3 TIPS FOR MANAGING STRESS WHILE TRYING TO CONCEIVE

We were young and in love, married for 4 years, and ready to open a new chapter of our lives. 

And it went just as we planned. I stopped taking the pill, my period resumed, and within a few months we were gleefully prancing around our small living room waving the positive pregnancy test in the air. The months that followed were full of anticipation, ultrasounds, and baby furniture buying.

Everything seemed so simple yet so grand; as if the entire cosmic universe was coming together to make our transition into parenthood breathtaking. Then, one cold November morning, Dusten decided the time had come. We nervously, slowly - ah, those glorious contractions - walked the halls of the hospital towards the delivery room, room 318. And there he was born.

Fast forward 5 years. We were ready for Number Two. More then ready for number two in fact, we had been trying for five months. And it was beginning to get stressful.  

Life was different while we were hoping to conceive Number Two. Trying to stay on top of my accounting job, shuttle Dusten to soccer, make dinner, stay on top of bills, and perhaps spend time with my husband. And then on top of it, the baby thing. There was the burning desire to expand our family coupled with inevitable reality of ‘not this month.’ Yeah, that was stress.

Carrie - Age 36

Sound familiar? You're not alone. The time gap between when a couple decides they are ready for a baby, and when that baby decides to actually come along, can often be longer than anticipated, leading to frustration and disappointment month after month. Then, to add to the stress, studies show that stress itself can impede conception, - so you’ll probably end up stressed about the stress you feel!

Here we’ve compiled three top tips for maintaining balance and serenity as you embark on your journey towards parenthood.

1. Eat A Colorful Diet. No we don’t mean skittles! If you're eating a balanced, energizing diet, chances are you are going to feel balanced and energized. Assess your diet by taking a look at the colors on your plate. Are you eating a naturally colorful diet, abundant with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and nutrient dense proteins? Think bright red tomatoes, rich green avocado, wild pink salmon, and blueberries. Be creative, and have fun.

2. Take The Pressure Off By Knowing Your Fertility Window.  Its important to nurture your relationship with your husband, but the thought of a ‘fun date’ or ‘spontaneous sex’ can be quite challenging when you're pinning a lot of hope on each time you make love. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Get your hands on a fertility monitor like Cyclotest Baby, and you’ll know when during the month you can conceive. On those days you can strategically plan to have intercourse, and during the rest of the month you are free to be as spontaneous as you want. Plan date nights for outside of the fertility window, at a time when you can simply enjoy each others company with zero pressure. Play an adult board game, go for a moonlit walk, or just snuggle close on the couch watching TV. When you track your fertility with Cyclotest Baby, you’ll give yourself the gift of clarity, and you’ll be amazed to see how much better you’ll feel when you are able to release that pressure.

3. Keep calm and Carry on. Print out your favorite version and tape it on to your refrigerator or above your desk. Don’t let the small, or even big, bumps in your day or week get you down. Throughout the day, coffee will spill on white shirts, plans will have to change, and expectations will be dashed. Holding on to negative experiences after they occur adds more stress to your body, so it is important to breath and move on.

Put these tips into practice right away, and you’ll see how much better you feel about yourself. Perhaps you’ll even see that elusive plus sign sooner than you’d think!

Getting Your Husband On Board With NFP

 

You’re interested in natural family planning, but the thought of broaching the topic with your partner sends you into a mild panic attack. Or you’ve been dreaming of going off hormones, but think that a conversation with your husband is not even worth the time; its so obvious the idea will be immediately dismissed. Sound familiar? Well, we’ve got to tell you, you're not alone. In fact, this is one of the top reasons women claim they can’t make the switch over to NFP.

Unfortunately, we can’t say that there is a quick fix solution or offer you magic fairy dust to sprinkle on your husband to make him open to the possibility. Actually though, the first step towards a NFP boils down joint knowledge and communication. Easy to say, but much harder to actually implement. Communicating effectively about sex, and life in general, is the foundation of NFP, and the journey towards a deeper connection starts right now.

From middle school sex ed, all the way through marriage, most men view contraception as primarily a women’s problem. She ovulates and gets her period, she takes the pill, she represses her fertility, and she takes care of business to insure “worry free” sex.

But wait a second. Where is the honesty and communication in that equation? The relationship, the ‘WE’ of the intense bond of a sexual relationship, is mitigated by eliminating the need to discuss the aspect of fertility and sex.  Sex is a powerful and intimate experience, one that is constantly changing and evolving, and should be a central discussion in any committed relationship. But in all honesty, it’s just not that easy to communicate lovingly and sensitively about the topic of sex. And the longer we can go without mentioning it, the more we tend to fall into repetitive, perhaps negative, habits.

