Demystifying Your Cycle

I was shocked to realize the other day that I have never written here about my "Fertility Bible." I guess I figured that because I've talked with so many friends and family about it, I had also written on the topic. Let me rectify my oversight right now!

I first read Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler almost six years ago, when I was struggling to conceive for the second time. Honestly, it was like holding an epiphany in my hands--several, in fact. As I read it for the first time I was struck over and over again with amazement and excitement. I had no idea I could know so much about my own body and that it was actually giving me signs throughout the month of what it was doing.

When my cousin first told me about this book, she wrote, "I thought I knew what was going on with my body, but I really didn't. I think it's a sad thing that most women are so clueless." Ditto. I didn't realize how clueless I actually was until I learned all the book has to teach. Finally, instead of being frustrated over not having a "normal" cycle and despairing over how long it was taking to conceive, I had the knowledge to demystify my own body. It was incredibly empowering!

But this book isn't just for those trying to conceive. Another empowering aspect about this information for me was learning how to use the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) as a form of birth control in between children. (By the way, FAM is NOT the Rhythm Method, which is an ineffective guessing game.) Using hormonal contraception after my first child had enough of a negative effect on my moods and overall sense of balance and well-being that I didn't want to go that route ever again. I was, therefore, ecstatic to learn I didn't have to. (And over the years as I continue to learn about the connections between birth control and cancer, etc, I continue to be grateful I'm not still putting synthetic hormones in my body.) It has been a wonderful and effective replacement for the pill, is (obviously) all natural, and doesn't produce any negative side effects like synthetic hormones often do.

Now, if you aren't trying to conceive or prevent pregnancy, this book is still for you. It gives you the tools to understand your own reproductive health, as well as information on perimenopause and menopause. It's your body and your health, so it pays to know and understand as much as you can!

Here is Toni Weschler's official website, which has lots of helpful features. Here are popular fertility myths and what is actually true (which is typical of what you will learn in the book). And here is a post my (aforementioned) cousin wrote, debunking myths about the Fertility Awareness Method.

Speaking of myths, it's a crying shame how few doctors actually know the information in this book or the details of the Fertility Awareness Method. They are seriously doing their patients a disservice by their ignorance about something that is so important to a woman's life. Case in point: When I went in for a doctor's exam a couple years ago, after trying for almost a year to conceive our third child, he asked me what we had been trying to help us conceive. He was looking for an answer relating to medication, but I told him about FAM. He dismissed this information almost with a laugh and immediately discounted it as ineffective at best. It was blatantly obvious to me he had no idea how FAM empowers a woman to know exactly when she is fertile, which is key to attaining pregnancy. He made me feel stupid for trying such an old wives' tale, but I was also (quietly) outraged that I knew more about this information than he did as an OB. So don't look to most doctors for this information!

Of course, I realize that even with FAM some people are unable to conceive without fertility drugs and other modern medical miracles. My heart aches for those who have tried for so long to conceive and are still waiting for that precious baby. But even for them, using FAM increases the effectiveness of such interventions.

More About Red Raspberry Leaf

Now that I've reached the last four weeks of my pregnancy, it's time to again increase my intake of Red Raspberry Leaf. So I've been doing some more research on it, and once again I am amazed. This is truly an incredible herb.

I've posted twice before about RRL (here and here), but I recently found some more information about it at this blog that is even more extensive than what BirthSource.com lists. And let me reiterate that while it is especially beneficial for pregnant women--for many different reasons--it is not only for pregnancy, nor is it exclusively for women. (For example, one cool thing about it is it can lower blood sugar levels in diabetics.)

This time around I loved learning (or relearning) that RRL has:

-Rich concentrations of vitamin C
-Vitamin E
-Easily assimilated calcium and iron
-Manganese and magnesium
-Vitamin A
-Vitamin B complex
-Many minerals including phosphorous and potassium

Also, I learned that "Studies show that women taking RRL have a reduced incidence of artificial rupture of membranes, forceps delivery, or cesarean." Awesome!

In addition, the author of the above blog lists ideas of where to buy RRL (whether you prefer loose leaf tea, tea bags, or capsules). Like me, the author believes that tea is the most easily assimilated and immediate method of ingesting RRL, and she also gives directions on the proper way to make the tea, if you've never done it before, as well as a general guide of how much to drink. (Oh, and she even wrote a followup of the dramatic difference she experienced between the labor experience of her first child and that of her second, due in large part to RRL.)

So, whatever your stage in life, whether you are male or female, if you don't know the specs about Red Raspberry Leaf, educate yourself today! Hopefully I'm not the only one who thinks this stuff is fascinating...

Prenatal Exercises

Exercising regularly during pregnancy is a tough thing for many women, including me, but I know how important--and how helpful in the long run--it is. My problem is that for the first trimester I'm so sick and so exhausted that the thought of exerting any more energy with exercise is more than I can handle contemplating. So I do the best I can and by the second trimester, when I'm feeling better and have more energy, I do pretty well. But then I enter the third trimester and my energy wanes again, and my motivation along with it.

