Fertility Philosophy 101
Thinking about Trying-to-Conceive in the Modern World

Back in the good-old-days, trying to become pregnant was not so complicated as it is for the contemporary citizens of a fast-paced, high-tech world. There were no fertility monitors, no urine tests, no computerized ovulation calendars, no software products or gadgets to help you pinpoint the days you were most fertile. In addition to that, to take a pregnancy test, you often had to kill a bunny rabbit! Other modern fertility tribulations include the fact that couples are trying to become pregnant not at age 19, 22, or 26, but in our 30s and even 40s. Just a few generations ago, if a woman was holding a baby at age 40, she was most likely a grandma.

Today, couples are trying to conceive later - and in a stress-filled, fast-paced universe in which men and women are likely to both be working. All of this together means that the odds of conceiving in a given cycle are vastly decreased compared to the couples of the 1950s or 1960s. The good news is that today we have a wide array of fertility aids - from special thermometers to help us pinpoint when ovulation has taken place to urine LH tests and computerized fertility monitors. The question today is, with such an overwhelming choice of products, what products should I use? What techniques are best? And how do I approach trying-to-conceive from a basic philosophical standpoint?

Our TTC philosophy here is to start with your immediate preconception health and natural fertility symptoms, and to work out from there to specific products to further assist with increasing the probability of a pregnancy. This means moving from the organic body to the hi-tech. Follow along!

1. Start with preconception diet and health, and start using a prenatal vitamin with folic acid. Of course, talk with your doctor regarding the best preconception health and diet regiment for you. For more on fertility health and diet, click here. Also, educate yourself about fertility and conception. There is a lot to know, and the more you know the more you can do to ensure that you become pregnant sooner and healthier.

2. Begin with your body, learn about your self, your menstrual cycle, your own unique fertility signs and symptoms. This means fertility charting and starting a basic ovulation calendar. The basic touchstones of fertility charting include using a bbt thermometer to know when you ovulate during your cycle. You should also be checking fertility signs like changes in cervical mucus. If you only do numbers 1 and 2, you will have already vastly increased your opportunity for getting pregnant. Software products like the Taking Charge of Your Fertility System

3. Start testing: Using an ovulation test or fertility monitor is a great way to really lock-in on your most fertile time. Our philosophy is that you combine basic tests with your fertility chart info. So, what kind of tests do you have? The array is wide and the choices today are nearly endless. It also depends on your budget, as certain products cost a lot more than others. We go over some of the basics below:

Urine LH Tests: These are the standard for decades now, and by letting you know that your LH surge has taken place, you can be quite sure that your most fertile day is coming in the next ten to thirty-six hours.

Ovulation Scopes: These test for your estrogen surge, and provide a more gradual - but wider - fertility window. Instead of a 2 day warning, you can receive a 4 to 6 day alert as this diagnostic tool will offer both a "transitional" and "high" fertility warning.

Computerized Monitors: Products like the ClearBlue Monitor, the OvaCue, and the OV-Watch offer high-tech, computerized alternatives for predicting when you will ovulate. The ClearBlue is the standard here, as it detects both your LH and your estrogen levels. The OV-Watch is unique because it actually has a bio-sensor that measures changes in your perspiration - while you sleep! Now that's a solution for fast-paced living. If your philosophy is "Give me convenience or give me death", then the OV-Watch is for you!

Typically, our thinking suggests that no one product alone can offer a sure-fire path to super-accurate predictive power. So we suggest combining a few products with your fertility charting activities. For example, using LH tests with a scope like Fertile Focus is a cover-your-bases philosophy we can't argue with. If you like the OV-Watch idea, we'd still recommend following up with a few LH tests to really verify that the ovum is one the way. Last but not least, the only way you can verify that ovulation has taken place is by using a bbt thermometer - or getting an ultrasound check from your doctor.

A bbt chart is always smart. And on this note, I'll end Fertility Philosophy 101.

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