Taking Charge Of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement and Reproductive Health

After trying to get pregnant for 7 months and getting very frustrated i seen this book recommended in the comments section of two blogs within one week, having never heard of it before seemed a very good sign. My husband and I had already been to the Doctors to have blood tests for any hormone deficiencies and a sperm test and both came back clear, so knew we had no obvious reasons as to why we weren't conceiving and would have to wait another 5 months to be referred to a specialist for any further tests. I read many of the comments of reviewers and decided it couldn't hurt ( i also bought a BabyMad thermometer that i think cost £5 and came with a temperature chart). The book is very informative and written in a very easy to read format. The first month things seemed to be all over the place (it didn't help that we went on holiday and a very different time zone which as the book says plays havoc with your cycle), It originally looked like my cervical mucus and ovulation were completely out of sinc but once i got to the end of the month i could identify roughly when i had ovulated, but as i say everything was all over the place because of traveling. Unsurprisingly this month ended with a period- no change there!!! But next month i was vigilant about making sure i got up and took my temperature at the same time ever morning and wrote done all changes in mucus type, had sex about 5 times over about 10 days (too much info sorry) and waited. I plotted this months temperatures on a Excel graph once i was about 3 weeks in and this showed more clearly that i had ovulated and had sex on at least three occasions during the 'right' times (this matched with the changes in mucus as well). I wasn't hoping for much this month, just thought i would be in a good position to know exactly when to have sex next month, but once i got to 16 high temperatures i got a little excited and then on 19 days of highs i done a test and it was POSITIVE!!!!! It's very very early days but 7 months of nothing and then on second month of tracking temperature and mucus and a positive test i am very happy. I think if i hadn't read this book we would still be waiting and getting even more frustrated. For what it costs it is definitely worth trying, if nothing else you learn an awful lot about your body that nobody else ever tells you. Good luck to anyone struggling, it is very frustrating, especially when as soon as you are everyone around you seems to already be pregnant.

I absolutely loved this book and feel that it will be a life changer for me. I read Chapters 1-12 intensely, making sure I understood the basic principles and details. It wasn't hard to do as the writing was very simple and easy to follow. I never felt overwhelmed with medical terminology and I was so interested in this subject that I couldn't put it down. I couldn't believe how little I knew about women's bodies and systems! I then read the following chapters that applied to me or I took an interest in, but I would recommend avoiding skipping over anything in Chapters 1-12 as it will help you understand everything else in the book. I have been married for almost a year now and when I first got married I had discussed with my husband the possibilities of using invasive, expensive and long term birth control options (the IUD or the implant). The only thing I was considering was the convience of these options compared with the pill which I was on for about 10 years. He actually convinced me not to undergo any of these procedures because: a. we didn't know the negative side effects they could have on my body, b. how they would affect our ability to conceive when we were ready, and c. the costs. We decided to use condoms and I am actually very grateful that I didn't go to those extremes for birth control. I don't know if I would have been interested in this book or method earlier in my life, due to immaturity and not being in a long term committed relationship (the birth control method suggested in the book is not suited for adolescents or people not in an std concious, monogamous relationship) . At this stage in my life it was exactly what I was looking for. A lot of information I found on the web about natural birth control was very religious orientated and I was not interested in that at all. This book does not force any religious ethos but is aware that a lot of religions may benefit from FAM (Fetility Awareness Method). I will be using this book for birth control and in a few years, pregnancy achievement. Many of the chapters in the book are relevant for women of all ages and I will definitely teach any future daughters to be aware of how their bodies operate so they can gain confidence in their knowledge. I cannot wait to begin charting my cycles and the book also has an accompanying website where you can join the forums and get advice from other readers. I definitely recommend this book!

