Billings ovulation method
Encyclopedia
The Billings Ovulation Method (BOM) is a method which women use to monitor their fertility, by identifying when they are fertile
and when they are infertile during each menstrual cycle
. Users pay attention to the sensation at their vulva
, and the appearance of any vaginal discharge. This information can be used to achieve or avoid pregnancy
during regular or irregular cycles
, breastfeeding
, and peri-menopause
. Described by the World Organisation of the Ovulation Method Billings
(WOOMB) as "Natural Fertility Regulation", this method may be used as a form of fertility awareness
or natural family planning
, as well as a way to monitor gynecological health.
In trials method related pregnancy rates have ranged between 0% to 2.9%. In a recent trial in China 992 couples using the Billings Method were compared to 662 couples using the IUD
. The method-related pregnancy rate amongst Billings users was zero and the total pregnancy rate was 0.5%. In studies up to the 1980s teaching related pregnancies ranged between 0% to 6%. Total pregnancy rates vary between 1 and 25%. Reasons for a higher total pregnancy rate include misunderstanding the method, risk taking, ambivalence toward pregnancy, and deciding to become pregnant.
John Billings
developed the method as a form of natural family planning
in accordance with his religious faith. He was recognized with a Papal knighthood in life, and condolences for his death were given by the Pope. Billings strove to raise awareness of the significance of cervical mucus to fertility to all people, regardless of their religion.
Thomas Hilgers later created the Creighton Model FertilityCare System as a variation of the Billings method. While Hilgers describes his method as a "standardization" of the BOM, Billings and his wife disputed this claim in a position paper.
mucus and survival of spermatozoa
come from the mid-19th century. The topic was not systematically studied, however, for almost another century. In 1948, Erik Odeblad was studying mycoplasms in the female genital tract. During the course of his studies, he noticed that cervical mucus changed in a predictable pattern through the course of a woman's cycle. He continued his study of the cervix.
Independently in 1953, Dr. John Billings
(1918–2007) discovered the relationship between cervical mucus and fertility while assisting the marriage consultant for the Melbourne
Catholic Family Welfare Bureau. Some of the couples he worked with had serious reasons to postpone pregnancy, and followed the Catholic Church
's teachings of only using natural methods of pregnancy avoidance. While Dr. Billings was familiar with the Calendar and Basal Body Temperature
methods, he felt there was a need for something more flexible and more reliable. He embarked on a study of medical literature, and found the mid-19th- and early-20th-century references to cervical mucus and sperm survival. He instructed women using the Rhythm method to avoid intercourse also on all days, and for a few days after, they noticed vaginal discharge. This resulted in a dramatic decrease in unintended pregnancies among these couples.
In the early 1960s, Dr. James Brown took a position at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Brown had earlier developed the first tests to measure oestrogen
and progesterone
, and he used these tests to assist Dr. Billings in further study of the relationship between cervical mucus and fertility. Dr. Evelyn Billings joined the research team in 1965. By the late 1960s, the rules for identifying fertile days had been established and teaching centers began to be set up around the world. The method was called the Ovulation Method, to emphasize that the central feature of a woman's fertility cycle was ovulation
, rather than menstruation. In the 1970s, a committee of the World Health Organization
renamed it the Billings Ovulation Method.
Scientific verification of the Billings Method is ongoing. Dr. James Brown continued to study ovarian activity until his retirement in 1985. Dr. Erik Odeblad was acquainted with the Billings Ovulation Method in 1977, and reported that his research into the activity of the cervix confirmed all the conclusions made by Dr. Billings. Dr. Odeblad's research into the cervix and cervical mucus also continued for many decades.
Billings Method teachers help women recognize and understand their signs of fertility. This can help in the early diagnosis and treatment of gynaecological disorders, and can contribute to a woman's reproductive health.
Fertile
The term fertile describes a condition whereby organisms are able to produce physically healthy offspring.Fertile may also refer to:...
and when they are infertile during each menstrual cycle
Menstrual cycle
The menstrual cycle is the scientific term for the physiological changes that can occur in fertile women for the purpose of sexual reproduction. This article focuses on the human menstrual cycle....
