One of the biggest reasons I started the 30-day Naturally Balanced Challenge, was to give myself some accountability when it comes to making new habits. Charting is one of those that I often forget about, so hopefully talking about it constantly will get me back into the groove. Below I’ve listed a few of the articles we’ve published on Natural Family Planning/Fertility Awareness, and while the basis of the articles is about conception, charting also helps us to figure out what’s going on with our hormones. If one part of our phase is to long or to short, it can mean different herbal advice or different dietary needs to fix the issue.
So one of my goals this month is to make sure I chart my temperature each morning at the same time.
- The Basics
- Charting Your Temperature
- Cervical Fluid
- Cervical Changes
- Secondary Symptoms
- Frequently Asked Questions about Charting
Lunaception
Thanksgiving day is kind of an odd day to start a challenge, huh? I know. But I also know that by practicing lunaception, I can help to regulate my hormones naturally, and the new moon starts tomorrow, so it’s an easy day for me to get on track.
Lunaception is basically the practice of balancing hormones by controlling the light in the room where we sleep. You see, much of our hormone production is done at night, and light int he room signals certain ones to be released. In the far off past, before electricity, women usually cycled with the moon as the full moon and it’s extra light signaled their bodies to ovulate.
full moon – signals ovulation new moon – menstruation
Since I’m coming off a miscarriage and as of last Friday still have hcg in my system, I’m going to focus on balancing my cycle with the moon cycle. To do so –
- Sleep in complete darkness starting November 24 (2011). This means covering up alarm clocks and windows that allow in any artificial light. Absolute darkness is best, but if you live in an area where there are no outside lights (in the boonies) you don’t have to be as picky about covering the windows. If you often get up at night to use the restroom, place dim nightlights in the hallway and bathroom and refrain from turning on overhead lights.
- Starting on December 9 (2011), the day before the full moon, allow a small amount of light into the room. Natural moon light through a window is best, otherwise try and find a very white, yet dim nightlight for your room.
- Three days later, on the 12th go back to sleeping in complete darkness until the next full moon.
- Grab a calendar and mark the first day of your last period as day one.
- Counting out to day 14 – that day you begin to sleep with a small light and continue for two more nights.
- Go back to sleeping in complete darkness.
*If you have a 28-30 day cycle, just keep following your cycle and on days 14-16 sleep with a small amount of light in the room.
*If you have a long cycle, you’ll want to number your calendar only to 30, and then even if your period doesn’t show up, start numbering again at one, and sleep in light on days 14-16 again. It may take a few months, but eventually your cycle should match. (much more effective when you’re making dietary changes as well)
My biggest issue will be covering the alarm clock…..my husband like to be able to see it at all hours of the night.
Have you regularly charted before or ever used lunaception to regulate your cycle?
Donielle Baker
Food for thought, how weight can affect fertility
I feel like such a ditz! I didn’t know I had to take my temperature at the exact same time every morning…my kids wake me up at either 6:30 or 7 every morning…hmmm…
Thank you for this series!
I’m looking forward to getting into the lunaception stuff. I know of some research on it – chiefly CCL’s studies from the 1970s – which showed substantial gains in women with irregular cycles (really long or really short) or anovulatory cycles, alleviated spotting at odd times and higher progesterone levels in the luteal phase. Basically, improved gynecological outcomes across the board. Who would’ve thought that could be possible from blocking out light which you sleep!
I charted back when my husband and I were first married, before we even started trying to have children. But my cycles never showed any patterns and I got frustrated and eventually got out of the habit. I really wish I would have kept going, though, since now, after 4 years of trying, it would be a useful reference. But you have inspired me to start again! Think I’ll go sign up for Fertility Flower…
Red light interferes less with you sleep cycles so if you wake at night (breast feeding or bathroom) use a red light if needed. Lunaception has proven very helpful in regulating my cycles and along with help from my naturopath to balance my hormones.
