Chart Your Cycle

Understand Your Body (and Moods and Energy!)

Did you know that only about 3% of women worldwide fully understand their own cycles?

You shouldn’t be a mystery to yourself!

  • The hormonal balance involved in reproductive health affects the health of the entire body

  • The length of different phases of your cycle and menstruation gives insight into your hormonal health

  • Recognize if you’re ovulating and your fertile window (you’re NOT fertile every day of your cycle)

  • Understand the trends in your moods and energy levels throughout your cycle

  • Share your charts with your healthcare practitioners in accurate diagnosis and treatment of any health issues you may experience

Why Should You Chart?

Your cycle has been called your “fifth vital sign” because it can give so much information about your overall health.

And that brings us to a super exciting opportunity to work together!

My name is Leslie Aguilar, and I’m currently becoming a certified teacher through FEMM, which is a reproductive health program for women. For my certification process, I will be working with a few teacher-in-training clients who will get the standard FEMM fertility education curriculum for free. (After certification, this 1-on-1 work costs several hundred dollars.)

What’s Included:

  • 3 private sessions on how to chart and what to look for

  • Follow-up sessions to go over each of your completed charts

  • Your questions answered as they come up

What is FEMM?

FEMM (Fertility Education and Medical Management) is a knowledge and prevention based reproductive health program for women. They are seeking to redefine healthcare for women by providing the science of women’s reproductive health based on sound physiological principles.

When women are fully educated on our own bodies, we’re able to engage in informed choice, which is a voluntary, well-considered decision based on options, information, and understanding. This allows us to be more confident patients and partners with our healthcare providers.

FEMM trains fertility educators (which is what I’m doing now) as well as healthcare providers to provide the medical management needed by some women. They implement protocols developed by the Reproductive Health Research Institute to address a variety of health concerns.

To learn more about FEMM, visit their website.

Who is a good candidate to be a practice client?

She is willing to:

  • Complete the FEMM Health Form (giving anonymous consent to FEMM so that I can consult with my certification instructor’s about the information)

  • Chart daily for at least 3 full cycles

  • Chart on paper and in the (free) app, and bring (or email) copies to me for our sessions

  • Use LH testing strips in cycles 2 and 3 (these are inexpensive urine test strips)

She must NOT be:

  • pregnant

  • exclusively breastfeeding*

  • on hormonal birth control/copper IUD

All of those interfere with the natural cycle such that charting is ineffective and not as informative

*If you’re postpartum and still breastfeeding some, but you’re having cycles fairly regularly, you’d likely be a good candidate

I’m only taking SIX practice clients, so if you’d like to do it, be sure to respond ASAP.

(And if it’s not for you, but you know someone that might be interested,
be sure to share this page with her.)

FAQs

Yes! I think it’s actually often the MOST helpful for irregular cycles, because it takes so much guess work out of where you are in your cycle and when to expect your period.

Can I do this if my cycles are irregular?

Once you get used to it, it typically takes about two minutes a day to write down your observations in your chart, plus paying attention to your physical signs throughout the day.

How much time will this take me every day?

There are some differences between the two and it’s good to get comfortable doing both so you can decide which is better for you. At first, paper gives you more freedom to take extra notes and write down questions. As you become more confident in your charting, you may find that you prefer the apps for ease of use.

Why do I need to chart on the app and on paper?

No. The FEMM method is a symptohormonal method rather than a symptothermal one. That means you’ll be observing biomarkers and using LH testing to verify your observations. If you would like to temperature track as another biomarker, we can discuss that as well.

Will I need to take my temperature every day?

And my name is Leslie: I’m a Christian, mama of three, maternity health coach, and doula

I’m currently certified as a prenatal and postpartum corrective exercise specialist, pregnancy health coach, and birth doula. I’m becoming a FEMM teacher to expand my offerings into preconception as well so that my clients can have continuity of care from me throughout the journey of trying to conceive, managing pregnancy, and recovering postpartum. For more info about me you can read my full bio.