Natural Conception...

I’m a qualified Fertility Awareness Educator and I teach the Sympto-Thermal Method of Fertility Awareness. That means keeping track of and charting the changes of your cervical fluid, the changes of your morning temperature, and the changes of your cervical position throughout your cycle.

• You can use it to avoid pregnancy without using synthetic hormones or devices!
• You can use it to naturally increase your chances of conceiving!
• You can use it to learn the language your body speaks and accurately predict your periods!

Charting your cycles can bring so much freedom and valuable information because you can use Fertility Awareness for a variety of reasons. While it’s not the best option for every woman and couple and situation… I’m here to help you in whatever way I can!

Body Literacy...

I’m a qualified Fertility Awareness Educator and I teach the Sympto-Thermal Method of Fertility Awareness. That means keeping track of and charting the changes of your cervical fluid, the changes of your morning temperature, and the changes of your cervical position throughout your cycle.

• You can use it to avoid pregnancy without using synthetic hormones or devices!
• You can use it to naturally increase your chances of conceiving!
• You can use it to learn the language your body speaks and accurately predict your periods!

Charting your cycles can bring so much freedom and valuable information because you can use Fertility Awareness for a variety of reasons. While it’s not the best option for every woman and couple and situation… I’m here to help you in whatever way I can!

Nosy Questions at the Holidays *…sigh…*

A client using the Fertility Awareness Method recently discussed with me ideas of how to make healthy personal boundaries… especially with family or acquaintances… especially during the Holiday Season. (See… we talk about waaaaay more than just cervical fluid and morning temps during one-on-one consults! It’s “holistic.”)

We know our family and close ones love us (or at least social norms dictate that they *act* like they love us), but they don’t always have the best tact. Many women and couples have chosen to keep certain aspects of their life private, especially things related to fertility, health, finances, and intimate decisions. And it’s pointless to write a blog saying, “These are the nosy/rude/insensitive/inappropriate questions NOT to ask anyone EVER” because the people that need to read it won’t ever see it:

• Are you pregnant?
• Why are you still single?
• When are the two of you finally going to get married?
• Why haven’t you had kids yet? When will you have more kids?
• Have you gained/lost weight? (A simple, “You look great!” is always appropriate.)
• Have you weaned your toddler yet?

So we decided she would be preemptive. Here are some ideas that we brainstormed so she can use them during the next few weeks of holiday gatherings:

1. Have a prepared answer. Honey usually works much better than vinegar, so you might kindly respond, “Oh, why do you ask?” This puts the focus back onto the interrogator to explain further and hopefully give them a few seconds to realize that it’s an inappropriate question. It also lets you hear their intention instead of assuming it. (Maybe they have an extra $20,000 they’d like to give to someone for a wedding or to grow a family… score!) You could follow it up with another question and get right to the point, “Does it make you uncomfortable?” Alternatively, a humorous response that evades answering the question is a great option too.
2. Change the subject. Once you’ve given the answer you prepared or heard their response to the above question/s, DIVERT! Talk about something, anything else… what you’re eating, what you’re drinking, what you’re wearing, what you did before you got there, what you’re doing after you leave, a book or article you just read, a show or movie you just watched… the subject choices are limitless. Quickly move the conversation from something that feels uncomfortable to empowering!
3. Know your audience. Is your sweet great-aunt that sees you once a year just trying to make small-talk? Be kind. Is your co-worker more interested in giving you her opinion on the matter than listening to your answer? Be firm. Wishy-washy responses will usually give the inquisitor a chance to dig even deeper. If you determine ahead of time how much you want to share, then you’ll have a greater chance of walking away from a conversation not regretting what you just said.

Ultimately follow and trust your intuition. The holiday season can be fraught with stress, so hopefully by adding some of the above ideas to your repertoire, you’ll be able to sail through the gatherings with grace… or at least not be asked to leave because you just ripped someone a new one ;)

Image from: http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/MjAxMy0wMWIwN2I5M2UwZjY0YjYz

TTC? Did you know…

A study recently published said that of women seeking assisted reproductive technologies to get pregnant, over 87% of them could NOT correctly identify the days during their cycle in which sex could lead to a pregnancy… over 87%!!! The authors concluded, “Poor fertility-awareness may be a contributing cause of infertility.”

When a woman charts her cycle using the Sympto-Thermal Method of Fertility Awareness, she can be one of the 12.7% that can correctly identify the days during her cycle that sex could lead to a pregnancy. The range of fertile days can be as short as 1 day and up to 6 days (with the typical fertile window being just 3 days).

Want a higher chance of conceiving? Come to my next Natural Conception class. For more information and to register… contact me.

***More info about the study… it was published in May 2013 in the Journal of Advanced Nursing. It surveyed 204 Australian women who were admitted to an assisted reproductive technology clinic with the vast majority TTC for a year or more.