Hi,
Would wearing an eyemask at night count as sleeping in complete darkness? I pretty much do sleep in darkness mostly. I do live where there aren’t many streetlights and i only have a red color alarm clock on the other side of the room and a glowing greenish light kind of thing in the open-area bathroom. I can unplug the night light, but I am the one who likes to know what time it is if i wake up in the night. Altho i suppose i can keep my phone in the drawer by my bed.
But what do you think also about all the smart phone/wireless technology being near you and on at night?
what would be best? Eyemask?, or unplugging everything?
@Jennifer, Supposedly, the body still knows there is light. So complete darkness works best. But an eye mask is second best.
And I’m not certain that sleeping with cell phones is particularly safe. 😉 I don’t like mine in my room and I may start turning off our wifi at night.
I have just started charting and it has helped me to understand my cycles so much better. I would recommend it for anyone!
I’ve been charting for well over a year now, but lunaception is new to me. And it’s fascinating! Thanks for the info.
This is stupid but ihave always been afraid of the dark. I can deal but my hubby works overnights a few days a week so light is really comforting. Ironically i always have had 35 day or longer cycles and have gone months without a period during times of stress (ironically though got my period back at 3 mo pp despite ebf and cosleeping ugh!). Also since going off the pill in ’07 after taking it for 3 yrs, my cycles have never regulated. What can I do? Thx
@L, I guess maybe find some ways to be comfortable in the dark…? I dunno. :-/ Like have a lamp close by, or flashlight. Or leave a light on in the bathroom so you know there will be light as soon as you open your door.
I do understand not being comfortable with sleeping when your husband is gone, Todd worked second shift for a couple of years. I got a dog. 🙂
Thanks! I have a dog but she wouldn’t hurt a fly lol!
@L, I got a rottweiler. 🙂 He’s a huge baby, but other people don’t know that!
So… would something like this help if I almost never have a period? I had my son in Aug, ’10 and I’ve only had one cycle since then back in December. Would doing the darkness thing help start my cycles? I’ve never been regular except right before I got pregnant. We eat all real foods and do the best we can afford with all of that and I’m trying to lose weight so I’m not eating grains currently (or sugar, of course). I’m also getting acupuncture to try to start my cycles. I definitely envy the ones who don’t struggle with this!
It may help for sure – though are you still nursing? Or have you recently weaned? Because in reality, women are supposed to be “infertile” while breastfeeding – many not ovulating at all even with minimal nursing. (I for one didn’t even ovulate when we went to nursing just once a day – and it took 8 weeks after each child weaning to start again) I know it’s difficult when everyone seems to have a kid every two years….but it hasn’t always been like that. years ago people waited 3- 4 years between kids. Even biblically they breastfed for about 3 years and child spacing was 3-4 years as well. But of course that knowledge doesn’t help much does it? I too start to feel anxious when I realize that even if I were to get pregnant ‘today’, that my youngest would be 4 before the baby is born.
For me – working on contentment is harder than working on the physical stuff!
Not still nursing. Had planned on nursing longer but has some supply issues and my son weaned himself at 11mo, thankfully he never needed formula though! So I’ve been breastfeeding-free for nearly a year. I had to eat a low-carb, no sugar diet to start my cycles years ago and I’m working on that again. Of course, I do it without artificial sweeteners or junk food.
I know spacing kids out more is actually better for your body and I’m with you on that… though I wouldn’t mind another one soon. I’m going to be 30 this year and I’m feeling that biological clock ticking. But, I know God is the giver of life and His timing is perfect. I just want to do everything I can to regulate my body because it feels kinda toxic not to clean-out monthly at this point. 🙂
@Sarah, Well many women do have good luck with lunaception regulating their cycles. And I think that if you also work on the diet portion to start them again, it definitely couldn’t hurt to try. 🙂 Lunaception is one of those things that really has no adverse affects!
@Noemi, I think that doing the best you can is better than not trying anything at all! 🙂 So even though you have some artificial light hopefully if you can keep it somewhat dark it’ll help. Or at least try and keep it totally dark during the new moon (because after that you’ll always get a bit of moon light through the window anyways.
