Articles

Welcome to our collection of articles on fertility and reproductive health. Here you will find helpful information on charting basal body temperature, tracking cervical mucus changes, interpreting OvaCue data, and much more.

Introduction to Fertility Charting

Some of you might be asking: “Why do I need to chart my fertility?” Well, the simple answer to this question is: to improve your chances of conceiving! In the course of each menstrual cycle, there are only a limited number of days (often referred to as your “fertile window”) that conception is even possible. As a result, unless you are careful to time intercourse during this window, your trying-to-conceive efforts just might be in vain.

Basal Body Temperature Charting

BBT charting is one of the easiest and most objective ways to track your fertility status. In simple terms, your basal body temperature is the temperature at which your body rests, which tends to be a bit lower than your “normal” temperature, usually 97 point something degrees F versus 98.6 degrees F. By taking your BBT each morning throughout your cycle you will be able to detect the natural rise in your basal body temperature that occurs just after ovulation.

Interpreting OvaCue Readings

The OvaCue Fertility Monitor makes pinpointing your fertile window easy by colorfully displaying your most fertile days on the calendar screen. As you become more familiar with your monitor, you might realize that there is a wealth of information to be gained by looking at the actual data produced by taking oral and vaginal readings. Trying to make sense of these numbers might seem like a daunting task at first, but with a few clues about what to look for you will be on your way to becoming an “OvaCue expert”.

Sample OvaCue Charts

We've compiled some examples of OvaCue graphs consisting of "regular" and irregular cycles. In a perfect world, your cycle would be 28 days, with ovulation occurring on cycle day 14 each month. As you know, most women rarely experience this typical 28-day cycle. Hormonal imbalances can cause irregular cycles and/or ovulatory disorders which can make ovulation prediction more difficult. Compare and contrast your OvaCue data with these examples!

Checking Your Cervical Fluid (Cervical Mucus) as an Indicator of Your Fertility Status

As you may or may not be aware, cervical mucus, or as it’s commonly referred to, CM, plays an important role in the conception process. You might instead be familiar with the term cervical fluid or CF. Both terms are commonly used in TTC and fertility circles, and refer to the exact same thing. You decide which term you like best! But first things first: what exactly is cervical mucus? Cervical mucus is simply a fluid secreted by the cervix, the production of which is stimulated by the hormone estrogen.

Tips for Using LH Ovulation Tests

The mechanics of using an ovulation test are simple. Collect a urine sample or pee on a stick, read the result. If the test line is as bold as the control line, you know you are about to ovulate within the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours. Begin babydancing.

Most Popular Fertility Acronyms

The trying-to-conceive online community, perhaps more than any other, LOVES acronyms! Peruse any message board and you'll be inundated with acronym-laden messages from people "BDing" with "DH" in order to get their "BFP"....

To help you acclimate, here are some common trying-to-conceive acronyms to help you along the way:

Fertility Health and Diet

Being healthy is always important for your general well being, but good physical and mental health is particularly important when you are trying to conceive. Good health encompasses diet and nutrition, exercise, and general mental and emotional well being.

Dr. Meg Jay on Knowing Your Fertility

Q: In your book, The Defining Decade, you tell the story of Kaitlyn (name changed for privacy), age 36, who was in a serious relationship. You make the comment that "Kaitlyn didn't know the facts (about fertility)." How so? A: Kaitlyn was relying on a reasoning error known as the availability heuristic. The availability heuristic is a mental shortcut whereby we decide how likely something is based on how easy it is to bring an example to mind.

Early Pregnancy Symptoms

For many, the first sign of pregnancy is a missed period. Others notice more subtle signs long before a missed period. The presence of these signs vary - some never experience or notice any of them. Symptoms can mirror those of PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome) and include:

How Early Can I Take a Pregnancy Test?

It’s probably one of the most-asked questions we receive here. Everyone wants to know: “How soon can I take a pregnancy test?” Of course, there are a number of variations on this question, particularly for folks who are fertility charting and who want to know – exactly – at how many days past ovulation they can begin testing (and hopefully get that earliest positive result).

The Ins and Outs of Perineal Massage

The ancient practice of antenatal perineal massage (APM), which aims to widen and relax a woman's birth canal during her last month of pregnancy with manual massage of the region, has been shown to decrease chances of genital damage and chronic pain due to childbirth.

Breastfeeding Basics

As parents, we are constantly making decisions about how best to care for our children. Without question, one of the most important decisions you will make in the early days of parenthood is how to feed your newborn. The overwhelming majority of health care professionals recommend breastfeeding over formula feeding, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization, both of which strongly recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, and for as long after 6 months as is mutually desired by mother and baby.

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