A Beginner's Guide to Charting, Part 3

For some reason, women are often embarrassed about their bodies. I don’t consider myself a feminist, but it does amaze me when I see the difference in how men and women view their most intimate parts. Men usually have no problem discussing size, use, and bodily exploration, but women many times even have difficulty just calling theirs by name – vagina. This has me thinking of a scene from the movie 500 Days of Summer – Summer starts screaming “penis” in a crowded place, laughing at others’ embarrassment. I wonder how different the scene would have been if she were screaming “vagina.”

With this all in mind, we’ll be talking about the next part of charting: assessing cervical fluid. Some women are uncomfortable and embarrassed by this, but I don’t believe they should be. No man is embarrassed by his semen.

Cervical fluid (sometimes called cervical mucus, a term I find offensive because it sounds like the stuff I have in my nose during an awful cold. As a side note, why is it that so many terms relating to female reproduction are so offensive – incompetent cervix, spontaneous abortion, habitual abortion, etc. Nasty nasty.). Cervical fluid is a really beautiful thing. It helps protect the vagina from bacteria, lubricates it in preparation and fulfillment of lovemaking, and serves as a carrier and assistant to sperm. It changes throughout the cycle in response to hormones, sometimes fairly quickly. Cervical fluid tells so much about the cycle that it can be used without BBT for charting – though it is very helpful to know both.

During infertile points in the cycle (remember that women, unlike men, are fertile only a few days of their cycle), cervical fluid is usually minimal. Some may describe feeling dry, or “sticky.” When checking cervical fluid at this point, many women describe infertile cervical fluid as yellowish and the consistency of dried rubber cement – remember in elementary school art class how it balls up when rolled between your fingers? This is a very accurate description.

As a woman begins to approach her fertile period, the cervical fluid usually changes. At this point it may be white or clear. The consistency is thin, and it may stretch a little between the fingers. Some women describe feeling “a little wet” all day. (This probably contributes to the increased sex drive many experience before ovulation.)

In the days right before ovulation, the cervical fluid goes through another change. It becomes very slippery. It can be described as looking and feeling just like egg whites (many even call it egg white cervical fluid or EWCF). It stretches a good bit between the fingers without breaking. Many women say they feel “very wet” or “slippery” throughout the day. Sometimes this kind of cervical fluid even slips out when you use the toilet, causing you to not notice it.

Knowing your cervical fluid is very valuable whether or not you’re trying to conceive. Many women go to the doctor or take unnecessary treatments, believing they have an infection because something is coming out of the vagina. Knowing the normal appearance of your cervical fluid can help prevent this; it can also help you find something early on.
Charting cervical fluid is valuable as well for trying to conceive. While temperature doesn’t change until after you ovulate, cervical fluid changes as you approach ovulation. This is why I look to chart both. The cervical fluid lets me know I’m approaching ovulation; the temperature shift confirms ovulation occurred. Also, you can have cervical fluid changes without ovulating – your body geared up and got ready to ovulate, but something happened and it didn’t actually release an egg.

Knowing that you are approaching your fertile period allows you to know when to use barrier methods of birth control, abstain from sex, or try try try for that baby! Cervical fluid dries up after ovulation (or in the event you don’t ovulate, after the hormones drop off before you have break-through bleeding).

There are two ways of checking cervical fluid: outside and inside. Checking outside entails using toilet paper or your fingers to check cervical fluid on the lips of the vagina. Roll it around between your fingers to get the feel of it before you look at it. Check the appearance of your fluid; see if it stretches. Note the color. Record your findings. The advantage of outside checking is that many women feel more comfortable with it and it seems simpler. The disadvantage is that you may miss fertile quality fluid near the cervix and misinterpret your point in your cycle.

Checking inside involves putting two fingers into the vagina as far as the cervix. Draw a bit of fluid from the cervix and check it in the same way as you would check outside. I believe it is valuable to note both inner and outer checks. Be aware of your body, and learn what it can teach you.

