When you first start getting your period again after having a baby, or when you’re just getting off birth control, the big question that lays heavily on your mind is when you will start ovulating again. You may not realize, but you can get your period without ovulating. A period is not a sure sign that ovulation is happening. (Now, if you are ovulating, you must get your period unless you conceive.) For me, the answer to this question has been a big mystery. For one, it took “forever” for my cycles to come back. My son was 18 months … Continue reading →

When you’re trying to get pregnant, timing is everything. Trying to “catch the egg” is kind of like playing that penny pusher game at the carnival (you know, the one where you have put push coins through the slot to land on the conveyor in just the right spot to push a prize off the edge the next time the bar slides forward?). It’s easy to miss ovulation. You may not even get pregnant if you nail it, either. Sometimes, trying to get pregnant month after month feels like you are wasting your coins. Statistically speaking, you have about a … Continue reading →

You’d think figuring out which day you conceived would be simple math, or at least as simple as looking at the calendar, but there are a couple different factors that play into when conception actually occurs. Your menstrual cycle length, ovulation date, and implantation date can all vary. If you are trying to conceive, you might consider doing a little extra record keeping for accurate dates later on. First, keep track of the days you have intercourse. As unromantic as this sounds, it doesn’t have to be. Keep a roll of stickers by your calendar and place one on each … Continue reading →

The study was conducted on intrauterine insemination treatments. Twenty-seven percent of women who lay down for 15 minutes after the procedure went on to have a baby, which is pretty good compared to the seventeen percent who got up and moved around. The evidence supports the commonly held idea that lying still will give sperm a fighting chance. As I was reading about this study, which was conducted in the UK, I naturally began to wonder if this same principle really does apply to “natural” attempts at conception. I’ve candidly discussed positions before on this blog, and concluded that it … Continue reading →

When I stopped taking my birth control, I experienced a range of symptoms that no one ever warned me about. They were very similar to pregnancy symptoms. I was constantly tired. I had headaches all the time. I was really moody and forgetful, and I got really bloated. I tested for pregnancy a number of times before I realized what was happening. Even my supervisor at work thought I might be pregnant! It seems that one of the most common symptoms women face when going off birth control is irregular periods. When their period doesn’t return, some women assume they … Continue reading →

These days, many women use ovulation predictor kits to determine when they ovulate while trying to conceive. These kits can run from $17 for a 7-test kit that you can only use once, to $150 or more for a fertility monitor you use over and over with disposable test sticks. Fortunately there is a tried and true method that doesn’t involve expensive test strips. All you need is a basal body temperature (BBT) thermometer and graph paper (or a computer). About Your Fertility Signs: Your monthly cycle is comprised of your monthly period, the follicular phase, ovulation and the luteal … Continue reading →

I am so frustrated tonight. It has been about eight months since we started trying to get pregnant with our second child and I received definite confirmation this morning that we were unsuccessful yet again. Isn’t it so hard to wait for pregnancy? I was so fortunate with my first in that it only took us two months. I have some friends who tried for years to get pregnant. What I have learned though, that it is hard to wait when you’ve been trying for two months or twenty four. When you decide you want to have a baby (or … Continue reading →

Cervical mucus is a very important component of conception. Without it, sperm has no chance of ever reaching the egg. Cervical mucus aids conception by protecting the sperm from your body’s acidic environment and providing easy transportation to the egg. There is nothing quite like it; it can’t be replaced with artificial lubricants. Cervical mucus changes throughout your cycle. As you approach ovulation, it becomes thick and white. You may notice globs of it on the toilet paper after you wipe or you may find it in your underwear as you approach ovulation. If you are trying to conceive and … Continue reading →