Many women think that their husband or partner will push aside the idea of NFP as a contraceptive method, but in fact, as an NFP teacher, I find that once men gain the knowledge and are explained the logic of an alternative method, they can see the appeal and agree that it might be time for a shift. Look into the local NFP courses offered in your area, and see if they have an introductory presentation. Have information on hand before you broach the subject, then make it a joint exploration, even a date night where the two of you explore your joint fertility heath.  

When you start the dialogue about NFP with your partner, remember that you are in a loving, mutually respectful relationship. No husband wants his wife to be exposed to harmful chemicals that have short term side effects and potential long term health hazards.

Your partner wants the best for you. He wants you to be healthy, happy, and secure. He wants to be involved and invested, willing to look at fertility as a ‘OUR issue’ instead of ‘YOUR issue.’ And above all, both you and your partner want to develop the art and language of positive communication. A discussion about NFP and birth control is only the first step in a wondrous journey of communicating effectively. Because after all, if you can make communicating lovingly about sex a habit in your marriage, you’ll be able to communicate lovingly about just about anything else. 

 

With Special Thanks To Ira Winter RN MSc BSc CFCP at Life FertlityCare

To learn more about the benefits of NFP visit http://lifefertilitycare.co.uk/ .

Q&A About Getting Pregnant After Using Hormonal Contracpetion

 

Congratulations! You are off the pill and are ready to take the first steps towards bringing a new baby into your family. This is an exciting chapter in you and your partner's lives, one full of fresh and exciting hopes and dreams.
 

Q: How long after taking the pill can we start trying to conceive?

A: After making the decision that the time is right to have a baby, of course you want to see the positive sign on the pregnancy test right away. Any delay can be really difficult! But women are often advised to wait roughly three months after coming off the pill before trying to get pregnant.


Three months is approximately how long the body takes to get back to its natural rhythm after experiencing a surge in hormones. In some cases, it can take up to 18 months for the hormonal balance required for pregnancy to be restored. This is especially common if a combined pill (progesterone/estrogen) was used.

So while you can feel free to get busy trying right away, don't be alarmed if it takes you a while as your body adjusts and tries to find its natural hormonal balance. 

Q: What should I know about becoming pregnant after coming off a three-month hormonal injection cycle? 

A:Trying to get pregnant after coming off a cycle of the three month injection method of birth control has an even greater disadvantage. As a result of the injection dramatically altering the cervical mucus, it is commonly advised to wait twelve months or even longer conceive.


Its hard to get away from it, the bottom line is that an influx of hormones will alter you body's natural rhythm, and you may have to wait quite a while to actually become pregnant. This waiting time can be agonizing - after all, the reason you stopped using contraception was so that you could finally see the long awaited plus sign on the pregnancy test!

Q: What can I do restore my natural system after coming off hormones?

It is clear that traditional birth control methods, with their hormonal altering substances, are going to take a toll on the natural system of your body, and can affect your general health and your desire to become pregnant. The liver filters all the toxins out of our body and is especially taxed by the overload of synthetic hormones. Additionally, the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, that are in charge sending hormonal messages, are also thrown out of balance with the influx of synthetic hormones.


Fresh wholesome foods can help you detox your body and bring it back to its natural state of functioning. Protein, healthy fats, and fiber aid in hormonal production while green leafy vegetables are critical in detoxing the liver. Medication can also cause a general depletion of vitamins so be sure to eat a rich varied diet and supplement your intake with a with a multi or prenatal vitamin.

Why NFP Is Relevant Now - With Ira Winter RN MSc BSc CFCP

A new dawn is rising on Natural Family Planning, one that brings hope and reliability for those searching for a wholesome, and empowering, and drug-free way to avoid pregnancy.

Where previous NFP methods were mostly calendar based, focused on pre-occurring information and translating it into a contraceptive plan that was supposed to work here-and- now, current methods won’t even take the previous menstruation date into consideration. How could that be? Well, modern NFP is not about the length of your cycle at all! It uses scientific markers, and can work predictably for those with irregular cycles, going through menopause, and even breastfeeding mothers who still have not experienced the return of menstruation.

The key to successful NFP is being aware of the fertility signs as and when ovulation is happening. If you can wake up in the morning, and be connected enough with your body to say, with confidence, “Hey, I’m fertile today” or “Nope, not fertile right now”  — now that is empowering. That is cutting edge. And that is the modern NFP.

NFP has gone through a transformation, but so has our general health, especially in regards to fertility. There seems to be an ever increasing number of couples who want to start a family are finding it simply impossible to conceive. IVF clinics, the cure-all for any fertility related issues, are popping up in every city and town. But what is causing the collapse of our ability to conceive naturally? Could it be our relationship to our fertility throughout our lives, an overdose of hormones, and our tendency to medicate out of the “problem” of fertility is affecting our ability to conceive  when it becomes the most important thing in the world?

When you open the door to modern NFP, you’ll undoubtedly be surprised at what you find.