Some guidelines and tips for checking cervical fluid:

Check the same way each time. Just like checking temperature, consistency is key. Don’t check outside one day and inside the next. If you are going to check both ways, do so at the same time every day.

Try to check at the same general time of day each day. It doesn’t have to be exact like when you check your BBT. However, you should try to pick a general time – say afternoon – so you can be consistent and remember to do it. Many women check as part of their toilet routine. This allows you to check throughout the day and around the same general times of day.

Don’t check when aroused or right after lovemaking. Arousal fluid and semen can obscure your assessment. You can also note that your fluid was “semen obscured” if you are unsure.

A great website for seeing cervical changes is this one: My beautiful cervix. Look at it and appreciate the beauty in how your body was designed.

Next post: putting it all into practice and some general tips.

A Beginner's Guide to Charting, Part 2

The first step to charting is the easiest – taking your temperature. It is a little more involved that just sticking a thermometer in your mouth whenever; so let’s look at the why’s and how’s.

Basal body temperature is one of the most important things in charting. In fact, you can do it alone (without what I’ll talk about in the next post) and get a pretty good idea of what is going on. I would even suggest that you just do your temps for a month before going into the rest of charting – ease yourself in.

In the first part of your cycle, before ovulation, your temperature is generally “low.” Average  temperatures may range from 97.0-97.7, though yours may be different. The number is not what’s important – you’re looking for a pattern of lows. My general pattern for pre-ovulation temps is around 96.8-97.0, lower than “average.” However, it’s my pattern.

Right around ovulation, generally the day following, you should have a temperature spike followed by more “high” temps until your period. They might range from 97.7-99.0, but again yours may be different. Mine are usually 97.3-98.1. If mine go any higher and stay, I can usually guess that I’m pregnant and I buy a test. That’s my pattern. You’re trying to find your pattern.

How do temperature patterns show ovulation? (It’s all too convenient I know). Before ovulation, estrogen is the reigning hormone in the reproductive cycle. One of the “side effects” of estrogen is a lower body temperature. Therefore, while in the low pattern, it is usually safe to assume you haven’t ovulated.

After ovulation, progesterone takes over. One of the “side effects” of progesterone is an increase in body temperature. For some women, this increase is gradual, but most of us get a nice “spike.”

How do you determine what temp to chart? You can’t just take your temp whenever and however you want to; it changes too much throughout the day to give your resting temperature. Fortunately, it’s easy to get that BBT – no math involved.

1. Take your temp as soon as you wake up, first thing in the morning. This sounds harder than it is, and takes just a little getting used to. You need to take your temp the very first thing in the morning – before you get out of bed, kiss your husband, say good morning, stretch, etc. When your alarm goes off, reach for the thermometer, stick it in, wait for the beep. Period. Doing anything beforehand will likely alter your temperature. In order to see a good pattern, you want it to be as accurate as possible.

2. Also time is important. You want to try to take it at the same time every day. When I worked full-time as a teacher, I got up at 6:00. On the weekends, I just kept my alarm at 6, took my temp, and fell back asleep (remember that I wanted you to get a thermometer with memory? This is why!). Now, my husband gets up at 6, usually disturbing me, so I take my temp then.

3. Take your temp after at least three hours of sleep. It generally takes three hours for your body to settle down to its resting temp. Some may take longer. While at least three hours is the rule, for accurate charting you really want to be getting close to the same amount of sleep each night. An hour or half may not make much of a difference, but going to be at 1 instead of 11 probably would. If you’re unsure if your sleep was disturbed, the best thing to do is take the temp anyway and make a note. If that particular temp matches your pattern, keep it. If it doesn’t match, mark it out with an X.

4. Take your temp the same way with the same thermometer each time. Don’t change your thermometer (if at all possible) until the start of a new cycle. Different thermometers (even the same kind/brand) may read slightly differently, making a pattern hard to see.

