What about OPK's?

When a woman charts her cycles using the Fertility Awareness Method, she’ll rarely need to use OPK’s (Ovulation Predictor Kits). Why?

Well, if she’s trying to AVOID pregnancy, these little strips aren’t designed for that, so she shouldn’t use them… EVER!

And if she’s trying to ACHIEVE pregnancy, the class she took with a qualified Fertility Awareness Educator and her cycle’s chart will usually give her all the information she needs.

OPKs are looking for a hormone called LH that “usually" makes its debut 24 hours-ish before ovulation occurs. Having a positive OPK just means that she “might" ovulate, but doesn’t mean that ovulation took place. While they can be helpful for some women who are TTC, OPKs can also be frustrating if they’re not used correctly. These are some other reasons I’m not the biggest fan of them:

• They can be pricey! Buying OPKs in a store can be outrageously expensive; online you can find 100 for $30.
• They are designed for the “average" LH concentration for the “average" woman (and I’ve yet to meet this so-called “average" woman). So there could be false positives and false negatives.
• Some women test positive all the time. Other women test negative all the time. And a lot of the test results are difficult to interpret.

If you want more information about interpreting your OPK results or (better yet!) want to learn more about your body using the Fertility Awareness Method, contact me for information about upcoming classes or to schedule a private consultation!

Kindara offers Denver/Boulder locals 3 months of FREE Fertility Coaching!

Kindara is an iPhone app that is based in Boulder, CO. They offer women who are charting their cycles using the Fertility Awareness Method a way to enter and record their fertility data. Right now Kindara is in the process of improving the app using a focus group and want YOUR help!

Interested? Follow these links if you’re trying to get pregnant or if you’re trying to avoid pregnancy.

Say What?

Acronyms… love them or hate them… they’re EVERYWHERE! When clients email me questions about their cycles and Fertility Awareness Method charts, I’ve seen much of the lingo below. (And I totally confess that sometimes I’ve had to Google the acronym to find out what it means before I email them back!)

Fertility Awareness Method Charting Specifics:

• CY = cycle
• CD = cycle day
• CF or CM = cervical fluid or cervical mucus
• EW or EWCF = egg-white cervical fluid
• CP or Cx = cervical position or cervix
• BBT = basal body temperature
• PK = peak day (last day of clear, stretchy, or lubricative CF)
• O or OV = ovulation
• AO or NO = anovulatory or no ovulation
• DPP or DPO = days past peak day or days past ovulation
• FP = follicular phase (preovulatory)
• FSH = follicle stimulating hormone
• LP = luteal phase (postovulatory)
• LPD = luteal phase defect
• CL = corpus luteum
• LH = luteinizing hormone
• TTA = trying to avoid (pregnancy)
• TTC = trying to conceive

GYN (gynecological) Specifics:

• LMP = first day of last menstrual period
• PMS = premenstrual syndrome
• YI = yeast infection
• BV = bacterial vaginosis
• UTI = urinary tract infection
• STI = sexually transmitted infection
• BC or BCP = birth control or birth control pills
• OC or OCP = oral contraceptives or oral contraceptive pills
• AF = aunt flo (your period)
• PPAF = postpartum aunt flo (your period)
• PP = postpartum
• BF or EBF = breastfeeding or exclusively breastfeeding
• Bx = biopsy
• Dx = diagnosis
• Hx = history
• Rx = prescription
• Tx = treatment
• US = ultrasound
• Colpo = colposcopy
• LEEP = loop electrocautery excision procedure
• OTC = over the counter

Getting Pregnant Specifics:

• BD = baby dance (have sex)
• PG = pregnant
• PNV = prenatal vitamin
• OPK = ovulation predictor kit
• EPT = early pregnancy test
• HPT = home pregnancy test
• hCG =  human chorionic gonadotropin (hormone that pregnancy tests look for)
• POAS = pee on a stick
• FMU = first morning urine
• BFP = big fat positive
• BFN = big fat negative
• EDD = estimated due date
• FHT = fetal heart tones
• MS = morning sickness
• MC or SAB = miscarriage or spontaneous abortion
• EP = ectopic pregnancy
• IF or INF = infertility
• SA = semen analysis
• AI = alternative insemination
• ART = assisted reproductive technology
• IVI = intravaginal insemination (often done at-home)
• ICI = intracervical insemination (usually done at office)
• IUI = intrauterine insemination (usually done at office)
• ITI = intratubal insemination (done at office)
• IVF = invitro fertilization (done at office)
• DE = donor eggs
• DI = donor insemination
• PCOS = polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Endo = endometriosis

Extras:

• DH = dear/darling/darn husband
• SO = significant other
• LO = loved one
• DD = dear/darling daughter
• DS = dear/darling son

Did I miss any??? Comment below with ones you’ve found that aren’t on this list!

Take Control of your Birth Control!

Many women have already learned about and use the Fertility Awareness Method to avoid pregnancy naturally. For those who have no idea what it is… your mind will be blown!

You can scientifically rely on the signs that your body gives you throughout your cycle to let you know when you’re fertile and not fertile. To attain the highest effectiveness (up to 99.6%) it’s recommended you chart your cycle for 3 months before using it to avoid pregnancy, meet with a qualified teacher 2-3 times during that time to answer your questions and interpret your signs and chart, and be MOTIVATED to avoid pregnancy :)

I’ll be teaching a class at Blossom Wellness Center (a part of Mountain Midwifery Center) on Tuesday, April 30 at 6pm. It’s $40/person or $50/couple and you can register by calling 303-954-9399.