Want an alternative to contraception that allows you to put your health first and is not laden with chemical hormones - you’ve got it here.

Want a family planning solution that is at the same time reliable but in-line with your faith? This may very well be the answer you're looking for.

Want birth control that gives you the tools to be connected with your powerful and beautiful femininity ? Again, you’ve found your ally.

Maybe you’re in a close and committed relationship, and you feel suppressed and invalidated by closing the door on a conversation about sex and conception because you automatically are expected to take a pill every morning. Well, the wellspring of deep connectedness that evolves from taking on NFP as your contraceptive decision together with your spouse will be a breath of fresh air.

In our world of 24 hour news, non-stop sharing, and the constant flow of information, it is a wonder why women are still sitting in the dark when it comes to their fertility. It is time to embrace the new era, an era where you are able to make informed decisions about your body, where nature is once again finding her voice in our fast paced world, and where you can finally feel completely at peace with natural, and ethical, family planning. 

Special Thanks to Ira Winter RN MSc BSc CFCP at Life FertilityCare for making this blog post possible. 

 

To learn more about the wide ranging benefits of NFP visit http://lifefertilitycare.co.uk/ .

Sharing Natural Options and Products with Great Midwives

We at RDO Medical were recently invited to 'National Midwives Day" in Girona, Spain. It was a great sunny day with a festive atmosphere where midwives from all over the country were present to exchange ideas, meet their colleagues, share experiences, and enjoy a glass or two of Cava!

RDO Medical presented our fantastic range of products that really meet the needs of midwives and their clients.

We found that generally, midwives who are also specialists in contraception and post natal contraception, are on the look out for reliable yet non-hormonal birth control options, especially for breast feeding mothers.

It makes sense then that so many midwives were enthusiastic about the FemCap. They saw it as the perfect solution to offer to breast feeding mothers, because it is a non-hormonal barrier but does not interefer wit hthe natural sensation and pleasure the way condoms can,

Many women find that they feel better, are free of annoying side effects, and are generally more in-sync with their bodies after they have been hormone free for their entire pregnancies. Once post- natal fertility returns, who wants to go back to hormonal contraception anyway?  The Cyclotest was seen as the best way to keep a women who desires it hormone free. 

A simple daily temperature reading and maybe a button press when the highly fertile cervical mucus arrives is enough to offer 99% contraceptive reliability. Since the Sympto-Thermal method was agreed on as the chosen Natural Family Planning method by those in attendance, the Cyclotest, which is the only Sympto-Thermal monitor on the market, was the star of the show.

Any midwife who does home births has gotten thier fare share of 4am calls when an expectent mother is not sure if her waters have broken. The Vision Amniotic Leak Detecting Pads were met with great realif as the Midwives now have a simple solution to offer clarity in those situations. Just have the client put on the pad, wait for a bit of time, and check the color indicator. It will clearly show if its party time, or if the wait is not quite over yet. 

Amongst our range of other products presented which include the French Letter Vegan Condoms, YES organic lubricants, and the newly launched FemmyCycle menstrual cup, which actually caused a big buzz.

 It just so happens a lot of the midwives in attendance are already big fans of the Mooncup. As trained medical professionals these ladies easily saw the massive design and construction advantage of the FemmyCycle when placed along side a Mooncup. Medical grade silicone, the non-spill lip/neck and the smoothness for easier cleaning made it evident at a glance that the FemmyCycle  is the new generation of menstrual cup.

Our day at the confrence was not all work and no play!

An amazing lunch was enjoyed by all in truly breathtaking  surroundings, we were able to expand our networking across many great new professionals and meet again with those from previous training sessions that we had delivered. We managed to get signed copies of Silvia de Bejar's new book, Deseo, all still having time to  hare our product knowledge with all those in attendance.

All of the products which we presented are of course available through our website, EthicalFamilyPlanning.com.

We'd like to say a big thank you to the Midwives Assosiation for being invited to your wonderful conference, and give a big virtual hug to all those great, welcoming people we met.

Surprise! The Pill Linked to Cancer

In 2007 the World Health Organization determined that oral contraceptives were Group I carcinogens, which are capable of causing several cancers in women, including breast cancer.  Unfortunately their findings have yet to be published in mainstream media, therefore many doctors aren’t aware of the risks and continue to prescribe oral contraceptives to their patients.


A new study widens this risk to include African-American women.  Scientists at Boston University School of Medicine followed 53,848 African-American women for an average of 12 years, beginning in 1995.  They found 789 cases of breast cancer.  Of these cases, the number of estrogen receptor-negative cases was 65% greater in women who had used the pill.  Such breast cancers have a worse prognosis than estrogen receptor-positive tumors.  The risk for breast cancer was greatest in women who had used the pill within five years and whose use was greater than ten years.


Funding for the study was provided by the National Cancer Institute.