Most women when they start out charting choose to take their temp orally. In this case, you want to try to take your temp in the same part of your mouth under your tongue every time. Different parts of the mouth are warmer than others, particularly if you sleep with your hand on your face or something like that. If you sleep with your mouth open, it may difficult for you to temp accurately. You can try for a couple of cycles if you like, or you can just try the second way.

You can temp vaginally. A vaginal temp will give you the most accurate temp; it doesn’t hang open at night (we hope!) and it doesn’t get warmer if you sleep with your hand on your cheek. Vaginal temping also gives you a little break when you’re on your period – unless you’re really dedicated (I’m not!). It’s really not difficult or gross; just stick the thermometer in and wait for the beep.

I’ve temped this way for years. I temped for a year orally before I switched. (And yes, it’s the only thing I use that thermometer for and it gets an alcohol bath!). My temps are generally a couple points higher this way and my pattern is much more stable – thus easier to read.

If temping vaginally makes you feel funny, just wait until the next post. Learn to be comfortable with your body and life will be a whole lot easier!

A Beginner's Guide to Charting, Part 1

Also see necessary definitions.

Let’s talk a little first about what charting is and why I think all women should do it. Charting is a component of natural family planning (NFP) and the fertility awareness method (FAM). Charting allows you to analyze your fertility signs and determine your fertile and non-fertile days.

If you remember your 6th grade sex ed class, you remember how easy it seemed to get pregnant. Not quite so. Men are fertile all the time. Semen is always being produced; it always has sperm (in healthy men of course). Women on the other hand are not always fertile. We are not constantly releasing mature eggs to be fertilized at any time of the month. Most of the time, women are fertile for about five to seven days of any given cycle.

Why is this important? I’m no feminist (well, some would probably consider me one…), but I feel the birth control and birthing industries are to entirely male-dominated. Culturally, we consider it a woman’s responsibility to take birth control pills, even though women are not fertile all the time. Some even consider it a woman’s responsibility to make sure her partner wears a condom – even though that’s not her equipment shall we say. Birth control pills are costly, both financially and physically. There have been too many women who have had adverse effects from these supposedly “safe” pills. (I’m one; you’ll hear me rant about it all the time.)

Understanding your fertility through charting is non-invasive – unlike pills, spermicides (do I really want something that toxic in me!? In there!?), shots, patches, and surgical procedures. The United States has one of the highest incidences of surgical sterilization FOR WOMEN in the entire the world.

Understanding your fertility gives you more understanding about your body than taking something. This goes beyond trying to conceive. It can help you determine when your period is to be expected, when you can safely have unprotected monogamous sex, and where to start in diagnosing hormonal problems. It also gives you an intimate understanding of how your body works.

For today, we’ll just look at the supplies you’ll need. They are really simple and overall cheap. I’ll also let you know my personal preferences here.

1.A good thermometer. The heart of charting is based on your BBT. This is the resting temperature of your body – the next post will talk about how to determine it.

I like a digital thermometer that has a memory function. You need one that goes at least to the tenth decimal (97.6), but I like one that goes to the hundredth (97.68). The one that I’ve used is a BBT from Walmart. I bought my first years ago when I first started charting, and it lasted until I got pregnant. To be safe, I bought another after I started charting again post-partum. It’s white with a pink tip, and is specifically a BBT thermometer. It’s been very accurate, and it beeps when then temp is read after 60 seconds.

I tried a regular thermometer that was ready and beeped after 9 seconds. I found that it wasn’t very accurate for me. There are some that say that you must have a BBT thermometer to be accurate for those lower temperatures; that regular thermometers are just looking for fevers. I don’t know, but personally I’ve found that my BBT worked better for me. It’s worth saving your money buying one good thermometer than buying two after you don’t like the first. You’ll want this thermometer to be only for your charting.

