy. You can read more about how to track your fertile window. But here’s a quick overview to get you started.

The calendar method

This approach, sometimes called the rhythm method, involves tracking the length of your menstrual cycles over several months to estimate your fertile days.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the rhythm method is effective about 75% of the time for preventing pregnancy. But its success largely depends on how consistently you track your cycle (you can use an ovulation calculator to help) and your commitment to avoiding sex or using barrier methods during your fertile window.

Learn how to apply the calendar method, whether you’re trying to conceive or prevent pregnancy.

The cervical mucus method

This method requires you to observe changes in your cervical mucus throughout your cycle. Its texture and appearance change as you approach ovulation.

A 2022 review in Frontiers in Medicine looked at studies on the Billings Ovulation Method, which tracks the texture and appearance of cervical mucus at the vulva. It found that when the method was used correctly every single time, about 1 to 3 out of 100 women got pregnant in a year. But signs were occasionally missed or tracking mistakes were made, so around 10 to 23 out of 100 women became pregnant within the same period.

The same review noted that one study showed that around 17 out of every 100 women got pregnant within a year using the cervical mucus method.

Here’s a guide on how to use the cervical mucus method to avoid or achieve pregnancy.

The basal body temperature method

The basal body temperature (BBT) method involves taking your temperature with a special thermometer first thing every morning. After ovulation, your BBT will show a slight but sustained increase, helping you understand your cycle pattern over time.

While BBT helps identify the end of your fertile window, the Mayo Clinic notes it's one of the least effective natural family planning methods when used alone for birth control.

The symptothermal method

The symptothermal method combines all three methods: calendar, cervical mucus, and BBT. Cross-checking these different fertility signs gives you a detailed view of your cycle.

This combined approach has a pregnancy risk of less than 1% with perfect use and a risk of 2% with typical use in the first year.

The TwoDay method

According to the ACOG, this method is a variation of the cervical mucus method. You check for cervical mucus at least twice a day and ask two questions:

• Did I notice any secretions today?
• Did I notice any yesterday?

If the answer to either question is "yes," you are likely fertile. According to ACOG, if you want to avoid pregnancy, you should use a barrier method on these days. If you've had two dry days in a row, pregnancy is much less likely.

The pregnancy risk of the TwoDay method is 4% with perfect use, rising to 14% in the first year with typical use in the first year.

Is Natural Family Planning Right for You?

Natural family planning can be empowering. It fully respects your reproductive rights by giving you control over your body. To figure out if it's right for you, consider the following:

NFP is a great option if you want:

• A hormone-free method without side effects
• To understand your body’s natural rhythms
• To share the responsibility of family planning with your partner

But remember, NFP also requires you to:

• Track your fertility signs diligently
• Abstain from intercourse on fertile days if you are avoiding pregnancy
• Take extra care if you have irregular cycles

So, what is family planning? It’s really all about making conscious, informed decisions that align with your life goals. Understanding your body’s cycles puts you in control of your family’s future. Remember to discuss your goals with your partner and healthcare provider to determine the best method for you.

Do you use NFP or FABM methods? Connect with other parents on the ParentTeam Moms and Dads Facebook group and share your tips and advice on planned parenthood and other birth control methods.