Why BBT is #2!

When women chart their fertility signs using the Fertility Awareness Method, we’ve already learned from a recent blog post "Why Cervical Fluid is #1!"

Taking her basal body temperature first thing in the morning usually lets a woman know if she has or hasn’t ovulated yet. It doesn’t tell her if her fertile time has started (which is VERY important) but it can tell her that her fertile time has ended (another important factor). If she’s trying to get pregnant and she sees her temp has gone up, it’s often too late to have sex for conception. If she’s avoiding pregnancy, she’s fertile for the 5 or so days BEFORE her temp goes up… and there’s no way to predict the future!

Also, getting accurate morning temperatures is of the utmost importance. If her temps are inaccurate (she slept in, drank alcohol the night before, got up to pee in the middle of the night, is coming down with a cold, etc.), then her chart is inaccurate. If her chart is inaccurate, then any information we try to extrapolate from it will probably be wrong.

Want to know more?!? Contact me… or better yet, come to a class!

Paying it Forward...

In order to be certified to teach the Fertility Awareness Method, a teacher-in-training must teach women and meet with them regarding their charts, and then discuss all of this with her mentor. I am so grateful to all the women (and friends!) who were able to help me complete that requirement for my graduation.

My colleague, Allie Rowland, is currently in the process of teaching the Fertility Awareness Method to new clients as part of her training to be an HRHP through Justisse Healthworks for Women. She is offering a limited number of fully-reimbursed charting follow-up sessions in order to complete her certification requirements. That means she’ll reimburse you the $30 fee for the class if you complete three follow-up sessions with her (in the greater Boulder/Denver area).

Learn the Fertility Awareness Method for free?!? Yes please! You can contact her at allisonlockwoodrowland@gmail.com.

Morning Edition's "Off The Battlefield, Military Women Face Risks From Male Troops" →

"According to the Pentagon’s own research, more than 1 in 4 women who join the military will be sexually assaulted during their careers."

This is part of Morning Edition’s special series: "America’s Woman Warriors."

Natural Birth Control class next week! →

It’s the first day of Spring!!! Are you over using synthetic hormones and/or devices to avoid a pregnancy?

The next Natural Birth Control class using the Fertility Awareness Method that I will be teaching is on Tuesday, March 26 at 6pm-8:30pm. It will be held at Blossom Wellness Center. $40/person, $50/couple. Call 303.954.9399 to register.

The Kindara App is Non-Predicting...

So… if you’re “charting" your cycle using the Fertility Awareness Method, “how" exactly do you chart it? The old-fashioned paper way (how I do it), the computer spreadsheet (that many of my clients use), or apps on your phone (which I normally don’t like).

I haven’t liked most of the phone apps because they try and PREDICT your cycle using the out-dated and very inaccurate Rhythm Method. The app will actually say that you are infertile or fertile on any given day (regardless of your fertility signs) and it could be totally accurate (a broken clock is right twice a day) or it could be way off… yikes!

Enter… Kindara. I like this iPhone app because it lets women enter the answer to the question, “Am I fertile today? Yes or no?" She decides her Peak Day; she decides her temp shift. And the people that work there (it’s based in Boulder, Colorado) are pretty awesome to boot!

War Violence Against Women: PS

So… I was looking forwarding to writing about Fertility Awareness again, but then I listened to the news. I keep thinking/assuming/hoping that the “good ol’ boys’ club" is being dismantled, but I’m wrong. It seems that the military continues to favor their accused buddies rather than the facts, and women’s voices continue to be ignored and silenced. 

This week is no different; here’s the gist: 

• March 2012 - A civilian woman accuses Air Force Lt. Col. James Wilkerson of sexual assault.
• November 2012 - Four colonels and a lieutenant colonel find Wilkerson guilty. He’s sentenced to one year in prison with a dismissal from the military.
• March 2013 - Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin overturns Wilkerson’s conviction of aggravated sexual assault, reinstating him at full rank. Outraged, several senators and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta call for a review of Franklin’s decision by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

The Stars & Stripes article and All Things Considered broadcast provide more details.

The Message of Stress: Reproduction is Expendable

When I’m teaching my clients the Fertility Awareness Method, the subject of stress invariably comes up. Why? Because it is RAMPANT in our culture and society. An NPR blog chats a bit about how OVERWHELMED we all feel if you’re one of the lucky few that needs proof the rest of us are stressed out.

But we’re not supposed to live under the constant stress that we do. What we’re telling our body (in caveman terms) is that there is a TIGER chasing us on the SAVANNAH and we need to RUN!

Reproduction is not necessary for survival, so while our bodies are busy getting blood and oxygen to our heart, lungs, and brain… and then to our muscles… and then maybe to our digestion… it will think about whether or not it wants to send precious resources to our reproductive organs. Stress sends the message, “This is not a good time to get her pregnant. She can’t run from the tiger while she’s pregnant for nearly a year… and she certainly can’t run from the tiger while she’s breastfeeding a new child for a year or more. So let’s protect her and prevent a pregnancy."

What you’ll often hear me telling my clients about stress reduction is 1 of 2 things: either add something to your life or subtract something from you life. Add exercise or eating healthier or meditation or a support group or something else that adds GOODNESS to your life. Or… say “no" more often or resign from a committee or turn off the screen (tv, computer, tablet, phone, etc) more or give yourself a break.

If you need even more ideas, Zen Habits gives great hints on “The Art of Letting Go." Enjoy!