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Personal Records
In charting the cervical mucus symptom of the Billings Ovulation
Method (see observations and rules), the
use of a graphical record is particularly valuable because this
provides a large amount of information which can be taken in at
a glance, embodying perhaps the observations made over several months.
There are two recognised visual recording methods, one encoded
by coloured stamps and the other encoded by simple black and white
graphical symbols. While the coloured stamps provide a more emphatic
visual model, a record based on black and white symbols can be kept
with only pencil and paper.
Both methods convey the essential details across barriers of language,
and provide for comprehension even by the illiterate.
The legend for the stamps and symbols of the Billings Ovulation
Method are given in the following tables.
Stamps and Symbols |
International Symbol |
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Stamp |
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Symptom Description |
Bleeding |
Spotting |
Dry |
Discharge and infertility
1. BIP of unchanging discharge before Peak
2. From the fourth day past the Peak |
Mucus
Change from the Basic Infertile Pattern (BIP) |
Spotting: break-
through bleed or withdrawal bleed |
The Peak of the mucus symptom
The peak of fertility |
Stamps and Symbols (continued) |
International Symbol |
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I
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Stamp |
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I
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Symptom Description |
Dry before peak -
Wait & See 123 rule |
Unchanging discharge before
peak -
Wait & See 123 rule |
Dry for 3 days after Peak |
Changed mucus for 3 days after Peak
No longer wet or slippery |
Intercourse
(Letter I is superimposed on stamp or symbol) |
Day after intercourse |
Any combination may occur over
the 3 days. |
Only used before Peak. |
The following diagram shows the corresponding pairs of stamps and
symbols associated with the phases of fertility and infertility
as depicted in the circular diagram.
The following is an example chart of a normal fertile cycle showing
both an international symbol record and a stamp record.
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