PS - Wondering what "TTC" means? Find out here...

A “Fertility Double-Header” in the mountains next weekend!

Learn how to naturally avoid pregnancy on Sat, Nov 16 and/or learn how to naturally improve your chances of conceiving on Sun, Nov 17… registration ends soon!

"Real Google Searches Show the Scope of Sexism Worldwide"

"Here’s a simple and powerful campaign idea from UN Women using real suggested search terms from Google’s auto-complete feature." (http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/powerful-ads-use-real-google-searches-show-scope-sexism-worldwide-153235)

Wow. This works.

I tried it in my browser here in Colorado, just south of Wyoming: The Equality State. Most of the things that are shown populated in these ads or PSAs show up on my browser too.

So… then I was curious… what does a Google search populate for phrases about men? This is what it came up in the auto-complete for my search:

Men shouldn’t

• wear shorts
• wear flip flops
• marry
• be jealous

Men need to

• feel needed
• ejaculate
• cheat
• be men

Men cannot

• be feminists
• be trusted
• get HIV from women
• pick up chair*

Men should

• always pray
• not get married
• wear makeup
• pay for dates

I’m not going to provide commentary but let the results speak for themselves.

*Pick up chair has do with a trick probably based on a different center of gravity… it finds that women can usually lift the chair and men usually cannot. Here’s a video that (hilariously) demonstrates it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW0ZTvRCS1o

Breastfeeding and Avoiding Pregnancy

Yep. You can use the Fertility Awareness Method to *successfully* avoid pregnancy while you’re postpartum and/or breastfeeding.

How? By keeping track of the changes in your cervical fluid and cervical position that let you know if ovulation is around the corner.

Come find out why taking your temperature every morning won’t necessarily help you and why charting is more effective than LAM (Lactational Amenorrhea Method).

The next Natural Birth Control class (focusing on avoiding pregnancy while postpartum and/or breastfeeding!) is this Saturday, October 19, 2013 at Blossom Wellness Center at 1pm-3:30pm. It’s $40/person (and an extra $10 if you want to bring your non-charting partner with you). Call 303-788-0600 to register.

Babes in arms are always welcome :)

"How 'Normal' is Your Period?"

Charting your cycle with the Fertility Awareness Method lets you easily answer this question. You’ll know how long your cycles are, if/when you ovulate, and any changes to your menstrual flow.

"By paying attention to your monthly cycle — including how frequently you bleed, how much you bleed, how long you bleed, and how much physical pain strikes — you’ll best realize when a change in your period occurs, which is the first step in discovering an underlying health problem," says Erika Stalder in this article.

Suppressing menstruation with hormonal contraception doesn’t allow women the opportunity to know if everything is a-okay with their body. Getting normal (for the general population and for you) periods means you probably don’t have:

• thyroid problems
• pituitary problems
• adrenal problems
• other abnormal changes in hormone levels
• premature ovarian failure (POF)
• polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
• endometriosis
• endometrial build-up
• uterine fibroids
• loss of bone density
• and more…

The sooner a problem is discovered, the earlier (and hopefully easier) it will be to address. That's how the menstrual cycle can be used as a vital sign!

What to learn more about charting your cycle? Come to one of my next classes at Blossom Wellness Center or Natal to Nest.

Swimming: Sperm vs. Whales

"The physics of sperm vs. the physics of sperm whales" by Aatish Bhatia

Good thing human sperm aren’t normally swimming in water ;-)

Most of the time sperm encounter infertile vaginal secretions and die very quickly (minutes to hours). On the other hand, when a woman is fertile (which is just a few days each cycle), they encounter fertile cervical fluid (…think really slippery like raw egg white) and can live for a long time (DAYS!)… the cervical fluid offers them lots and lots benefits… moving more easily is one of them!

Did you know???

Sperm NEED fertile cervical fluid (or to be "washed" by faux-cervical fluid in the lab) to fertilize an egg!!!

"Toxic environmental agents can have a profound and lasting effect on reproductive health..." by ACOG & ASRM

Here are some highlights of how endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs - found in pesticides, plastics, industrial chemicals, and fuels) can affect our overall health and reproductive health (including thyroid function):

• Prenatal exposure to certain chemicals has been documented to increase the risk of cancer in childhood;
• adult male exposure to pesticides is linked to altered semen quality, sterility, and prostate cancer;
• postnatal exposure to some pesticides can interfere with all developmental stages of reproductive function in adult females, including puberty, menstruation and ovulation, fertility and fecundity, and menopause.

It also discusses the environmental injustice that’s occurring because minorities and those living in poverty (including those in low-wage immigrant occupations) with poor neighborhood quality, substandard housing quality, increased psycho-social stress, and unsatisfactory nutritional status are at increased risk for exposure.