@donielle, thanks a lot for your reply! 😉
I’ve been using the facemask and, although I didn’t noticed any sign of BBT rising, I won’t gipe up. Anyway, I love feeling this connection with the Moon Phases. It helps me to keeep being concious of my femininity 🙂
Thanks again for your kindness! best wishes.
I’m thinking about trying lunaception and was wondering if total darkness could also be achieved by wearing a sleep mask?
@Courtney, From what I’ve heard, using a mask isn’t as good as keeping the room dark. Something about how you’re skin also absorbs and interacts with the light. BUT…if that’s all you can do – it’s better than not doing anything at all! 🙂
@donielle, Okay, thanks! Some moonlight gets in our window so I thought maybe the mask would help. I’ll keep using it, and maybe get some curtains when there’s a little more room in our budget 🙂
I am currently nursing my 19 mo son and have only recently begun to cycle again, although it’s been very sporadic! My first period came at the end of August, when DS was 16 1/2 mos. I had a second period 39 days later, and now (today, completely by coincidence with a new moon) a third cycle 47 (!!) days later. We are trying to conceive again, but with such a random cycle, we’re not having any luck. I really want to try lunaception, but struggle with the actual ‘doing’ part as my husband works odd (and not regular) hours and is sometimes up getting ready for work at 3 or 4am, or getting home at 1am. He’s generally very thoughtful about not waking me or my son (we currently co-sleep) but I am a light sleeper and usually at least acknowledge when he leaves or comes in. My question is this: What hours of the night constitute “nighttime”? Or maybe better asked how many hours of continuous darkness count as “totally dark sleep”? For example, if we turn out the lights at 11pm and my husband gets up at 5am, is my total darkness a failure for the night? I suppose I could try and get my husband to take all his morning routine to the bathroom or something, but he will inevitably forget something and have to use a light in our room!
@Erin Harris, Hmmmm, good questions. And I don’t know the answer for sure, but I would think that having at least 4-6 hours of total dark, non-interrupted, would be sufficient.
I think what’s more important is to just be aware and lessen the amount of light you might be subjected to on any ‘total’ dark night.
Any many women have found that more important than the light/dark in their room is the amount of uninterrupted sleep they get. So while the darkness is important, it’s not the only factor in regulating the cycle either. 🙂
CAN LUNACEPTION INCREASE PROGESTERONE FOR THOSE WITH HIGHER ESTROGEN AND INFERTILITY ISSUE?
@WOLE V A, I have heard some women say that they experience more balanced hormones, though I do think that the foods we eat and the way we live probably affect our hormone balance more than if we only practice lunaception. We first have to build a good foundation and tehn alternative therapies like this can be more effective.
Hi,
I ‘ve been having irregular periods since July ’13. Got my period only twice that too with medicine. Will lunaception helps with ovulation in my case?
Thanks in advance.
Hi,
I ‘ve been having irregular periods since July ’13. Got my period only twice that too with medicine. Will lunaception help with ovulation in my case?
Thanks in advance.
To the author of this post:
– Put a blue-light blocking filter over the alarm clock; it’s only the blue end of the light spectrum that affects hormones. Your husband will still be able to see the clock. Just buy a sheet of the sticky orange plastic/clingfilm type material used for arts and crafts and stick it over the clock!
– Use blue-light blocking glasses if you need to get up during the night, and also wear them for several hours before you go to bed.
Hope this helps!
Great ideas – thanks for sharing!
Hi,
has anyone experiences with cosmo-biological-prevention and the lunaception-“system” together?
the c-b-prevention says, there is an ovulation every moon period at the same time when you were born. (the ovulation is when the moon has the same position at the time of your birth) Then you are the most fertile.
but this system is not transferable to lunaception, isn`t it? my cosmo-biological-ovulation is four days after new moon.
how to handle this? your do you think cosmo-biological-prevention is shit?
best regards, Hannah
I’ve not heard of cosmo-biological-ovulation before – and unless that cycle matches with the full moon…yea, I don’t think they’d line up. 🙂
Is this following the moon cycles? Complete darkness except night before, on and day after full moon?
Exactly! 🙂