Natural Fertility & Birth Control: A Functional Nutrition Approach to Body Literacy & Hormonal Balance

At our functional and integrative nutrition practice, we empower women to understand and work with their bodies—not against them—through evidence-informed, holistic practices that support both natural conception and non-hormonal birth control.

Whether you are preparing for pregnancy or looking for a hormone-free birth control method, understanding your natural rhythms is key to making empowered and informed choices.

Understanding the Menstrual Cycle

The average cycle is 28–35 days and consists of four phases:

1. Menstrual Phase (Days 1–5): Hormones are low, uterine lining sheds

2. Follicular Phase (Days 6–13): Estrogen rises, egg matures

3. Ovulation (Around Day 14): Estrogen peaks, LH surge triggers ovulation

4. Luteal Phase (Days 15–28): Progesterone rises, uterine lining builds

You are only fertile for about 5–6 days each cycle—

the few days leading up to and including ovulation.

Fertility Awareness for Birth Control & Conception

Fertility Awareness Methods (FAM) help track your natural fertility signs to either avoid pregnancy or conceive naturally. When practiced correctly, some methods can be over 98% effective.

Why It Works:

Your body gives you signals that ovulation is approaching—by tracking these changes, you can clearly identify when you are fertile or not.

How It Works:

FAM combines 2–3 of the following biomarkers to confirm ovulation and predict fertile windows:

1. Basal Body Temperature (BBT)

What it is: BBT is your body’s lowest resting temperature, taken each morning before you get out of bed.

How it works:

• Before ovulation: BBT is lower (typically 97.0–97.7°F)

• After ovulation: Progesterone causes BBT to rise (97.8–98.6°F)

• A sustained rise for 3 days confirms that ovulation has occurred

Why it works: Tracking BBT helps you pinpoint when ovulation happened and confirm the infertile luteal phase.

How to do it:

• Use a basal thermometer (to 0.01°F accuracy)

• Take temp at the same time every morning before getting up

• Record in a fertility charting app (e.g., Read Your Body, Kindara, Tempdrop)

2. Cervical Mucus Tracking

What it is: Cervical mucus changes throughout the cycle based on estrogen and progesterone levels.

How it works:

• Dry or sticky: Non-fertile

• Creamy or lotion-like: Approaching ovulation

• Stretchy, clear, egg-white (EWCM): Very fertile, indicates ovulation is near

Why it works: EWCM helps sperm survive and travel to the egg—its presence is a strong indicator of your fertile window.

How to do it:

• Check externally at the vulva before or after using the bathroom

• Note texture, color, and stretch

• Track changes daily in a fertility chart

3. Cervix Position Awareness

What it is: The cervix changes position and texture throughout the cycle.

How it works:

• Low, firm, closed = Non-fertile

• High, soft, open = Fertile (ovulation is near or occurring)

Why it works: A soft, open cervix makes it easier for sperm to enter. Learning to assess these shifts adds another layer of body awareness.

How to do it:

• Check with clean fingers daily at the same time

• Gently feel the cervix's height, softness, and openness

• Track patterns throughout your cycle

4. Seed Cycling for Hormone Balance

What it is: Seed cycling is a gentle nutrition-based strategy to support estrogen and progesterone production using specific seeds at different phases of your cycle.

How it works:

• Follicular Phase (Days 1–14): 1 tbsp each of ground flax + pumpkin seeds→ Supports estrogen metabolism

• Luteal Phase (Days 15–28): 1 tbsp each of sesame + sunflower seeds→ Supports progesterone production

Why it works: Seeds contain lignans, essential fatty acids, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and vitamin E—nutrients needed for healthy hormone signaling and detoxification. This method will help your cycle become more regular (28 days), ovulating around the same time monthly and due for your period around the same time. It also helps to calm down symptoms such as heavy periods, mood swings, cramping and more!

How to do it:

• Use organic and raw seeds (ground for the flaxseed or all)

• Add to smoothies, yogurt, or salads daily

• Stay consistent for 2–3 months to observe benefits

Other Tools for Natural Fertility & Birth Control

Fertility Apps & Wearables

• Track cycles, BBT, mucus, symptoms

• Use with caution: apps should NOT be the only method unless you confirm ovulation. (Recommended: Kindara, Read Your Body, Tempdrop, OvuSense

Lifestyle Tips for Hormone + Cycle Support

• Prioritize protein + healthy fats to stabilize blood sugar and support hormone synthesis

• Reduce plastics, parabens, and xenoestrogens that disrupt hormone balance

• Manage stress + sleep to protect the HPA axis and regulate cycles

• Include magnesium, B6, selenium, and iodine for thyroid + ovulation support

  
  

Nutritional Support for Ovulation & Cycle Regularity

Nutrient	Role in Fertility	Food Sources
Magnesium	Supports relaxation, hormone balance	Pumpkin seeds, spinach, cacao
Zinc	Egg + sperm health, cervical fluid	Pumpkin seeds, lentils, beef, seafood (oysters)
B6 & B12	Hormone metabolism + energy	Eggs, salmon, leafy greens
Omega-3s	Egg quality, implantation, mood	Salmon, flax, walnuts, hemp, chia
Selenium	Thyroid and egg health	Brazil nuts, mushrooms, asparagus
Iodine	Ovulation and thyroid hormone	Seaweed, fish, egg yolk

Natural Conception Guidelines

If you’re trying to conceive, your fertile window includes the 5 days leading up to and including ovulation.

Tips to enhance natural conception:

• Track BBT and mucus to time intercourse

• Support gut health and liver detox for hormone clearance

• Avoid high cortisol levels – stress delays ovulation

• Maintain stable blood sugar with protein + fat at every meal

• Consider prenatal supplementation including folate, D3, choline, iron, and omega-3s

Not Ideal? When to Use Extra Caution

• Irregular cycles, PCOS, thyroid imbalance (seed cycling can help here)

• Post-birth control recovery (will take time to balance - use seed cycling)

• Night shift work or poor sleep (affects BBT accuracy)

• If you’re new to tracking, use backup protection (barrier method) during learning phase

  
  

Final Thoughts: Honoring Your Cyclical Nature

Natural fertility awareness and body literacy practices are powerful tools that reconnect women to the wisdom of their cycles. Whether you're preventing pregnancy or ready to conceive, these methods help restore trust in your body, balance hormones naturally, and avoid the side effects of hormonal contraception.

Want personalized support? We offer functional hormone mapping, cycle syncing plans, and nutrient-focused protocols for women at every phase. Book your consult today and learn how to work with your body—not against it.