I found Taking Charge of Your Fertility to be an incredibly empowering book. I learned more about the female (and male too) reproductive system than I had ever known or heard before. I was so fascinated with everything that I learned and I couldn't believe I didn't know it before. This book teaches about the "Fertility Awareness Method", or "FAM" which debunks the myth that most women have a 28-day cycle and ovulate on day 14, which is what most resources and doctors will tell you. Whether you are trying to get pregnant, trying not to get pregnant, or just want to be healthy, this book is for you (in other words, every single woman should read this book!).
Learning FAM will allow you to track your own fertility signs, which include waking temperature, cervical fluid, and cervical position (which the book explains is an optional sign). Tracking these signs is super easy and only takes a couple minutes each day. By knowing your own body and its fertility signs you can avoid using other methods of birth control, which often have unpleasant side effects, or be more likely to conceive if you are trying to get pregnant. Knowing this information also allows you to be more in control of your own gynecological health and provide useful information to your physician that they could otherwise only obtain through a series of tests.
Around the same time I got pregnant with Luke, I had two friends that were also trying to conceive. Both of them had been trying for nearly a year with no success, and both of them ended up seeing fertility specialists. One was able to then conceive after using Clomid, and the other conceived a few months later naturally. I felt lucky (which truthfully, kind of was luck, because we were following the ol' 12-17 day rule to get pregnant, not actually knowing when my most fertile days were. Now I know better.) that I was able to become pregnant so quickly when I realized what difficult and frustrating time they were both having.
Now, after reading this book, I wish I could go back in time and give it to them! It could have saved them so much grief. Usually, doctors make you try for a year before you can see a fertility specialist, but as explained in this book, if you are tracking your own fertility signs, you can know within 4-6 months if something is wrong. You will know if you aren't ovulating, or if you just have especially long cycles and ovulate later than the standard day 14 (which most women do!). With that information you can go to your doctor and explain your concerns, show them your charts and they will likely be able to help you sooner than one year. That doesn't mean that you won't need any other kind of intervention, you may still need to use Clomid or other fertility drugs, or your husband may need tests done as well, but at least it gives you a good start.
Taking Charge of Your Fertility looks like a big book, but it's really a pretty quick read. Even though it discusses biological and medical terms, it is not at all difficult to understand. In fact, you, like me, will probably feel surprised that you didn't already know something so simple about yourself. The author does a great job teaching about FAM and answering all of the questions you might have. About a third of the book is an appendix which includes sample charts, pictures, diagrams, FAQ, and anything else you might need to better understand. Seriously, get this book. It will change your life.
Have you read Taking Charge of Your Fertility? Did you love it as much as I did?
P.S. You can get more information about this book and FAM here: www.tcoyf.com
Learning FAM will allow you to track your own fertility signs, which include waking temperature, cervical fluid, and cervical position (which the book explains is an optional sign). Tracking these signs is super easy and only takes a couple minutes each day. By knowing your own body and its fertility signs you can avoid using other methods of birth control, which often have unpleasant side effects, or be more likely to conceive if you are trying to get pregnant. Knowing this information also allows you to be more in control of your own gynecological health and provide useful information to your physician that they could otherwise only obtain through a series of tests.
Around the same time I got pregnant with Luke, I had two friends that were also trying to conceive. Both of them had been trying for nearly a year with no success, and both of them ended up seeing fertility specialists. One was able to then conceive after using Clomid, and the other conceived a few months later naturally. I felt lucky (which truthfully, kind of was luck, because we were following the ol' 12-17 day rule to get pregnant, not actually knowing when my most fertile days were. Now I know better.) that I was able to become pregnant so quickly when I realized what difficult and frustrating time they were both having.
Now, after reading this book, I wish I could go back in time and give it to them! It could have saved them so much grief. Usually, doctors make you try for a year before you can see a fertility specialist, but as explained in this book, if you are tracking your own fertility signs, you can know within 4-6 months if something is wrong. You will know if you aren't ovulating, or if you just have especially long cycles and ovulate later than the standard day 14 (which most women do!). With that information you can go to your doctor and explain your concerns, show them your charts and they will likely be able to help you sooner than one year. That doesn't mean that you won't need any other kind of intervention, you may still need to use Clomid or other fertility drugs, or your husband may need tests done as well, but at least it gives you a good start.
Taking Charge of Your Fertility looks like a big book, but it's really a pretty quick read. Even though it discusses biological and medical terms, it is not at all difficult to understand. In fact, you, like me, will probably feel surprised that you didn't already know something so simple about yourself. The author does a great job teaching about FAM and answering all of the questions you might have. About a third of the book is an appendix which includes sample charts, pictures, diagrams, FAQ, and anything else you might need to better understand. Seriously, get this book. It will change your life.
Have you read Taking Charge of Your Fertility? Did you love it as much as I did?
P.S. You can get more information about this book and FAM here: www.tcoyf.com
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