I think it’s probably assumed, but since I haven’t actually stated it, I am not a doctor. Your fertility journey is best directed by your doctor/midwife/ob-gyn and your unique personal conditions. Any posts I make regarding possible aids/tests/supplements are to be taken as a point in which to start your own research and to spark the conversation with your medical specialist….

Part One:

Monitoring your fertility….depending on the person, the budget, the condition it can be anywhere from free and easy to expensive and complicated.

Let’s look take a look at some of your standard options.

• Going by the calendar
• Basal Body Temperature (BBT) (also known as “charting”)
• Checking physical fertility signs
• Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs)
• Ferning Microscope
• Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor (CBEFM)
• Ovuwatch

We’d like to welcome a new member to our writing team! JustCallMeTeach will be posting on a variety of Trying to Conceive topics. We look forward to her “straight-forward” approach to life and her sense of humour!

You can see her personal blog by visiting: http://babymaker.wordpress.com

Welcome aboard!

This is my first post on the CTP blog so I figure I owe you the honor of introducing myself. After all, as our relationship progresses, you’ll end up knowing more about the inner workings of the more private aspects of my life.

So, me. I’m a married, 25 year old woman from the midwest. I spend my days teaching three and four year olds the basics of life. I love my job…well, at least, most of the time. I enjoy photography, camping, movies and peeing on sticks. (Too much info too soon?) My husband and I were married in October of 2006 and I went off my birth control shortly there after. We had the philosophy that we weren’t getting any younger and if we got pregnant right away, it’d be ok.

But that didn’t happen.

A couple of months went by and I didn’t worry too much. Then came another Christmas with no baby. I started worrying a little more, but we still were just letting things happen. Spring and Summer, going into fall…nothing. Then, the day before Halloween, I found out I was pregnant. I ended up having a blighted ovum (more about what those are later) and miscarried naturally right before Thanksgiving. (As if the holidays aren’t hard enough!).

So here I am, a day-time mom to 20 preschoolers, without any of my own. We’ve hit the two year mark and have admitted to defeat (in some sense of the word). Come this May, if I haven’t gotten pregnant again, I’m going to go in and we’re going to start the barrage of testing.

After 2 years, I consider myself a quasi-expert on all things ttc. I’ve either read it, had a friend go through it or done it. Charting, OPK’s, Monitoring, Ferning Method, Vitamins, Herbs—just about everything you can think of. At this point, I’ve also developed quite a sense of humor and a pretty straight-forward perspective on this whole business.

Hopefully our relationship will be a fantastic one. I hope my journey provides you some entertainment, some education or even just some encouragement, knowing you aren’t alone out there.

Stay Safe and Happy Breeding!

http://babymaker.wordpress.com