2. Pencils and downloaded charts such as these:

(If you choose to do the next supplies, you won’t need the pencils and paper charts unless you want a backup).

Charting, in a way, is like graphing in high school math. You mark specific number points and connect the dots. You’ll want a pencil in case you make a mistake. The nice thing about pencil and paper charts is that they are relatively low-cost. I don’t regularly use them, though I have if I’m out-of-town and can’t use the next option – computer required.

3. Charting software: such as Ovusoft, Fertility Friend, and others.

The first thing you should know about charting software is this: you must be smarter than your software. Buying (or using free) software is not a substitute for understanding your own fertility and how to chart it. This is especially important when you are first starting out.

For example, most charting software starts out assuming you have a 28-day cycle, the average. It will make predictions based on those values. These predictions may very well be incorrect if your cycles are not average. However, the longer you use the software, the more it will understand your personal fertility.

I personally use Ovusoft. I bought it in 2007, and paid a one-time fee. In 2009 while I was pregnant, our computer crashed and I lost the software. Fortunately, customer service was able to send me the activation code. I downloaded the software again and started using it at no additional cost. It’s a very user-friendly software. The book that goes with it cannot be recommended HIGHLY ENOUGH! Every woman should own a copy of Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It’s explains the finer points of charting – things I won’t get into on a post.

I’ve also used Fertility Friend. It’s a nice simple software, online-based. And it’s free (though additional features are available by subscription). I highly, highly recommend putting it on the FAM setting if you do use it. The others are less accurate, especially in your first few cycles. Every once in a while, even on the FAM setting, Fertility Friend gets confused and doesn’t give you accurate assessments. This is where you need to be smarter than your software.

4. Your fingers. Yep! But I’ll explain this in later posts.

For the record: I have no affliation with any of the products mentioned here.

A Beginner's Guide to Charting, Definitions

Basal body temperature (BBT) – your body’s resting temperature, almost always lower than 98.7
 

Cervical fluid or cervical mucus – the fluid within the cervix that is created by the body as a carrier for semen. The fluid changes as ovulation nears to allow conception to take place.
 

Charting – keeping track of BBT and cervical fluid throughout cycles and using that information to determine fertile and non-fertile days.

Fertility awareness method (FAM) – recognized by the FDA as an aid to conception, also used by many as a method of “birth control”. Based on BBT and cervical fluid checks. May or may not involve abstaining during fertile days (can use “back-ups” such as condoms)
 

Fertility Friend – an online based charting method, free for basic service, monthly fees required for “premium services”
 

Natural family planning (NFP) – a method of “birth control” recognized by the Catholic church, involves abstaining during fertile days. Based on BBT and cervical fluid checks

Ovusoft – a charting software, requires one-time payment for the software. Not available for MACs. Currently testing a web-based version.

More definitions to be added as needed!

Benefits of Red Rapsberry Leaf

As you know from my last post, I’m taking an online herbal course.

One of the best traditional, natural “treatments” I’ve seen for all women is Red Raspberry Leaf (various Rubus species). Let’s break down the why’s and how’s.

Red Raspberry Leaf is a uterine tonic. This means simply that it helps tone the uterine muscle. For pregnancy, this has been reported to shorten labors (a 2001 study published in the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health). This is probably due to the fact that the tonic action strengthens the muscle so as to assist the uterus to contract more efficiently. Contrary to what some may worry, it won’t start labor – as a uterine tonic, it doesn’t make your uterus contract; it helps it do the work (see suggestions and contraindications below).

Because it has these tonic capabilities, some midwives recommend women drink an especially strong infusion during labor and during the immediate post-partum period. It is thought that Red Raspberry Leaf will improve post-partum hemorrhage by assisting uterine contractions. Some women report that “after-pains,” those painful post-partum contractions usually associated with second (and more) babies, are lessened or eliminated.

These reasons alone are enough – but what about the rest of us who aren’t pregnant?

