Irregularity in the length of your cycles may have several causes, such as when you are returning to fertility after breastfeeding, if you are stressed or ill, following use of the Pill or other chemical contraception, and as you age.  Sometimes it may be an indication of some underlying pathology requiring medical investigation.  The first person you should turn to is your Billings Ovulation Method™ tutor.  She will be able to help you identify what is happening from your chart and suggest what, if anything, you should do.  It may be that regularity returns naturally, but in the meantime your tutor can ensure that you have the confidence to use the Billings Ovulation Method™ accurately to manage your fertility.

When you experience sudden or severe stress, whether of a pleasant nature or otherwise, it may interfere with the normal pattern of the hormones and this will be reflected in your chart.  Examples of stress may be your wedding cycle, when you travel overseas through different time zones, the death of someone close to you, an accident or illness.  Individual women will react differently to different levels of stress, but if you experience changes to your chart which you find bewildering, you should immediately contact your Billings Ovulation Method™ tutor for assistance.  Remember that one of the important benefits of the Billings Ovulation Method™ is that it does not require your chart to be the same month after month.  You just take one day at a time, deciding each day whether what you have charted indicates infertility or possible fertility and applying the guidelines appropriately according to whether you wish to achieve or avoid a pregnancy.

In this example the woman did not chart for 1 week during family illness.  She does not assume what might have happened during that time but continues to apply the Early Day Rules until a Peak is recognised.

In this second example, ovulation has been delayed for several weeks.  The couple has applied the Early Day Rules until day 46 when a Peak has been recognised and the Peak Rule can be applied.  The following bleed (day 58) is menstruation and would be charted on a new line.