The publication has many insights and suggestions, but my favorite part is that the Committee Opinion includes at the end something very simple and basic for women who are TTC, pregnant, or breastfeeding:

• foods to eat (“fruit, vegetables, beans, legumes, and whole grains every day”)
• and foods to avoid (“fast food and other processed foods whenever possible”)!

ACOG online Publication or PDF version

Fertility & BMI

"Venus of Willendorf" is often viewed as a symbol of fertility. Why? Because of her voluptuous breasts and body, and her detailed vulva.

A study published this past spring 2013 concluded, “Women who have a BMI > or = 30 are likely to take longer to conceive.” It also said, “Those with a BMI < 19 who have irregular or absent menstruation should be advised that putting on weight is likely to improve their chance of conception.”

While I agree that BMI calculation is a somewhat archaic and incorrect tool (see more here: Top 10 Reasons Why the BMI is Bogus), I do think there is quite a bit of validity to a woman’s weight affecting her fertility (…and her weekly amount of exercise …and what she eats …etc.).

Want to learn more about this and other things that affect/improve fertility when you’re trying to get pregnant? (…like charting your cycle using the Sympto-Thermal Fertility Awareness Method!)

Come to my “Holistic Fertility” class this Saturday, September 20, 2013 at 1pm at Blossom Wellness Center in Englewood. Call 303-954-9399 to register ($50/individual, $60/couple).  

…or…

Come to my “Fertility Awareness to Achieve Pregnancy” class on Monday, September 30, 2013 at 6:30pm at Natal to Nest in Highlands Ranch by registering online ($60/couple).

Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_of_Willendorf

Do you use the pill brand Yasmin, Yasminelle, Yaz, Beyaz, Ocella, Zarah, or Angeliq? »

If so, it contains Drospirenone. 

A new study published in June 2013 in “BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology" concluded that using birth control pills that contain Drospirenone is associated with a higher risk for blood clots (that can lead to strokes, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, or death) than not using any birth control pills or using a birth control pill that contains Levonorgestrel (mini-pill or progestin-only pill).

We hear it on the commercials all the time, but evidence is continuing to back it up.

Non-hormonal contraception (including the Sympto-Thermal Method of Fertility Awareness) might be a better option for some women. (PS - I just completed my 100th chart of avoiding pregnancy in May… find out more here!) You can either attend a Natural Birth Control class in person here in Denver, Colorado (upcoming class dates are listed at the bottom of the page) or purchase the online version of the class here.

So... would you share what your experience been with hormonal contraception and/or Fertility Awareness?

Survey Says... "Contraception Calling: Why Aren't More Young Women Listening?" »

The results of a survey conducted in March 2013 are in! It asked over 1,000 unmarried women (age 18-29) about their use of contraception. All of the respondents have had sex, do not have children, and are not trying to get pregnant (a sample that matches only 33% of American women this age).

Here’s what they found out:

Almost 75% have had unprotected sex and more than half (58%) admit to not using contraception all the time!

Top 7 reasons why the women surveyed had unprotected sex:

1. 44% I trusted my partner to pull out
2. 39% Sex feels better without protection
3. 32% I just wasn’t thinking
4. 30% I didn’t plan on having sex so I wasn’t prepared
5. 20% My partner did not want to use protection
6. 20% I was drunk or high
7. 15% I thought it was a safe time of the month

Top 4 most important considerations when choosing a method of contraception:

1. 77% It’s effective
2. 49% It’s affordable
3. 47% Easy to use
4. 33% I think it’s a healthy option for me

Top 6 reasons that make women feel uneasy about taking birth control pills:

1. 33% I’m afraid it will mess with my fertility in the long run
2. 26% The medical warnings in the commercials scare me
3. 25% Having to take a pill every day doesn’t work for me
4. 17% It’s unnatural
5. 14% I’ve had a bad experience with the pill
6. 13% It’s unhealthy

While the vast majority of the women surveyed used condoms and/or the birth control pill, the authors touted the merits of LARCs (long-acting reversible contraceptives) like the IUD or Implant… which is a fabulous option for some women.

But what about the Sympto-Thermal Fertility Awareness Method???

Now that we know what the top 4 things young women want in contraception, a viable option that could be presented to them would be the Fertility Awareness Method. Why?

1. It’s effective!

• Effectiveness rates for the Sympto-Thermal Fertility Awareness Method vary from 88-98%, but that’s still higher than the male condom (82%) and similar to synthetic hormones like the birth control pill, patch, or ring (91%). 

