There are just four simple rules of the Billings Ovulation Method® which you can apply in all circumstances and at all stages of your reproductive life.

You can have irregular cycles when you're stressed or ill, when you're breastfeeding, when you've stopped taking hormonal contraception, or when you're approaching menopause. Sometimes there is an underlying hormonal disorder or other problem that needs medical investigation.

The importance of the mucus as nature’s signal of fertility has been recognised since the nineteenth century. Scientific research over the past 50+ years has gradually unfolded its vital role in assisting new life to begin.

Infertility is usually defined as the inability to conceive after twelve months of sex without contraception. If you're over 35, doctors may consider you infertile if you haven't conceived after six months of sex without contraception. This is simply because women over 35 have fewer years of reproductive life remaining, so it's best if you don't wait another 6 months to seek help.

Knowing how to identify the fertile and infertile times in your cycles can help you to optimise your chances of achieving pregnancy. With the Billings Ovulation Method® you'll learn to understand the signs of fertility and to recognise your Peak day, which is the most fertile day in your cycle and very close to the time of ovulation. That way you'll know when you have the best chance of conceiving. At its simplest, it means having sex when you're aware of the slippery sensation that signals you are at your most fertile.

To achieve a pregnancy you apply the Early Day Rules of the Billings Ovulation Method® so you can clearly identify when you become potentially fertile. Once you notice a change from your Basic Infertile Pattern (BIP), wait without sex until you notice the slippery sensation. The slippery sensation means that you're at your most fertile, and that ovulation is very close. Sex over the days of the slippery sensation and the first day or two past the Peak will give you the best chance of conceiving.

Stress and anxiety can have a big impact on your hormone levels, and this in turn can affect ovulation. For the guys, stress can contribute to problems such as impotence. Having difficulty conceiving is itself stressful, and can lead to feelings of helplessness, guilt, anger and sadness that only worsen the situation.

Watch and listen to this introduction to the Billings Ovulation Method®.