planning ahead

[hardspacecore.livejournal.com]

So lately I've decided to start tracking my cycles and periods as we may start TTC during the middle of next year. Hooray!
But I'm kind of unsure how to do this. It's sad, being a girl and knowing very little about my reproductive parts! Here's my question(s)and sorry if this is confusing I'm not really sure how to word this I guess:

In terms of fertility, how do I determine a general idea of when I ovulate and when I'm most fertile? It's easy to tell the first day and last day of my period, but I'm not sure about the rest. I want to be able to answer that common "how long is your cycle" question but I have no idea.

Now, I am currently on birth control, so I know I do not ovulate, but I want to get in the habit of doing these things NOW and knowing what to do before I stop taking it.

Once it gets to that point I plan on buying a thermometer and checking my BBT but I will look more into that when the time comes.

I'm just trying to keep myself occupied with making my body healthy and getting in the habit of things I'll need to do before/during pregnancy so it will make me feel a little less anxious!

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer :)

Comments

[quiltingdragon.livejournal.com]

www.mymonthlycycles.com

this helps a lot. You can chart periods, fertility, pms symptoms, temperature.. even send you a reminder email before your period is due. And it automatically caluclates and predicts cycles for you months in advance once you chart for a few months.

[danalea83.livejournal.com]

I use www.fertilityfriend.com
I also bought the Ovusoft software. I'm avoiding pregnancy though, so I'm being extra cautious. If you're trying to get pregnant you don't have to be so cautious with it.

[andijustsmile.livejournal.com]

I found that reading "taking charge of your fertility" by Toni Weschler very helpful. I also used fertilityfriend.com

[oboegoddess.livejournal.com]

Definitely read "taking charge of your fertility." It is pretty much the FAM bible, and has so much information on what goes on in your cycle and how to use that to either prevent or acheive pregnancy.

Oh, and I see you're on birth control. This affects both your temperatures and cervical fluid, so you wouldn't be able to gather any good information about your cycle until you are off the birth control, and even then it can take some time for your normal cycle and fertility signs to return. So, if you want to do this, I would suggest that you stop taking the pill and use condoms or some other barrier method while you get to know your body's fertility signs (usually takes at least a few cycles). Once you are comfortable with it, you can use it to avoid pregancy until you are ready to TTC.

[jocelina.livejournal.com]

This section (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=Menstruation#How_can_I_keep_track_of_my_cycle.3F) of the Vulvapedia entry on Menstruation has some good information about cycle tracking that you might find helpful.

Unfortunately, it will be hard to figure out things like when you ovulate or how long your cycle is while you're on hormonal birth control, since it stops ovulation and alters your cycle. You would probably want to wait to try cycle tracking and/or the fertility awareness method (or FAM) until you stop taking HBC.

As far as being healthy and getting in the habit of doing things that you need to do before and during pregnancy (a very good idea, by the way), it's not a bad idea to pay your healthcare provider a visit just to talk things over. S/he will probably have some advice about the specific things you can do now to prepare for pregnancy. Also, the Mayo Clinic has a good (though very general) preconception planning overview
here (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/preconception/HQ01251) that might give you some ideas.

I have also heard really good things about Taking Charge of Your Fertility (http://www.ovusoft.com/), the book that several other commenters recommended. I just picked up a copy myself, actually. Once you are ready to start trying to conceive, you might want to check it out.

Best of luck! And remember that VP is always here if you have other questions. :)

[beachbanshee.livejournal.com]

Fertility Friend was really awesome & Taking Charge of Your Fertility. I charted for about 6mos and when we TTC it took me one cycle to conceive. I was 35 so I credit this to knowing my cycle so well. Good luck.

[purple-ivy.livejournal.com]

First, congratulations for TTC next year, I hope all goes well when the time comes :)

I second http://mymonthlycycles.com
It's great for tracking everything imaginable about your cycle, but I don't know how it is for fertility and such, since I'm not TTC or anything.

[geminigirl]

I like the site fertilityfriend.com for cycle tracking when trying to concieve. I used it last year when I went off the pill and was trying to conceive. I got pregnant my third cycle off the pill after two crazy long cycles, one of almost 70 days and the second over seventy days. (I miscarried and for medical reasons had to wait quite a bit of time before trying again, but we're gearing up to try again soon.)

Because you don't ovulate on the pill, it's really not possible to figure out things like how long your cycle is, or when you're most fertile. For me, about a month before I went off the pill I began monitoring my BBT, not so much looking for changes, but in order to develop the habit, and to discover little things, like if I took a shower at night and went to bed with wet hair, I would notice the change in my temperature.

I found that the charting course on fertilityfriend, combined with the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" which has been mentioned many times over were the two resources I needed, but there's also the community fam which can help you learn how to monitor your fertility. You can also ask your gynecologist at your pre-conception visit, what he or she suggests. Some will suggest using an ovulation predictor kit in order to help determine more accurately for you when things are happening. (This is also a good time to discuss things like rubella vaccinations, if you need a booster shot, because you do have to wait a while after getting before starting to concieve or there could be serious consequences to a developing fetus, and things like what vitamins your doctor recommends.) I know how hard it is to wait, but this is a good time to do things like plan your pre-conception visit with the doctor, and really focus on things like reducing your caffeine intake, if you drink a lot of that, or quitting smoking, or starting vitamins or whatever other changes you want to make in preparation for pregnancy.

Good luck.

[creativexangst.livejournal.com]

Some people might say that this is bad advice, but from my mother's personal experience, it clearly worked for her. She and my dad tried for a while to have kids, then found out they werent able to, then a few weeks later, she was pregnant with me. Anyway, when they decided to try to have kids this is immediatly what my mom did- stopped drinking ANYTHING, beer, wine, etc. Switched to just water and milk. Occasionally seltzer water as a treat. And once a month, a cup of tea. Stop smoking now if you do.Excersise often as comfortable. Eat lots of freash fruit and veggies. I highly recommend raw juicing. And, last but not least, take the prenatel vitamins now, so your body is already set and ready.

Thats all i have. :D