Billings Method

The Billings Ovulation Method (MOB), also known as the Billings Method, is a reproductive health method. It is used to know the periods of female fertility and infertility during each ovarian/menstrual cycle and for the early detection of any anomaly in the female reproductive system.

The method is not based on the presence of ovulation but, presumably, identifies patterns of potential fertility and infertility within the cycle. This information, the theory goes, can be used to achieve or avoid pregnancy during regular or irregular cycles, including breastfeeding and perimenopause. With this method, women may notice irregularities in their vaginal discharge.

The method was developed by doctors John Billings and Evelyn Livingston Billings and its use is widespread worldwide as a natural method of fertility regulation.

Basic procedure

The Billings method is based on knowledge of the changing levels of hormones throughout the menstrual cycle that affect the volume and texture of mucus produced in the cervix and that appears at the vaginal opening. It is based on the theory that once the person is familiar with these changes, he will be able to accurately identify the time of ovulation.

Generally the person pays attention to the 'feeling' in his vulva, and the appearance of vaginal discharge or mucus (although observation of the latter is not essential); This knowledge of the cycles can be used to avoid getting pregnant or vice versa, both in the normal cycle and in breastfeeding and in the transition to menopause. It should be noted that it is considered essential to take a course to practice the Billings method because it is based on observations of values, it has rules and it is important to educate yourself for its application. Someone is only considered to be using the method when they keep a record of their observations.

According to this method, during fertile days the cervical mucus has a viscous, stringy appearance, similar to the white of a raw, elastic egg. Infertile days are characterized by greater dryness and cervical mucus will be thicker, thinner and stickier, or even absent.

History

The first observations of the relationship between sperm and cervical mucus date back to the 19th century, although it was not systematically studied until 1948 when Erik Odeblad investigated mycoplasmas in the female genital tract. In these studies, Odeblad noticed that cervical mucus changed over the course of the female cycle; Subsequently, he continued to study the origin of cervical mucus in the cervix itself.

Independently in 1953, John Billings (1918-2007) discovered the relationship between mucus and fertility when he was a marriage counselor for the Catholic Family Welfare Bureau in Melbourne, Australia.

Because some couples of the Catholic faith had serious reasons for postponing pregnancies, and this conflicted with Christian teachings (except by using 'natural methods') and because their profession Dr. Billings was familiar with the rhythm method and the basal method, he thought there must be some more flexible and reliable way. Thus he embarked on the study of medical literature on this subject, discovering references from the 19th and XX.

In the 1960s, Dr James Brown took over the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne; He had previously developed the first tests to measure estrogen and progesterone, and used these tests to assist Dr. Billings in future studies; Dr. Evelyn Billings joined the group in 1965.

By the end of the 60s they had already found the rules to identify fertile days and began to establish teaching centers around the world. This method was called Ovulation Method, to emphasize that the main characteristic of a woman's fertile cycle is ovulation instead of menstruation. In 1970 a committee of the World Health Organization renamed it the Billings Ovulation Method. In 1980, the book written by Dr. Evelyn Billings and Dr. Ann Westmore was published, which He helped to disseminate and make this method known worldwide. This book has been the subject of numerous translations, reprints and revisions, the last edition being in 2011, with one million copies sold in more than 22 languages.

Did you mean: La verificación científica del Método continúa. El Dr. Brown continuó estudiando la actividad de los ovarios hasta su retiro en 1985.

Since 1977, Dr. Erik Odeblad became familiar with the Method, and reached the same conclusion as Dr. Billings in all his studies. His studies continued for more decades demonstrating the scientific validity of the Method.

Currently the method is practiced in more than 120 countries worldwide. ^{[citation required]}

Fertility

• The ovula woman only once during her cycle, and an egg can only survive 24 hours.^{[chuckles]required]}
• The cervical mucus allows the sperm to survive and travel the genital tract which is necessary to fertilize the egg.
• The sperm usually lives between one day and three in the presence of a fertile mucus; it is very rare that it survives until five days.

The possibility of pregnancy due to sperm surviving more than five days is compared to "winning the jackpot in a mega lottery.

• Regular menstruation occurs, on average, two weeks after ovulation.
• A 10-year study in non-fertile Chinese couples (45,280) found that 32.1% of women were pregnant and with the live baby through the Billings Method.

How the method works

In the days following menstruation, the cervix responds to estrogen by producing mucus, which is capable of supporting and nourishing the sperm in their survival. This mucus comes out of the vagina when the woman is in an upright position. Mucus is observed by its appearance and by the sensation it produces in the vulva. Daily the woman takes note of her observations, and thus she realizes when she is fertile or infertile. Some women can deduce this through vaginal sensation, although this is not very certain.

The Billings Method teaches women to recognize and understand their signs of fertility; This can help in the early diagnosis and treatment of vaginal disorders, and contribute to reproductive development and health.