Buoyed on by excellent reviews, I decided to buy this book and I am really glad I did. Firstly, this book tells you everything you need to know about conception and natural birth control. The book identifies the window of opportunity that you have for conception and the perils of the 'rhythm method' of contraception: therefore, you get a double whammy. What I liked about this book is that it contrasts with the opinion that women over 30 have 'bad eggs' and that's why they may find conception tricky. Weschler highlights that the odds against conception increase as you get older but with the correct strategy you can maximise your chances. This has made me feel confident that I can conceive in the near future. Obviously, anyone with an established fertility problem may need medical intervention but Wechsler is keen to point out that you can take responsibility for your fertility. Wechsler makes the common sense point that couples can think they are infertile because they find it difficult to conceive but they are probably not having intercourse at the correct time or not sure when ovulation takes place. The biggest relief for me was the fact that, as menstrual cycles vary, so does the time of ovulation. Wechsler points out that some medical professionals do work on the basis of the 28-day cycle/14 day ovulation: this myth is exposed in this book and acts as piece of mind to those of us with more irregular cycles. Detailed information is given, throughout the book, as to how to track ovulation and candid guides concerning vaginal secretions are very useful, albeit graphic. This book would be especially good for anyone who is concerned that their age will preclude them from conceiving. Inevitably, ovulation decreases with age so you need to know when your 'window of opportunity' is to maximise your chances. This book is not a guarantee of conception but more a guide to seizing the day. There is stacks of useful information on things that can aggravate conception such as infections, immunological disorders, weight, diet and stress. This book is an all-inclusive guide on maximising your chances of conception. I would recommend this as your 'first port of call' when you decide to conceive, especially if you are concerned that you have left it 'too late'.

I purchased this book after reading rave reviews of it on Amazon. I must say, I am not disappointed. This book contains a wealth of information, and shows you in simple terms the 'Fertility Awareness Method' (FAM), which can be used by women to "chart" their menstrual cycle pattern, mainly waking basal body temperature, cervical mucus and cervical position (though not necessarily all three) to actively monitor if you are ovulating. You can then use this information to avoid or achieve pregnancy. The book has case studies and example charts covering a range of conditions and factors, should you need help interpreting your chart or are confused by what your pattern may mean (e.g. low progesterone, annovulation, etc). There is also the tcoyf.com website, to accompany the book or as a standalone site, and this features a charting app (including mobile access) where you input your data and it gives you a clear chart and calculates your "coverline" and ovulation date etc, so there's no need to angst over how to calculate your temperature pattern! It also has a free chart gallery and chat forums, and I've spoken to some really supportive ladies, some of which are also going through the 'Trying To Conceive' (TTC) journey. Thanks to my new awareness of sustained high temps and what it all means, I took a pregnancy test and it was positive (two years of trying later)! Whilst I know FAM is not entirely responsible for this, it has given me a lot of reassurance as I now have a greater understanding of my body and what it is telling me. Fantastic educational resource, A+

I bought this book after a few months of TTC and having irregular cycles etc, having already done some research I was pretty happy that I knew what the problem was and, on reading the book it was pretty much confirmed. Don't buy this book expecting to find a solution if you are experiencing fertility problems. Having said that, it offers a number of things, it provides you with the tools and methodology to help you understand what is happening in your cycles, it is very clear and simple to use, there is an online support forum with printouts and examples. The best use I found was that it allowed me to have conversations with doctors/consultants and evidence my concerns which was very empowering and led to me getting better medical support. My one criticism would be that the book focuses on fahrenheit rather than centigrade, it's not a deal breaker, but the thermometers which are readily available in the UK tend to be centigrade and only work to one decimal place and, if you're anything like me, you're going to want to get started right away - perhaps if you are going to buy the book make sure you source a suitable thermometer at the same time. You can download centigrade charts of the website for free so it's not the end of the world. If you're the sort of person who feels that they need to be proactive then this book is definitely a great start, it'll feel like you've regained an element of control over the whole process. It won't solve your problems, but it might just help you understand what they are.