In a few different posts I have shared with you my exercise program, which includes exercise videos/DVDs. Since I can't use those right now, I have been trying to regularly exercise with these two prenatal exercise DVDs.

I have read enough about the importance of exercise and stretching during pregnancy to feel very guilty when I don't. And, not wanting to be a hypocrite, I have been trying to focus on doing better in this area recently. And what I have discovered in the process has been quite enlightening. You know how all the pregnancy literature says that, as incongruous as it sounds, you'll actually have more energy when you exercise? Well, I never feel that happen much in the first trimester, but now in my third trimester I am! And my energy (and motivation) level has been so low the last few weeks, especially, that getting some of that back has made a big difference in my life.

The first DVD (above), with Denise Austin, is one I started using during my last pregnancy, and what I especially like about it is that, not only does it have different workouts for the different trimesters, but it also has a general cardio workout and a prenatal one as well. I don't feel like the third trimester workout is as careful or appropriate, though, as the one in the second DVD (below), Prenatal Pilates. The trainer in this DVD has, I think, a better understanding of what happens in the body during the different stages of pregnancy, what things to watch out for, how to prevent injury, and how to prepare for a good labor experience, and her workouts reflect that. Pilates, as I discovered years ago, like yoga, can do wonders for an aching back or sore muscles (of which I always have plenty at this point in my pregnancies). And so this was the DVD I was using the most. But it turns out that what I've been needing even more is the cardio workout, even though I haven't felt I had the energy to do it. But after discovering that doing so does, indeed, increase my energy--for the whole day--and that it loosens up aching muscles and reduces ankle swelling, I find myself again wanting to exercise each morning! I have gone from needing a short nap every afternoon just to survive until bedtime, to not taking a nap but sleeping better at night, which makes me feel a lot better when I wake up in the morning.

Another facet of a regular exercise routine that is of great benefit is how it helps the mind. When I give myself that time in the morning to let my mind wander while my body moves, I find that I can more easily figure out problems, organize and prioritize my day, and see things more clearly, which gives me a better sense of calm and patience. And I definitely need that!

The Many Benefits of RRL

Several months ago I did a post on Red Raspberry Leaf (RRL) and told you how it had helped my last pregnancy and delivery and how I was then taking it to aid my fertility. Since I am now in the second trimester of my fourth pregnancy (one ended in miscarriage) I have been re-reading the information on Red Raspberry Leaf and re-committing myself to drinking my daily RRL tea--in the right amount for this stage of my pregnancy. And it amazes me all over again how many benefits this herb provides! It is no wonder that so many women add it to their daily health regimen and why it is now even being recommended by many regular OB/GYNs (and not just CNMs). Here is my previous post with a basic list of the many health benefits of RRL and links to direct you to more complete information.

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea and Women

For the past three years or so I have taken a daily amount of Red Raspberry Leaf which has depended upon the stage I'm in: newly pregnant, close to delivery, breast feeding, or--like now--struggling with secondary infertility. In an effort to strengthen and tone my uterus as well as regulate my cycles, (in addition to all its other benefits) I currently drink a quart of RRL tea (no caffeine) every day. (Because this high amount made me go through tea bags much too quickly, I ordered a bunch in bulk and now use it loose. Don't worry, I strain it.) There is something about it that is so satisfying, that my body craves, and I can feel it is good for me. It has a pleasant aroma by itself and a very mild taste for an herbal tea, but I like to make it more interesting and tasty by adding a couple spoonfuls of frozen juice concentrate or a spoonful of honey.

Here are some amazing facts about this versatile, mild herb from Birthsource.com (an excellent prenatal resource):

The leaves of the raspberry plant have been used as a medicinal herb for centuries... It is believed that raspberry leaf, if taken regularly through pregnancy and labor can:

• Ease the symptoms of morning sickness
• Sooth and prevent bleeding gums which many pregnant women often experience.
• Relax the smooth muscles of the uterus when it is contracting (Burn & Withell, 1941).
• Assist with the birth of the baby and the placenta.
• Calm cramping of the uterus.
• Provide a rich source of iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium. The magnesium content is especially helpful in strengthening the uterine muscle.
• Raspberry leaf also contains vitamins B1, B3 and E, which are valuable in pregnancy.

Raspberry leaf is also used for the following:

• To aid fertility.
• To promote a plentiful supply of breast milk.
• To help stop excess bleeding after birth.
• To treat diarrhea.
• To regulate irregular menstrual cycle and decrease heavy periods.
• To relieve sore throats.
• To reduce fever.

It is thought that around one fifth of pregnant women take some form of raspberry leaf. Women believe that it will shorten labor and make the birth easier. The use of this herb for remedial purposes dates back to the sixth century and its benefits in childbirth have been recorded as a proven aid in maternity in the most ancient of herbal books.

RRL can also be taken in capsule form, which is how I took it up until a few months ago--just make sure you drink plenty of water with it so your system can absorb and assimilate it. I took it before and after the birth of my second child and, though I had made a few other changes that time around as well, I believe RRL helped shrink my laboring down from 22 hours to 4 hours and have no issues with my milk coming in late or not being plentiful enough. Now if it will just help with its current intended purpose...