New NFP method!

[Celia]

Has anyone heard of those “cycle beads”? You can read about them at www.cyclebeads.com. It’s based on the Standard Days Method. I read about it in Self magazine, it has a 95% effectiveness rate supposedly. What do you all think of this? Seems like a good method or no? Thanks

 

[Amie]

Celia,
Unfortunately, this is not a new method. It is based on the old “rhythm method.”

Quoted from the website: “Please note, the Standard Days Method, on which CycleBeads are based, works best for women with regular menstrual cycles that are between 26 and 32 days long. Women with cycles outside this range should use a different method of family planning.”

It’s a cute idea, if you have regular cycles… but, as the “The Art of Natural Family Planning” clearly identifies, if you were to have even one cycle where you had a delayed or early ovulation, this would lend the beads to be useless. Also, this does not encourage the woman to check her cervix and mucus signs, much less temperatures, which would give her much more clear signs of her fertility. I would stay away from using these beads, if anything, so that you maintain the good habits of checking the usual fertility signs.

God bless,
-Amy

 

[RosieGirl]

I agree with Amie. On another not though, since it basically is just a rythem method…why spend $12 on something, when you can just use a calender?

 

[Celia]

Thanks guys I had a feeling it might not be a good idea. I wondered about that whole 26-32 cycle thing too. I normally have very normal cycles but some stress or something sometimes alters it. Good point about the calendar too. I think it was just wishful thinking, it looked so easy!