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Lesser Known (But Studied!) Ideas for Period Relief: Part 2

Part 1 outlined four methods for premenstrual and menstrual symptom relief that you have not have tried before. Here are a few more, and a brief review on what the research says! Read more

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Making the Most of the Kindara Custom Data Feature

Although Kindara is deeply focused on the Fertility Awareness Method and helping women to chart their primary fertility signs, beyond that is our desire to empower women to have a better understanding of their health and bodies. This led us to create the Custom Data feature in the app. Using the Custom Data feature, users can track an unlimited number of personalized data points which are then represented visually on a their chart. This helps users to paint a broader picture of their overall health and well-being, through the lens of their menstrual cycle...Read more

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Lesser Known (But Studied!) Ideas for Period Relief: Part 1

Even when we take care to notice and appreciate our cycles, menstruation can be a tricky phase. This is partly to our advantage: our bodies do a lot of work during our periods, and sometimes we need a reminder to rest, reflect, and re-energize.

Especially in the busy modern world, that can be a tricky thing to leave space for. Sometimes work, family, or other responsibilities limit our ability to rest the way our bodies would like, and add stress that makes period pain worse...Read more

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Fertility Awareness Resources for Health Professionals

Is your doctor interested in learning more about the Fertility Awareness Method?

Our friends at Natural Womanhood and FACTS Fertility put together this flyer to update health professionals on what research says about FAM. You can view the flyer in its entirety below...Read more

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Ice Cream, Pickles, and Other Pregnancy Preferences

76% of pregnant women experience abnormal smells or tastes during pregnancy. These changes, which typically occur early in the first trimester, usually result in more aversions than cravings. Pregnancy aversions are no joke - many women report extreme changes in taste...Read more

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'Fitbit for your period': Kindara's story featured by The Guardian

Technology has made Fertility Awareness easier to use than ever before. The Guardian recently published an in-depth piece on Kindara's story and fertility tracking. "Given that roughly half of all humans get periods for much of their lives, it is striking how little we actually know about them. Few scientists have investigated why different women experience menstruation so differently..." Read more

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Rachel's Story: Becoming Self Aware with Kindara

My husband and I are both turning 32 this year. We want to start our family. We started out on a 90 day fitness and health challenge to prepare our bodies and minds for optimal fertility. We call it our 90 day preconception plan. During those 90 days, we started using Kindara for pregnancy prevention...Read more

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The Importance of Body Literacy in Puberty

On February 9th President Obama released the 2017 federal budget, and revealed that he had cut the final ties to funding abstinence-only sex education. After a long history of being slowly defunded (SEICUSa), the government paying to teach teenagers that no sex is the only way to be safe with sex is out for 2017. More funding for programs about responsible sex is in:

The President’s Budget supports the sexual health of our nation’s youth by eradicating abstinence-only-until-marriage funding, increasing funds for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, maintaining funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Adolescent and School Health, and calling for a five-year extension of the Personal Responsibility Education Program. (SEICUSb, 2016)

Students will now learn how to navigate the process of becoming sexually active adults: hopefully, how to engage in consensual and safe sex, when they are ready, and what will make pregnancy more and less likely to occur. Of course, religious, cultural, and familial values about sex can and should be introduced outside of federally funded sex education...Read more

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Ask Kindara: Should you continue taking your basal body temperature after getting pregnant?

Are there any benefits to continuing to temp after getting pregnant? Thanks!

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Ask Kindara: Can I Use the Fertility Awareness Method Without Checking My Cervical Fluid?

Hi! Will charting work at all for me if I don't ever check my cervical fluid? Not crazy about doing it and just wondered how important it is.... Thanks, Jackie

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Global Health Commentary Argues Fertility Awareness as a Modern Contraceptive

At the end of January, Global Health published an article advocating for Fertility Awareness Methods (FAMs) of birth control to be considered “modern” means of family planning, citing the many advantages of FAMs for women and their communities.

But this wasn’t just any article: it was designated “the technical position of the Office of Population and Reproductive Health of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).” USAID is the U.S. government agency that works to end extreme global poverty through the political lens of foreign policy. Their Office of Population and Reproductive Health focuses on tasks like increasing global access to family planning resources, protecting the health of mothers and children, advocating for reproductive rights, and improving women’s opportunities for education and jobs...Read more

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Kindara Stories: C.S.’s Journey to Conceive

Testimonial submitted by C.S:

In April of 2014, after several months of TTC of timed intercourse, OPKs, and no luck, I knew I needed to keep better records. So, I found Kindara and started charting. I am so glad I did because it has been the best part of my TTC journey! I am able to track everything - temps, symptoms, cervical fluid, vitamins, herbs, supplements, blood work, appointments, and tests all in one spot...Read more

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Charting is for Lesbians Too

The fertility awareness method and charting one’s menstrual cycle is making a rise in popularity but the majority of women still chart to conceive or use it as natural contraception. So, that would naturally screen out lesbians, right?

Wrong.

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Ask Kindara: Can I have eggwhite cervical fluid but not ovulate? Can I ovulate without an LH surge? Can my LH surge be low and undetected by OPK?

Dear Kindara,

Is it possible to have egg white cervical fluid and not ovulate? Also, is it possible to ovulate without an LH surge? Or could your LH surge be low and undetected by OPK? Thanks, Lisa

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How to Support Your Body When Coming Off Hormonal Contraception

We anticipate a reaction when someone stops taking pain meds or anti-depressants, but since we rarely think of the pill as a medication, it doesn’t always occur to us that there will be consequences to coming off. As a result, many women are surprised to discover the process can be more challenging than expected...Read more

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Getting Comfortable with Charting Cervical Fluid

Is the cervical mucus a barrier for you to get on the fertility awareness bandwagon and become free of hormonal contraceptives? Are you using a low effectiveness method like condoms or the pull out method because you just can’t see yourself touching this strange substance? Before you give up and move on, will you let this obstinate French guy (me) try to change your feelings about it? Read more

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Does Fear of HIV/AIDS Drive People to Practice Safe Sex?

As we approach World AIDS Day on December 1st, the world will take time to reflect on the most most misunderstood STI. On this day, discussion of better education, prevention, and treatment options will take the main stage.

The stigma surrounding STIs, specifically HIV/AIDS, permeates societies around the world. Open dialogue about carrying these infections is taboo. However, does fear drive people to make healthy, informed decisions about their sexual health? Read more