One copy of "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weshler. It's gently used and in need of a new home, because I really don't need it anymore (I'm a pro at this all by now unfortunately) It's still got the CD with the trial for the software online thing, I never used it.
When I was first starting out I found this book to be extremely helpful. Not only does it explain how to use Basal Body Temperature (BBT), cervical mucus (CM), and cervical position (CP) for the newbie, but it also explains what your hormones should be doing. This is the key thing here, what they should be doing. By knowing this, you can better learn what they are not doing.
This helped me a lot, because frankly the school system dropped the ball when it came to reproductive health where I live, and so did my parents. The issue of actual sexual education aside, I feel like they should have spent more time in health class covering what can go wrong reproductively. PCOS shouldn't be a taboo subject- not in health class. Learning what your body should be doing, spotting signs of a problem, should be routine in a health class. Just my two cents though... anyway, because of this and my negligent childhood, I seriously didn't know how a female cycle works. I mean, I knew you were supposed to have a period, but I didn't remember exactly how that works. We spent two days, in the entire school year, learning it. My mom never knew it, and she had 4 children. Not cool.
I didn't know a lot when we started trying to conceive- I had to buckle down and teach myself these things.
This book, among others, taught me a very important lesson- how to understand my own body. I didn't know about my own hormones, that I could actually track them, how they affected me physically with their presence and absence. I now find charting BBT a good way to confirm things, whether I need to confirm I have not ovulated yet, and therefore need to start progesterone for a withdraw bleed- or that I have, and it lets me gauge how things are going, when to expect a new cycles, etc... it's fascinating stuff, I swear.
So, for any newbies out there (or any of you veterans that know a newbie, or would like to know more yourself even)- here's your chance to get this for free! (and if you don't win, but are still interested in looking into this book- most libraries carry it so you can check it out)
Here's how to enter:
- Leave a comment, and let me know you would like to enter
- Then let me know one piece of information you learned in the beginning, that now seems like it should have been common sense (I didn't know you made progesterone after ovulation, I just knew that a doctor told me I 'wasn't' having periods because I wasn't making progesterone' * facepalm*)
- Make sure I have a way to contact you!
- After that, I will randomly chose a winner and we will be in touch :)
All entries must be in by June 28th. Thanks!
All entries must be in by June 28th. Thanks!
3 comments:
I don't need a copy, so don't enter me in your draw, but I heartily agree with your review. I considered myself fairly well informed (thanks to my own reading; no thanks to the sex ed we received in school, or lack thereof), but I learned sooooo much more from this book. I think it should be required reading for high school girls.
I'm not sure I need the book...but, I had to tell you I LOVE the new look around here.
Not a newbie, but am addicted to information and researching. I've thought about getting the book and would be interested in it.
I'm with you about not knowing progesterone goes up after ovulation. What I also didn't know is that after ovulation your temp goes up proving ovulation AND progesterone gives you just about every pregnancy symptom known! JOY!!
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