. Users pay attention to the sensation at their vulva
Vulva
The vulva consists of the external genital organs of the female mammal. This article deals with the vulva of the human being, although the structures are similar for other mammals....
, and the appearance of any vaginal discharge. This information can be used to achieve or avoid pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
during regular or irregular cycles
Menstrual cycle
The menstrual cycle is the scientific term for the physiological changes that can occur in fertile women for the purpose of sexual reproduction. This article focuses on the human menstrual cycle....
, breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is the feeding of an infant or young child with breast milk directly from female human breasts rather than from a baby bottle or other container. Babies have a sucking reflex that enables them to suck and swallow milk. It is recommended that mothers breastfeed for six months or...
, and peri-menopause
Menopause
Menopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries: the ripening and release of ova and the release of hormones that cause both the creation of the uterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the uterine lining...
. Described by the World Organisation of the Ovulation Method Billings
World Organisation of the Ovulation Method Billings
The World Organisation of the Ovulation Method Billings, generally known as WOOMB, is an international centre for education in the method of natural family planning known as the Billings Ovulation Method. It was founded by Dr. John Billings and his wife, Dr. Evelyn Billings. It is based in...
(WOOMB) as "Natural Fertility Regulation", this method may be used as a form of fertility awareness
Fertility awareness
Fertility awareness refers to a set of practices used to determine the fertile and infertile phases of a woman's menstrual cycle. Fertility awareness methods may be used to avoid pregnancy, to achieve pregnancy, or as a way to monitor gynecological health....
or natural family planning
Natural family planning
Natural family planning is a term referring to the family planning methods approved by the Roman Catholic Church. In accordance with the Church's requirements for sexual behavior in keeping with its philosophy of the dignity of the human person, NFP excludes the use of other methods of birth...
, as well as a way to monitor gynecological health.
In trials method related pregnancy rates have ranged between 0% to 2.9%. In a recent trial in China 992 couples using the Billings Method were compared to 662 couples using the IUD
Intrauterine device
A copper IUD is a type of intrauterine device. Most IUDs have a plastic T- or U-shaped frame which is wrapped in copper wire, with the exception of Gynefix, which is a plastic string with several copper beads, affixed to the fundus of the uterus...
. The method-related pregnancy rate amongst Billings users was zero and the total pregnancy rate was 0.5%. In studies up to the 1980s teaching related pregnancies ranged between 0% to 6%. Total pregnancy rates vary between 1 and 25%. Reasons for a higher total pregnancy rate include misunderstanding the method, risk taking, ambivalence toward pregnancy, and deciding to become pregnant.
John Billings
John Billings
John Billings, was an Australian physician who pioneered the natural method of family planning known variously as the Billings Ovulation Method, the Ovulation Method, or the Billings Method....
developed the method as a form of natural family planning
Natural family planning
Natural family planning is a term referring to the family planning methods approved by the Roman Catholic Church. In accordance with the Church's requirements for sexual behavior in keeping with its philosophy of the dignity of the human person, NFP excludes the use of other methods of birth...
in accordance with his religious faith. He was recognized with a Papal knighthood in life, and condolences for his death were given by the Pope. Billings strove to raise awareness of the significance of cervical mucus to fertility to all people, regardless of their religion.
Thomas Hilgers later created the Creighton Model FertilityCare System as a variation of the Billings method. While Hilgers describes his method as a "standardization" of the BOM, Billings and his wife disputed this claim in a position paper.
History
The first recorded observations of the relationship between cervicalCervix
The cervix is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus where it joins with the top end of the vagina. It is cylindrical or conical in shape and protrudes through the upper anterior vaginal wall...
mucus and survival of spermatozoa
Spermatozoon
A spermatozoon is a motile sperm cell, or moving form of the haploid cell that is the male gamete. A spermatozoon joins an ovum to form a zygote...
come from the mid-19th century. The topic was not systematically studied, however, for almost another century. In 1948, Erik Odeblad was studying mycoplasms in the female genital tract. During the course of his studies, he noticed that cervical mucus changed in a predictable pattern through the course of a woman's cycle. He continued his study of the cervix.