This is my first Amazon review, and as I found so much hope in the other reviews for this book prior to purchasing it, I felt compelled to add my two pennies worth. When my husband and I began trying for a baby we fell very quickly. Unfortunately we lost this baby, and I expected that we would soon be expecting another. 9 months down the line I was recommended this book. The day it arrived, I found out I was already pregnant so the book got relegated the the bookshelf and forgotten about. This pregnancy sadly ended in surgery to remove my tube and ectopic pregnancy. Following this, I decided to be more proactive so out came the book again. Dauntingly thick, but surprisingly easy and enjoyable to read. And so interesting!! Why did I not know how my body works before this?! So any way, the long and short of it is that by using the methods and charting described in this book, I have discovered that I ovulate later than your average joe so we were getting our timing completely off the majority of the time! Not only this, but using these methods we have been lucky enough to fall again the first month of charting (2nd cycle after ectopic, if anyone else wants a little post surgery hope!). This book allowed me to take a little control from a situation I was finding myself feeling increasingly helpless with, and it's been wonderful knowing a little more about what's been going on with my body. Even if you're not trying for a baby, I would recommend this (and have!) to anyone wanting to understand the quirks their body seems to have.

Everyone must read!! I purchased this book from amazon nearly a year ago and it is has completely and utterly changed my life. Tired of the pill and nasty side effects and dubious of my GPs advice that hormonal contraception was not only safe but the only effective method, I trawled endless forums consisting of countless unhappy women looking for an alternative. Women just like me and that's where the name of this book kept popping up. It's huge, more like a textbook, and in some places a little graphic but it's engaging and intelligently written. The author is entertaining and is obviously passionate about fertility awareness. Above all it actually works!! It did take a little while to get the hang of and going it alone is, honestly, pretty damn scary at first but this book acts as a constant source of support, far more than any leaflet enclosed with the pill. Without wanting to sound corny, understanding your body is really a fantastic privilege and, looking back, I am appalled at how little I understood of what was going on every month for years. It is sad that this information is kept back from women and they remain ignorant about such an important part of their lives and it is this ignorance that keeps us popping the pills that the pharmaceutical giants thrive on. However I don't want this review to be become a rant:-) !! Simply read this book and be amazed.

I happened upon this book by chance when my husband and I were trying for a family. It was about 12 months after trying without success that I went to the doctor and also started to look up things online to see how I could better our chances. I found the TCOYF forum first and from there discovered the book. It was certainly an eye opener and taught me a lot about my body's inner workings. From here I began to chart, take my temperature and I also met a great group of girls on the forum who were also into this book. With the purchase of the book I was able to download the software to enable me to chart my cycles on my PC which was amazing, my husband could also follow our journey and it was fabulous to be able to print out my cycles to give to our GP and specialist. I referred to the book a lot over the span of our journey and it empowered me enough to be able to request specific tests, safe in the knowledge I knew what they were for and that whatever the results were we would understand the next step. A must read for anyone on a journey of trying to conceive whether you're just starting out or have been trying without success. Not all women are the same and this book explains every detail.

Recomendo o livro

This is a great book which describes in detail how the fertility of the woman works! If you have been using hormonal contraception methods and are looking for an alternative or trying to become pregnant this book is amazing and helping you to get to know and learn to understand how your fertility functions and pretty much also how your body functions. Since stopping hormonal birth control and reading this book I am so much happier with my body and with being a woman that I have ever been before!

This book should be required reading for every single individual who has monthly cycles! I considered myself educated on the topic of reproduction and yet found myself almost angry that I had gone most of my reproductive life not knowing much of the detailed information that is covered in this book. I purchased it at a time where I was looking to come off of hormonal birth control and still avoid pregnancy but eventually the information was key in successfully starting a family as well. This book is an exhaustive education on understanding and tracking one's cycles down to the smallest detail. It changed my entire approach to family planning and allowed me to fully understand my body. It is written in a non bias and easy to understand format with great pictures and examples. Regardless of where you are at in your family planning needs, this book is an enlightening resource that I wish I had found 20 years earlier!

Super buena inversión, aprendi muchas cosas y me encantó aprender a estar mas en contacto con mi cuerpo y sus ciclos, entendi muchísimas mas cosas y ahora lo sigo consultando de vez en cuando. Lo recomiendo ampliamente, todas deberiamos leerlo

Great information! Originally heard about this book from a podcast, I wish I had this earlier in my life. Good read for all women in different stages of life.