The art of living your fertility or how to manage your menstrual cycle reliably

The sympto-thermal "Rötzer" method
For my article, here I am, reading this book from a new angle, a book I've already had the opportunity to read several times. It's simple: for me, this book is an essential reference on natural contraception using the symptothermal method.
Who is Dr. Rötzer?

Dr. Rotzer, as explained in his book, studied the female cycle thanks to his wife. Following his observations, he carried out extensive research to understand the link between cervical mucus and the different phases of the cycle, and later determined the link with temperatures. He came up with the rule of 3 high temperatures required to close the window of fertility and stop producing cervical mucus. By combining the interpretation of cervical mucus and temperatures, he became the father of the sympto-thermal method, now adopted by many schools. "The art of living your fertility is a clear, pedagogical teaching of its method.

How this book is structured

• In the first part, Dr. Rötzer explains phase by phase how to put the method into practice, how to make our annotations in the cyclogram, how to observe ourselves, take our temperature... in short, the first part is enough to put the method into practice. For a beginner, I find it accessible and practical, as it is explained progressively from the first day of menstruation to the phase of absolute infertility, and in the right order.
• This is followed by an explanation of the female cycle, with the essentials presented in a clear and educational way.
• Finally, a series of case studies presented in graphical form with explanations.
• Appendices
• Then a little history to help us understand the origins of this and other teaching methods.

What I liked

For those who want to get started with symptothermy, L'art de vivre sa fertilité is, in my opinion, the most complete book, with explanations of special cases such as stopping the pill, pre-menopause and ..... There's a certain coherence to the whole, and if you concentrate hard enough to read it and know the book well, I don't think the method will hold any secrets for you.

• The way the female cycle is explained is quite clear
• The separate case studies enable us to refer to it at any time if we observe atypical events in our cycle. I think this is the book to always have on hand when you're a beginner, as it answers many questions. In fact, for all those who wish to become a consultant, it is compulsory reading for many schools.
• Very complete
• Not too big, so it's not scary
• There are a number of elements not found in other books
• You don't need to read the whole thing to start observing yourself, the first part already gets you started.

Negative points

• Certainly because of the date on which this book was written, Dr. Rötzer encourages the practice of "stop pipi" in his book Kegel's Exercise (p.56): as a physiotherapist in perineal rehabilitation, I strongly advise against this practice, which has been recognized for many years as harmful. Stop peeing" (blocking the flow of urine during micturition by contraction of the perineum) is strongly discouraged, as it leads to disruption of the urinary tract. Today, there are other methods and practices for strengthening the perineum and becoming more aware of this part of our body.
• Jargon: when you're new to the approach, all these terms can sometimes be frightening and cumbersome, especially the abbreviations "G" "G-bo" summit, etc. As everything is clearly explained at the beginning of the book, you just need to take your time to refer to it when a notion doesn't speak to you. Putting this method into practice means putting words to states of our body that we've never qualified before, but once this new language is spoken, everything becomes lipid!
• The graphics, which I find heavy and unclear.
• In the latest edition of L'art de vivre sa fertilité, I found a few little sentences here and there that I find somewhat moralistic, like many books in this field: "We deeply deplore this attitude" p.67 or "if women had applied themselves..." p.68. Maybe it's a misinterpretation on my part or a bit of judgement on the author's part, but in my opinion there are more respectful and joyful ways of encouraging us women to opt for this kind of technique.
• On the subject of self-care (p.82), particularly on a daily basis, I feel that a note is missing warning women of the fragility of the cervix (junction between the ectocervix and the endocervix). This is a very sensitive area, and you really must avoid damaging it, especially when you want to appreciate the opening of the cervix!
• There is a criticism of the Billings method on several occasions that I find very unobjective, and is not really the subject of this book. Without even knowing the method, women may already have a negative preconception of it. This method has other criteria and other rules of interpretation, and I invite women who are interested in the subject of natural contraception to feel free to explore all reliable methods in order to consider the solution that best suits them, without prejudice but with a critical mind.

Having said that, these elements in no way detract from the quality of the explanations and information provided, which are both essential and fascinating. This is obviously only my point of view! L'art de vivre sa fertilité is an essential reference on symptothermy.

Things to remember

• Rich in information, very complete and well explained
• A must-read if you want to put the sympto-thermal method into practice.
• However, as I said earlier in the section on Kegel's method, which I don't recommend, prefer other techniques such as hypopressive abdo, the use of yoni eggs, etc.
• I love and recommend L'art de vivre sa fertilité, especially for discovering natural contraception.