Process monitoring

• Generally, the woman focuses on the vaginal sensation, and the review should be at least three times a day, and not when she is sexually excited, although having already learned the correct identification of fluids, she recognizes the difference between both sensations.

• This same method can be done with a toilet paper, or with the fingers, slightly separating the vaginal lips, already collected the mucus slowly opens the fingers to see its humidity, the quantity and quality (color, consistency, hardness, and elasticity).

• There are other ways to see the liquid, like when it is going to defecate that it is when it comes out moco, before or after urinating; when the ovulation time is coming, the mucus is becoming thinner until it disappears, leaving a "resbaladiza" feeling.

It is recommended that the woman monitor the fluid with a graphic table, starting with day 1 of menstruation, noting what she observes in the appearance and consistency of the mucus as well as the sensation it causes in the vulva. Among other things, you must mark each day what is observed, putting abbreviations such as FER (for fertile), INF (for infertile), OVU (for Ovulation), among other words depending on whether you want to create, or use the acronyms already prepared by the specialists, also depending on whether it is going to be combined with temperature or others.

Vaginal infections

The correct use of the method can help the health of couples both emotionally and physically. A woman who was familiar with the method for several years, and with whom she had conceived a child, noticed that her vaginal fluid had a different color than what she had always noticed in her body; this mucus was present for more than 15 days after menstruation; This unusual change in her body prompted her to have a Pap test and they found that her cervix was cancerous, which they treated immediately.

1. Generally the infertile moco is yellowish, and does not change moisture in its normal course; according to the stage of the process it is dry, sticky, creamy, slippery, clear and elastic.
2. For some women, it may be that after menstruation it feels wet but without fluid, unsuccessful (appeared to cheese, fine), creamy but harder, like cream for the hands, reflectte (like mirror), slippery and elastic, thus it can indicate signs of some health problem, although not necessarily.
3. When the fluid is already serious it would be seen after menstruation in the form of rubber or gomoso, such as latex, milky, and slippery but not elastic; this could be some pathology, although in reality the true vaginal symptoms are itching, swelling or tumefaction, redness, unpleasant smell (not common in a healthy fluid), and unusual vaginal discharges.
4. Other forms are the color of the mucus, often green (not healthy), or very yellowish all the time; of course, only women who know their body know how to distinguish the normal from the abnormal in their flows.

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

The advantages and disadvantages depend on the trust and communication between couples, as well as self-control or self-control, and depend more on the people's perspectives or personality.

• Discipline: A possible disadvantage or advantage according to the couple is that you have to keep a continuous record and take notes diligently: it requires discipline to write daily in the letters already made by Billings organizations. In addition, it is necessary to collaborate with the couple in order to abstain in the "not safe" or fertile days. Part of the rate of failures may be due to misuse of other contraceptive methods (such as condoms, diaphragms, spermicides, interrupted intercourse, etc.) during the fertile period.
• Archive: The first year or first months can be tedious to the woman or couple, keep a thorough writing of changes in the fluid; when the process of the method has already been well understood, there is the advantage that the person comes to know their body and flows, and there is no longer much need to keep a thorough record: some women think they can detect their fertility with just feeling their vulva, or vaginal temperature.
• Natural: There is virtually no side effect more than pregnancy compared to "non-natural" or invasive methods; this method does not protect from venereal diseases.
• It can be reversed: Not intervening in the reproductive process is completely reversible. Registration should simply be suspended and sexual activity resumed.
• Symptoms: When you get to know your body better, the woman can detect some diseases, as well as relieve "premenstrual" problems, and does not damage the fetus if you become pregnant.

Other uses

Although the Ovulation Method is designed especially to be used in fertility, there are other uses that women and specialists have given it, and they are the following.

1. For early detection of cervical cancer, by means of moco observation, if it is abundant and continuous, or other irregularities.
2. Sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea which produce a thick liquid secretion, and others.
3. To choose the sex of the baby, for which there are several proposals.

• (a) The Shettles Method postulates that, for a male, coitus should be kept simultaneously with ovulation, since according to this researcher, the male (Y) sperm is smaller, compact and fast than that of the female; they recommend drinking caffeine to facilitate the male's speed and use vaginal showers with bicarbonate. For a woman (X), because her sperm is heavier and slower, so it would take long to get there, the coitut should stay two to three days at least before the ovulation day.
• (b) The Baretta Method postulates that, although there are differences between both spermatozoids, these are not as marked as to require several days in the transfer of an "X" (e.g., and vice versa), and that the filter operation is the secretions or cervical mucus simultaneously to the intercourse. Based on the basis that ovulation may not coincide with the peak or cusp of the mucus, the Baretta Method argues that the important relationship of simultaneity (Y) or removal (X) should be made with respect to the cusp and not with respect to ovulation. The Baretta Method is also supported by the changes that the female diet produces in the fertile mucus of each woman, so it is necessary to accompany the cycle registration with the application of the diet appropriate to each sperm.

