"This book is beautiful, accessible and just meets a real need!"
"Cycle Charting for Girls is succinct, factual, and fun! Knowing this information about our bodies is empowering for every girl...it's a perfect launching pad for truly appreciating our feminine design."
I can't tell you how often I hear this in my work as a cycle and fertility educator:
"Why did no one tell me this when I was growing up?!"
Our feminine design is truly amazing, and it's mind-blowing how different our perspective could have been if we'd only been told what was happening in our bodies and why.
And now that you have a teenage daughter, you have the chance to make her experience different. Because if you're waiting for her school or friends to tell her the truth about her menstrual cycle...you'll be waiting a while.
Your daughter deserves the dignity of knowing her God-given design - and that includes her menstrual cycle.
As a society, we HAVE to stop waiting until a woman is trying to have children to tell her critical information about her body.
ā Tell her it's NOT okay to suffer with painful cramps or heavy bleeds for years instead of figuring out what's wrong
ā Give her basic health information about what is actually going on during her menstrual cycle
ā Promote a positive connotation around menstruation by acknowledging the challenging aspects AND the beauty of feminine design
I believe there's a way we can teach our girls about their cycles - their whole cycles - to help them navigate puberty, periods, and those awkward conversations with the doctor.
The knowledge that comes with cycle charting is basic health information.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that adolescent girls be taught how to accurately chart their period patterns as a vital sign for their health.*
But tracking periods only gets you a little bit of information! In order to accurately chart what's going on in your WHOLE CYCLE, you need to see what's going on "beyond the bleed."
*ACOG, Menstruation in Girls and Adolescents: Using the Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign, Committee Opinion #651
that every girl should know about her body and be introduced to the skills which will allow her to chart if she wants to!
The text emphasizes that charting is a practice which girls should feel free to pick up and leave off with whenever they want to, according to their preferences and situation.
presents options for charting at various levels, according to age and development:
within the first few years of cycling
As cycles begin and fluctuate during this period of learning, we keep it simple with a wheel chart and simple observations of cervical fluid, mood, and energy levels.
once ovulation becomes more regular
Now that she is most likely having more ovulatory cycles, we add in how to look for ovulation as a healthy sign and to assess the phases of her cycle for regularity. We also introduce tracking temperature if desired and keeping a graph chart.
wanna know more???
This book does not teach girls how to identify a fertile window and cannot be used for Natural Family Planning. In the Basic Guide, we use a fluid-only approach to learn about cycle patterns. In the Advanced Guide, the girls have the option to track with a sympto-thermal approach. They learn how to identify ovulation as a healthy sign.
I am a woman of faith, so the language that I use within the text reflects the deep appreciation I have for the dignity of our bodies. This is why we say the text is "values-based." However, there is nothing in this text which is overtly religious.
Yes! Practice charts show girls how to find ovulation using a combination of fluid + temperature tracking, or fluid alone.
Yes! Pediatricians were consulted in the writing of this text, especially in the section which discusses common cycle issues that teens face. Every effort has been made to ensure the medical accuracy of this text.
It does not. If you are looking for reproduction lessons, please check out my "Anatomy, Reproduction, and Fertility" course that addresses reproduction and fertility in the context of Catholic moral teaching.
Because this guide does not cover cycle charting in the context of family planning, it does not cover any other family planning alternatives, including contraception. However, it does include two pages of information discussing "birth control," which is sometimes presented by doctors as an option for alleviating cycle symptoms. The text explains how birth control often shuts down ovulation and masks symptoms, rather than offering real treatment. It is meant to help guide parents and teens in making prudential judgments regarding their own unique health situations.
And I think better looks like teens who are:
ā Knowledgeable about how their bodies, menstrual cycles, and hormones work
ā Cognizant of their needs, prioritize self care, and can confidently seek help when things seem off instead of suffering needlessly
ā Appreciative of the dignity of their bodies and unique feminine design