* your waking temperature, location and time of recording as well as type of thermometer
* start of your monthly cycle = first day of your period (also recognisable from the waking temperature)
* duration and intensity of your period
* presence and consistency of your cervical mucus
* estimated time of ovulation
* intercourse
* special events (alcohol consumption, going to bed late, illness/fever, exclusive or complementary breastfeeding, etc)

You can also make note of:

* shortest and longest cycle so far
* personal estimation of fertile days
* general observations regarding menstruation (sanitary protection used, menstrual pain or which pain medications have been used, experiences with freebleeding)
* contraception or trying to conceive
* anything else of importance
Contains a filled in example for one cycle and a short explanation of natural family planning (NFP).

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Period timing, the wish to conceive and contraception

How do you know when your period will start? Perhaps you are one of those women who know to the minute when their period will start. Or perhaps your period regularly takes you by surprise and you are annoyed that you missed all the signs again.

Charting your cycle can help, in a very straightforward fashion, to reliably predict the start of your next period.

Take your temperature on waking before you have moved around, eaten breakfast or brushed your teeth, preferably while still lying in bed. As soon as your temperature curve takes a downturn, your period is about to start and the unfertilised egg is expelled from your body, together with the menstrual fluid.

On the following pages you can record your cycle by noting down your waking temperature, and become a pro at interpreting the signs your body is sending you.

You will find that going to bed late or alcohol consumption during the previous evening falsifies your waking temperature, making it higher. But practice makes perfect and soon no one will be able to tell you anything about your cycle you don’t already know.

Conveniently, you will also be able to use your charts as a tool to avoid or achieve pregnancy.

To avoid a pregnancy, avoid sex without contraception for several days before and after ovulation. To achieve pregnancy, have sex during those very days.

The start of your fertile days is usually signalled by an increase in cervical mucus which becomes more and more stretchy and resembles eggwhite in consistency around the time of ovulation. If your egg remains unfertilised this build up of mucus is excreted together with menstrual fluid which is why you often find mucus in your menstrual blood.

Practical tip: There is plenty of charting software for different computers and mobile phones, that enable you to record waking temperature, mucus consistency and other observations. Search for ‘sympto-thermal method’ or ‘natural family planning’ for plenty of helpful results. There are lots of in depth online sources of information or books on the subject that help you narrow down your fertile period even more to either avoid or achieve a pregnancy.