2. It’s affordable!

• Once a woman (or couple) has invested in a class with a certified Fertility Awareness Educator (FAE), bought a thermometer, photocopied charts or downloaded software or an app, bought a book like Taking Charge of Your Fertility or Garden of Fertility, and had the necessary follow-up consultations with the FAE, she’s set for life! She can use this method for a variety of different reasons for the next years (or decades!) of her life.

3. It’s easy to use!

• If she can be taught to read a book, she can be taught to read her body! It’s a skill… just like learning to dance or learning to drive is a skill that most of us do safely without thinking twice about it… life-long skills often become second-nature. However, it’s not the best method for each women (or couple… a mutually-motivated partner is key!), but the option should at least be presented by health care providers and sexual health educators.

4. It’s a healthy option!

• As I said in a May 2013 blog, the Fertility Awareness Method has no side-effects! (…like the myriad of those associated with synthetic hormones, chemicals, or devices…) And there’s no risks of BLOOD CLOTS that can lead to strokes, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, or death.

Are you sold? Register and come to one of my Natural Birth Control classes to learn the Sympto-Thermal Fertility Awareness Method at Blossom Wellness Center in August or September 2013!

Contraception Calling: Why Aren’t More Young Women Listening?  - “The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy teamed up with Cosmopolitan magazine—often considered the bible for sexually active, single, young women—to examine these very issues. The results presented here are from a nationally representative survey conducted by TRU, a worldwide leader in research on teens and twenty-somethings.”

The Rhythm Method?!?!?!?

The Fertility Awareness Method is NOT the Rhythm Method.
The Fertility Awareness Method is NOT the Rhythm Method!
The Fertility Awareness Method is NOT the Rhythm Method!
…Is my face blue yet?!? 

Just so we're all on the same page... the Fertility Awareness Method (specifically the Sympto-Thermal method) determines fertility each day based on real-time data. The Rhythm Method PREDICTS fertility based on past cycle history and ignores that what has happened in the past doesn’t always repeat itself in the future.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Mark Humphrey at http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/mywesttexas.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/80/e808f8a7-bad5-5aa2-a9ae-d8d978881cb0/4df26fae3faec.image.jpg

A Positive Period Message for Girls!

I love it… more “red badge of courage” and less fake blue liquid to mimic the period flow!

What would make this rock even more is if they sent reusable menstrual products like my list on a previous blog post here each month… just sayin’ :) 

Fertility Awareness & TTC...

A study was recently published in the May 2013 Journal of Advanced Nursing entitled, “Fertility-awareness knowledge, attitudes, and practices of women seeking fertility assistance.” There was a lot of great information regarding women TTC (Trying To Conceive) and using the Sympto-Thermal Fertility Awareness Method:

• 68.2% believed they had timed intercourse mainly within the fertile window of the menstrual cycle in their attempts at conception
• but only 12.7% could accurately identify this window
• only 24% knew the mucus type that indicates the fertile time
• only 21% could describe the mucus change that indicates the beginning of the fertile time
• and only 5% understood how the temperature method indicates the occurrence of ovulation

Of the women surveyed, “94% believe that a woman should receive fertility-awareness education when she first reports trouble conceiving to her doctor.”

And where should she get that fertility-awareness education from??? A Certified Fertility Awareness Educator, of course :)

"Most women seeking assistance at assisted reproductive technology clinics attempt timed intercourse within the fertile window of the menstrual cycle. However, few accurately identify this window, suggesting that poor fertility-awareness may be a contributing cause of infertility.”

Yikes! This study says that not knowing when to time sex  may be part of the cause to not getting pregnant ;) Charting your cycle can give you that valuable information in addition to other useful knowledge about your reproductive health!

Next Fertility Class to help you get pregnant in Highlands Ranch, CO

Trying To Conceive (TTC) can be the best of times… and/or the worst of times. By learning more about your body by charting your cycle using the Sympto-Thermal Fertility Awareness Method, the more power and knowledge you’ll have!

The next Fertility Awareness to Achieve Pregnancy class isthis Monday, July 29, 2013 at 6:30pm at Natal to Nest in Highlands Ranch, CO. It’s $60/person and your non-charting partner is encouraged to attend for free! Register online or call (303)221-6378.

Here’s my “soft launch” video and it’s 100% home-made!

In this video I mention the online classes I’ll be offering soon… very exciting!!! Thanks so much to everyone for your encouragement and support :)

Just a few more days…

There are just a few more days to register for the Natural Birth Control class happening next Thurs, July 18, 2013 at 6pm. I’ll be teaching women and couples how to chart her cycle and fertility signs with the Sympto-Thermal Fertility Awareness Method in order to know which days she is fertile and infertile… and then they can make decisions about sex so they don’t make babies! 

You can register at Blossom Wellness Center by calling (303) 954-9399. It’s $40/person (and her non-charting partner is encouraged to attend for $10). Hope to see you there!