References

Oral Contraceptive Use and Estrogen/Progesterone Receptor–Negative Breast Cancer among African American Women: http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/19/8/2073.full.pdf+html

There Are Alternatives!

Hormonal contraception is easy to use and easy for doctors to prescribe, but is not the only contraceptive choice out there.  Take a look around our site and educate yourself about other options before you make a decision. Make sure you read our information on side effects and pollution. Not because we're anti-pill but just because we know that not enough balanced information is presented to a woman when seeking contraceptive advse from her Doctor.          


Remember, only one egg per cycle is produced in fertile women and that egg can only be fertilized for about 18 hours. By just avoiding intercourse or using a barrier contraceptive during your most fertile time, pregnancy can be avoided without having to constantly alter your hormonal balance. Take a look at our information on fertility awareness, fertility charting and contraceptive monitors like Cyclotest.         


Check it out, do your homework, and speak with your partner and doctor about alternative forms of birth control!

Sex For Pregnancy - When and How Often?

No one wants love making to become a chore. Learn to maximize your sex during your most fertile time period so the rest of the month you can keep your sex life spontaneous and impulsive. Because at the end of the day, how often you have sex is not nearly as important as having sex at the right time.

Sex During the Fertile Window

A women is fertile for only a few hours each cycle. Add those hours to the lifespan of the man’s sperm and you have a fertile window of roughly five or six days. Many couples’ attempts to conceive are unsuccessful simply because they are having sex when getting pregnant is unlikely or even impossible.


Its simple. Couples who know when they are fertile and use this information to time their intimacy accordingly are more likely to get pregnant than those who don't. This knowledge alleviates the pressure that couples experience when they feel they "have to" have sex almost every day in order to increase their chances at conception. When you have the confidence to time your intimacy perfectly, you can have sex as often as you'd like. Some doctors do recommend having sex every other day within the fertile window for the maximum probability of becoming pregnant.


But because ovulation occurs hidden, deep within your body, it can be difficult to identify exactly when it takes place. Luckily, child planning monitors such as Cyclotest Baby display and forecast when you are fertile and ovulating based on your personal cycle data. Take a look below for more information on Cyclotest Baby

Lovemaking Tips for Conception

You just need one sperm out of millions to reach and impregnate your fertile egg, so here are some tips to help that process along.



✺ Avoid anything that could alter the natural vaginal environment including saliva or lubricant creams. It is best to also avoid washing with soap immediately before intercourse.

✺ Choose a position in which the woman is lying beneath the man.

✺ Prop your pelvis up with pillows during sex so that the sperm can flow directly into the neck of the uterus.

✺ Avoid standing up during sex.

✺ Lay still with your pelvis propped up after sex.

Avoid Pressure and Frustration

When a couple decides to stop using contraception and try for a baby pressure filled sex can become a serious strain on the relationship. Couples often feel they have to have sex all the time and hope that they will 'get lucky' and the sperm will find a vital egg. Sex is supposed to be enjoyable and fun; if it is something on the calendar that you have to get done, it can quickly loose that spark. Moreover, when a man is faced with the pressure to perform, he can often experience erectile dysfunction and a pronounced loss of libido.


As a couple, find your personal balance between child-planning sex and and spontaneous sex outside the fertile phase.


A fertility monitor plays an important role in keeping your sex life relaxed and enjoyable. When you have the information of precisely when you ovulate, you no longer feel the need to have sex all the time; you can plan one or two love making randevús during your fertility window, and leave the rest of the month for your natural sex drive to take over.

Cyclotest Baby To The Rescue

Cyclotest Baby is a small handheld device with an integrated digital thermometer that automatically charts your fertility and gives you a clear visual of what days are optimal for baby-making sex.


There are only a few days each month that you are able to conceive, and many couples don't have a clear idea of when that time is. They either try to overcompensate by having sex all the time and sacrifice the exhilaration sex is supposed to bring, or under perform and do not end up having sex at a time when lovemaking could lead to pregnancy leaving them disappointed and frustrated. The Cyclotest Baby gives you indispensable clarity and understanding. It is so simple to use, and yet can completely transform the time period that you are trying to conceive.



All it takes is a few seconds each morning to take your waking temperature, and a flashing baby will appear on the screen. One flashing baby signifies fertility, two flashing babies and you are highly fertile. If no baby shows up on the screen, the chances of becoming pregnant from sex on that day are slim. This allows you to plan your love life around your baby wishes, and increases your chances of conceiving dramatically, and also allows for flexibility the rest of the month.


No more guessing ovulation dates or trying to figure out difficult charts. No more sex as a baby-making chore. With one simple device and a few seconds in the morning, you will be in relaxed, excited, and in control as you begin your journey towards parenthood.

Read the original article on our website: http://ethicalfamilyplanning.com/sex-for-conception