Independently in 1953, Dr. John Billings
John Billings
John Billings, was an Australian physician who pioneered the natural method of family planning known variously as the Billings Ovulation Method, the Ovulation Method, or the Billings Method....
(1918–2007) discovered the relationship between cervical mucus and fertility while assisting the marriage consultant for the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
Catholic Family Welfare Bureau. Some of the couples he worked with had serious reasons to postpone pregnancy, and followed the Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
's teachings of only using natural methods of pregnancy avoidance. While Dr. Billings was familiar with the Calendar and Basal Body Temperature
Basal body temperature
Basal body temperature is the lowest temperature attained by the body during rest . It is generally measured immediately after awakening and before any physical activity has been undertaken, although the temperature measured at that time is somewhat higher than the true basal body temperature...
methods, he felt there was a need for something more flexible and more reliable. He embarked on a study of medical literature, and found the mid-19th- and early-20th-century references to cervical mucus and sperm survival. He instructed women using the Rhythm method to avoid intercourse also on all days, and for a few days after, they noticed vaginal discharge. This resulted in a dramatic decrease in unintended pregnancies among these couples.
In the early 1960s, Dr. James Brown took a position at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Brown had earlier developed the first tests to measure oestrogen
Estrogen
Estrogens , oestrogens , or œstrogens, are a group of compounds named for their importance in the estrous cycle of humans and other animals. They are the primary female sex hormones. Natural estrogens are steroid hormones, while some synthetic ones are non-steroidal...
and progesterone
Progesterone
Progesterone also known as P4 is a C-21 steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy and embryogenesis of humans and other species...
, and he used these tests to assist Dr. Billings in further study of the relationship between cervical mucus and fertility. Dr. Evelyn Billings joined the research team in 1965. By the late 1960s, the rules for identifying fertile days had been established and teaching centers began to be set up around the world. The method was called the Ovulation Method, to emphasize that the central feature of a woman's fertility cycle was ovulation
Ovulation
Ovulation is the process in a female's menstrual cycle by which a mature ovarian follicle ruptures and discharges an ovum . Ovulation also occurs in the estrous cycle of other female mammals, which differs in many fundamental ways from the menstrual cycle...
, rather than menstruation. In the 1970s, a committee of the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
renamed it the Billings Ovulation Method.
Scientific verification of the Billings Method is ongoing. Dr. James Brown continued to study ovarian activity until his retirement in 1985. Dr. Erik Odeblad was acquainted with the Billings Ovulation Method in 1977, and reported that his research into the activity of the cervix confirmed all the conclusions made by Dr. Billings. Dr. Odeblad's research into the cervix and cervical mucus also continued for many decades.
Fertility
- A woman ovulates at only one time during her cycle, and an ovumOvumAn ovum is a haploid female reproductive cell or gamete. Both animals and embryophytes have ova. The term ovule is used for the young ovum of an animal, as well as the plant structure that carries the female gametophyte and egg cell and develops into a seed after fertilization...
can survive for only 12–24 hours. - Cervical mucus enabling healthy sperm cells to navigate the genital tract is necessary for fertility
- Most commonly, spermatozoa live only one to three days in the presence of fertile mucus, with survival up to five days being rare. The possibility of pregnancy from sperm survival longer than five days has been compared to "the chances of winning a huge lottery."
- Menstruation will occur about 2 weeks after ovulation.
- A ten-year study of 45,280 subfertile couples in China found that 32.1% of women were able to achieve pregnancy and live birth through the use of Billings.
Function
In the days leading up to ovulation the cervix responds to oestrogen by producing mucus capable of sustaining sperm survival. This mucus leaves the vagina as the woman is in an upright position. The mucus is observed through the sensation at the vulva and by looking at any discharge. Daily charting of these observations will reveal either an unchanging pattern indicating infertility or a changing pattern of sensation and discharge indicating fertility. Both of these patterns follow the hormonal patterns which control sperm survival and conception.Billings Method teachers help women recognize and understand their signs of fertility. This can help in the early diagnosis and treatment of gynaecological disorders, and can contribute to a woman's reproductive health.