Taking Charge of Your Fertility

I have been meaning to read Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler for over a year. I’ve read articles on the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) and even charted my own cycles without reading the book, but going off the articles I read and reading other peoples experiences. This book is FULL of excellent information that every woman should know, regardless if they are sexually active, want to be pregnant or if they don’t want to pregnant. It is information that explains so much about the female body that most people don’t even know; which is a shame.

Fertility Awareness consists of charting your menstrual cycle and recording what signs your body is giving you. Signs include your waking temp, cervical fluid and the position of your cervix. It helps you figure out when you are fertile and when you are not. It can help you realize if there is a problem and can help you either avoid pregnancy or achieve it. I am really not doing it justice, but it is a fantastic resource and I believe a must read for every woman.

I did get annoyed with the way the author makes it seem that all women and/or doctors are dumb. The vignettes that are shared are some eye rollers, where it makes it seem that SHE is smart/knows everything and everyone else is just dumb.

I am going to share the Summary of the Four FAM Rules for Natural Birth Control, because this sums up what I found MOST helpful and that I think need to be passed along.

1. First 5 days rule (You are safe the first 5 days of the menstrual cycle if you had an obvious temperature shift about 12 to 16 days before.)
2. Dry Day Rule (Before ovulation, you are safe the evening of a dry day.)
3. Temperature Shift Rule (You are safe the evening of the 3rd consecutive day your temp is above the coverline)
4. Peak Day Rule (You are safe the evening of the 4th consecutive day after your Peak Day.)

Now obviously, using those rules without charting/knowing what the heck some of that terminology means is NOT ADVISED. But it did help me better understand how to chart MORE accurately and how to notice abnormalities.

Definitely something women should read.