if you’ve just started trying to have kids and you want more detailed info on exactly how your body works and how you can monitor the changes it goes through during your cycle, Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, MPH is the best book to get you on the road to empowerment. if you’ve forgotten everything you’ve learned in biology, you’ll get a good review and the best part is, you’ll learn more because now you actually give a shit! most importantly, you will learn how to take your basal body temperature. for those of you who don’t know, your hormones can actually make your body temperature fluctuate, and this is most easily seen at your waking temperature. progesterone is a heat producing hormone, so once you’ve ovulated and your progesterone levels go up, this will be reflected in your waking temps. right when you wake up (before you even lift an arm), shove a basal thermometer in your mouth (or your hoo-ha whatever you prefer) and take your temp. download a chart online and print it and you are on your way to BBT charting. websites like fertilityfriend.com allow you to keep a record of it online where you can share it with others in the online community and ooh and aah over your temperatures rising and falling as you go through your cycle.
but be warned! BBT charting can be extremely addicting and bad for your mental health! when you get to know your body, you’ll be able to tell when you’re about to ovulate, when you’ve ovulated and then when you are about to get your period. following this obsessively can lead to severe mental anguish and craziness. knowing your cycle too well causes you to live every day by what cycle day (CD) you are on and every day can start becoming a number.
don’t let your days become just a CD. make sure you have fun even while you are struggling to conceive.
by the way, i’m currently on CD8.
filling in an empty nest 