To apply this knowledge, of course you need to be well familiar with the methods.

Tests and clinical trials

In clinical trials, pregnancy rates related to the method have ranged between 0% and 2.9%.

In a recent trial in China 992 couples using the Billings Method were compared with 662 couples using IUDs; the Method obtained 0.5%.

In studies regarding teachings about pregnancy it was between 0% and 6%; all pregnancies vary between 1 and 25%.

In an international study in 5 countries (three developing and 2 developed) by the World Health Organization, it was found that developing countries had the best percentage. The majority of women were illiterate or illiterate, compared to the women studied, demonstrating that the method has little to do with previous studies of the users.

Likewise, the International Planned Parenthood Federation reveals in a commentary on this study that those three countries had the best score; Although many other countries were developed, these three countries had a total of 98.5% using the Billings Method, thus being the best record over others.

Likewise, in these studies the "infertile" managed to conceive in a greater number than those who used other methods, some of them trying to procreate and give birth for several years. Another study estimated the percentage of "infertile" who managed to conceive using the Billings method after a maximum follow-up of two years in 62.5%.

The reasons for the high rate of pregnancies over other methods is because the method is not well understood or something fails, because one learns on one's own without consulting a trained professional; Many times there is an ambivalence about wanting to be pregnant and not.

Effectiveness

Of all contraceptive methods, the ineffectiveness of "natural" It is 1 to 9% per year in perfect use, and in typical use it is 25%; while the lack of effectiveness of other contraceptive methods is:

1. Oral contraceptives: 0.3% per year in perfect use, typical use of 8% per year.
2. Progestin injections: 0.3% per year in perfect use, and typical use of 3% per year.
3. Intravaginal use steroids in vaginal rings: 0.3% per year perfect use, 8% typical use.
4. Transdermal use steroids: 0.3% per year perfect use, 8% per year typical use.
5. Progestin subdermals: 0.05% per year in perfect use.
6. Cervical hood: 9% per year for null and void women (0 pregnancies), 18% per year for female multiparas (have given birth more than once), 40% per year for female multiparas based on coitus.
7. Condom: 2% annual perfect use, 15% typical use, based on coitus.
8. Contraceptive sponge: 9% per year for null women, 20% per year for women multiparas, 16% per year typical use for null women, 32% per year typical use for women multiparas, based on coitus.
9. Diaphragm with spermicide: 6% per year perfect use, 16% typical use, based on coitus.
10. Intrauterine device: 0.5%/5 per year with levonorgestrel, 2%/10 typical annual use using ParaGard T-380A.
11. Back method: 4% perfect use.

Although studies vary, generally the Billings Method always retains around 3% in perfect annual use, and 20% among those with typical use, who abstain in the fertile phase, according to sources such as the Journal of Family Planning Perspectives.

Did you mean: Los estudios de la ineficacia en la selección del sexo del bebe, mediante uso perfecto, es del 2%, y 3% con el Método Baretta, y del 30% con el Método Shettles.

Interaction with chemical compounds

The medications or drugs that can produce a false reading, or uncontrol the cycle, as well as produce other effects, are the following:

1. Agents to relieve acne, painkillers, antibiotics, antidepressants.
2. Anti-endometriosis, antiestrogenic drugs, anti-histamines with and without anti-serotonin action.
3. Antipsychotics, anti-spasmodic, anti-tumoral drugs, anti-vetal agents.
4. Mixtures for cough with antihistamines, diuretics, hormones.
5. Expectants with guaifenesin, sleeping drugs, respiratory, steroids.
6. Oral contraceptives, ovulatoria drugs, ulcer medicines.
7. For urinary control.

The effects range from reducing and completely drying up fluid, dilating ovulation, producing menstrual irregularities, hypothyroidism, amenorrhea, irregular bleeding, suppression of ovulation, temporary menopause, chest pain, and breast enlargement, blocking production of prolactin, can increase mucus elasticity and fertility, lower basal temperature, soften breasts causing pain, thick fluid, increase the risk of multiple births (more than two children), mood changes, menorrhagia, inhibits histamine and gonadotropin, among others.

Religious implications

This method complies with Catholic doctrine on the regulation of procreation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CIC) states in its number 2370 that "[t]he periodic continence, methods of regulating births based on self-observation and recourse to infertile periods (Humanae Vitae 16) are in accordance with the objective criteria of morality." That is, the method meets the criteria of Christian ethics, the Theology of the Body (which conceives the body as temple of God). John Billings was granted the title of Papal Knight during his lifetime, and upon his death his widow received condolences from Pope Benedict XVI.