One of the most important things FEMM has to teach you is charting your cycle. Learning to chart is key to understanding your body. FEMM charting focuses on patterns of 4 major hormones that help you and your healthcare advisors understand your health: FSH, LH, estrogen and progesterone.
Charting will help you identify the unfolding signs and patterns of these hormones. Once you learn how to chart, you’ll be able to manage your health and symptoms more effectively, and will have the information you need to manage your fertility.
When charting, you want to observe three signs that will indicate the dominant hormone in your cycle:
- Bleeding or menstruation is the breaking down of the uterus as a result of declining hormone levels. This means that progesterone and estrogen levels are both low or falling.
- Cervical Fluid is an indicator of the estrogen levels in your body. Estrogen causes the cervix to produce increasingly fluid secretions. This sensation can be observed when swiping along tissue at the entrance of your vagina.
- Dry feeling is usually observed after bleeding and following the observation of slippery mucus.. This dry feeling after bleeding is an indication of low hormonal activity, but this observation after ovulation is an indicator of rising or high progesterone levels. The number of dry days after ovulation indicates the sufficiency of progesterone levels, which affect both health and fertility (otherwise known as your luteal phase).
Apart from these 3 basic signs, it is also important to note if you feel any physical symptoms such as cramps, headaches, or bloating, and emotional symptoms like mood swings, insomnia or crying spells. These could help your doctor or nurse identify possible health problems.
FEMM Instructors
Tana Van Gorp
Tana has been using FEMM since 2018 and began her training as an Instructor in January of 2022
Jennifer Den Boer
If you are interested in learning FEMM, CLICK HERE!
Fees:
There are 5 appointments per year with your Instructor to help you gain confidence in the system quickly. Each appointment costs $40. Scholarships are available, please contact info@guidingstarsiouxland.org to apply.