Fertility Awareness: More Than a Method, Empowerment Through Body Literacy
I used to treat my menstrual health as a separate entity from my overall health. I believed fertility only mattered when you wanted to make a baby. I now humbly accept that neither of these are true.
Much like body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate are vital signs, the menstrual cycle is a woman’s fifth vital sign reflecting her overall health status.
It was through my own journey to find a method of birth control that didn’t impact my physical or mental health, that I was unintentionally introduced to fertility awareness as a method. This meant tracking my menstrual cycle with daily biomarkers, such as basal body temperature and cervical mucus observations. When I dove into this new world of knowledge, I realized how much I needed to first unlearn about my body. I began trusting myself and my connection to my body in ways that had been ignored. I felt frustrated and angry that I didn’t know these details of my reproductive health, especially after training as a Registered Nurse, and honestly just by being a woman, I felt entitled to this knowledge!
“Learning to observe, chart and interpret her menstrual cycle events is the only way a woman can acquire body literacy.”
Laura Wershler, 2005
I dove deep into the literature and podcasts about fertility awareness, and taught myself the Justisse Method in the spring of 2018. After several months, I recognized there were nuances in charting that I needed support with. That’s when I took a mastery class from Fertility Friday. It was after these classes that I gained the confidence I needed to continue charting. This is what fueled the idea that I too wanted to teach women one day!
I began my training with Justisse College International in April 2022 and am proud to share that I graduated as Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner (HRHP) and Fertility Awareness Educator in July 2024. From the moment I discovered Fertility Awareness as a method in 2018, I have successfully avoided unplanned pregnancy, treated my menstrual cycle irregularities, successfully conceived my beautiful son (2021) and beautiful daughter (2024), and continue to chart through postpartum and breastfeeding.
As described, my own experiences have largely relied upon fertility awareness as a method. But it is so much more than a method. It is an opportunity to understand the intricate dance that our hormones and bodily systems play within ourselves. It is no longer ignoring the signals of an irregular menstrual cycle. It is understanding the days of fertility and infertility. It is giving ovulation the appreciation it deserves as the star of the menstrual cycle. It is approaching menstruation with grace and welcome versus dread and disgust. It is acknowledging the changes our reproductive selves transform through from puberty to menopause. It is taking control of our bodies as women and mothers and daughters and sisters and friends.
It is the experience of sitting down with each woman I have had the honour of teaching. It is hearing her story, validating her truth, and watching the transformation of mastering fertility awareness to fit her own intentions. It is the empowerment from one woman to another.
About the Author
Devyn Beeton is a Registered Nurse, and Fertility Awareness Educator/Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner (HRHP) having trained at Justisse College International. She is the founder of Peak Fertility, where she teaches menstrual cycle charting to clients who are trying to conceive, to avoid pregnancy without hormonal contraceptives, and those who are managing reproductive health conditions (PCOS, Endometriosis, PMS).
Devyn lives near Trail, BC with her husband, son and daughter. In her spare time, you can find Devyn “junk journaling” and reading on her Kobo.
Devyn discovered fertility awareness by accident in 2018, and it changed her life. Devyn was surprised by how little she learned about women’s health during her nursing degree. This realization, coupled with her appreciation for informed consent, ignited her passion to educate others about fertility awareness.
