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Lunaception, Part 2

© Kristin Steinmetz

Louise Lacey's book, Lunaception: A Feminine Odyssey into Fertility and Contraception, explores the fascinating connection between moonlight and fertility. Part One of this article chronicled Louise's disillusionment with the pill, and her search for a natural way to cooperate with her body's cycles. She journeyed through anthropology (where she uncovered hundreds of connections between the moon and fertility) and the sciences (where she studied biological cycles and rhythms throughout the universe), discovered light as the most pervasive trigger of biological rhythms, and stumbled upon real-world applications of her findings.

Imagine living in harmony with natural light cycles to avoid or achieve conception. It sounds wonderful, doesn't it?! Is it possible? Well, modern women living in lighted houses and sleeping under streetlights will need to recreate natural light cycles at home, but it is possible, and Part 2 of this article will show you how. What follows is the "recipe" that worked for Louise.

Sleep in total darkness on Day One (the first day of your period) through Day Thirteen of your cycle. It is important that your entire body sleeps in darkness (the eyes are not the only parts of the body that register light), so all of us living in light-polluted environments will have to go to some effort to establish total darkness in our room. Hang drapes, pull down shades, and stuff towels in the cracks at the bottom of your doors and windows. If, like me, you have to get up several times in the night to tend to babies or go to the bathroom, Louise writes that red light (as in a dark room bulb) does not disturb cycles the way white light does. Similarly, if you sleep with your windows open, try tightly woven, lightweight red curtains for the windows, and don't let them billow in the wind.

Sleep near a low power light source on Days Fourteen, Fifteen, and Sixteen of your cycle. Louise suggests using a white light over fifteen or twenty-five watts. (She eventually settled on a seventy-five watt bulb in her closet across the room with the closet door half shut.) On the night of Day Seventeen, return to sleeping in total darkness. That's it! The light will cause your body to ovulate at a certain time in your cycle!

In addition, you should keep a daily chart of your basal body temperature and cervical fluid. For detailed instructions on starting and maintaining these charts, please see my previous articles on "Charting Your Fertility Signs: Basal Body Temperature" and "Charting Your Fertility Signs: Cervical Fluid" at this site. Using the light-dark method will help to trigger ovulation at a certain time. Charting will help you take advantage of this method to avoid or achieve conception.

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