The uterine tonic action of red raspberry leaf can also improve women’s cycles. If you experience painful periods, especially associated with severe cramps, heavy flow, and passage of clots, it is certainly worth it to try Red Raspberry Leaf. The tonic action may assist your body in shedding the lining without needing to cramp.

Some midwives report that Red Raspberry leaf helps prevent miscarriage. (Other report that it is contraindicated in the first trimester, see below). It also reported to ease morning sickness during pregnancy and diarrhea any time due to its tonic work in the intestines and stomach.

What about benefits besides the tonic action?

Like Dandelion (yeah, the stuff that grows in your yard!) and Red Clover, Red Raspberry Leaf is high in calcium and potassium (it also has vitamins A, B, C, and E, and phosphorus). The need for calcium in women’s diets is well-documented. For pregnancy, this increase in calcium not only supports the rapid growth necessary; it also may help with those awful “charley horses.” For postpartum and women otherwise enjoying their fertility through regular cycles, the calcium and potassium support regular bone health. Remember that nutrients we are able to obtain through food sources (and herbals, because after all they are food too) are better absorbed by the body than the best over-the-counter supplement.

Some research indicates that Red Raspberry Leaf also increases milk production. Others report that it can help lower blood sugar levels in diabetics. It may also be used to treat flu and fevers.

So, how does one take it?

I believe, like so many other supplements that you can buy capsules of Red Raspberry Leaf. However, I much prefer to take it as an infusion. You might think of an infusion as a very strong medicinal tea. You can buy Red Raspberry Leaf tea bags, but they tend to be expensive and may be mixed with other herbs or otherwise weakened. I bought my leaf from Frontier by the pound.

For pregnancy, I personally would suggest you take the infusion daily. You may want to make a strong infusion for labor. Some women have even made an infusion and frozen it to have the ice cubes to suck on during labor!

For general womanly health, I would suggest taking the infusion at least during the second half of your cycle (easy to do if you chart your cycles, otherwise take it for about two weeks before you expect your period).

Here’s how I suggest you prepare it.

Generally, you should use 1 tbsp dried herb per cup of water (2 tbsp fresh per cup). This is true for Red Raspberry Leaf. If you are planning to take it during pregnancy, I suggest you make a quart (4 cups) a day and sip on it throughout the day. The directions below are for a quart.

Boil 4 cups of water in a small pot. Take 4 tbsp of dried Red Raspberry Leaf and put it in the bottom of a jar. Pour your 4 cups of boiling water over the Red Raspberry Leaf and allow it to sit for 20 minutes. (Some say to infuse overnight. I have tried both and can’t really tell a difference.) Refrigerate and enjoy. You can sweeten it taste – honey is good – or even mix it with fruit juice, which I what I usually do.

Contraindications? and other suggestions.
Some sources tend to be on the conservative side and recommend against Red Raspberry Leaf during the first trimester; they are worried that it may “over-stimulate” the uterus and cause miscarriage. From my research, this seems very much to go against the way Red Raspberry Leaf works as a tonic. However, you may want to abstain from the infusion during the first trimester, for your peace of mind more than anything else. I believe your stress level and peace of mind affect your pregnancy; do what you feel is best.
I found once source that indicated that the infusion was contraindicated during breastfeeding, though it did not explain its reasons. Nearly all other sources indicated that the infusion promoted lactation (and therefore would not be contraindicated). Again, use your own judgement.

These are some of the sources I used in writing this entry:
From Susun Weed – Her wonderful Herbal for the Childbearing Year along with this webpage: http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Pregnancy_Problems.htm

An article by Chandramita Bora: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/red-raspberry-leaf-tea-benefits.html

An online source that quotes Susun Weed: http://www.truthseek.net/Raspberry.html#anchor_147

http://www.brighthub.com/health/alternative-medicine/articles/81895.aspx

Various herbals such as those by David Hoffman and The Earthwise Herbal by Matthew Wood