When Chris and I were engaged we knew we wanted a family. We talked over the different birth control options that we had….pills, barriers, devices and even using none. We tried most of those options and all of them were expensive. The pills and the results it had on my body cost us money. The barriers cost us money and we were newlyweds. Sheesh, you know how many of those things we were buying? And when we tried the “none” theory we ended up with two kids in two years. VERY expensive although looking back I wouldn’t have changed a thing.But sometimes you come across a resource that just blows your socks off. And for us it was the book called Taking Charge Of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. Not only did we no longer need to spend money on birth control methods but it was an education in itself.
After decades in this body I thought I knew how it worked. I mean, I had the basic gist down. But what I found out was that I knew 1/100th of how my body really worked. This book taught me how to recognize when I was ovulating so that I could choose to either get pregnant or not. As simple as that. No cost, no supplies, no ovulation predictor kits, no “hold on a minute while I ruin the mood and go get something”.
Basically it teaches you how to chart your basal body temperature, your cervical fluid and your cervical position to know what day you are ovulating. It seems that all these things change when you are fertile. And it also seems that there is no standard 14th day ovulation for every woman. We are all different.
Many people use this book to overcome what they thought was infertility. Other use it to know when to naturally prevent pregnancy. Whatever reason you use it for I can guarantee it will change your understanding of how your body works. And for us it was a natural and frugal way to plan our family.
And it worked.
So click on the book link in my left sidebar and read the overwhelmingly positive reviews that people have written about this book. There are over 1000 of them. And yes, even fertility can be approached frugally.
35 comments:
After thousands of dollars spent on fertility treatments that all failed, we were left broke AND broken. This feels like another chance at a second child. Thank you so much for sharing!
Jill
jilljones43@msn.com
(((hands clapping)))
awesome post Gayle !!!
This book is awesome! I read it when we were actually trying to concieve #2. I also I used it to keep from getting pregnant later on. Except my husband wouldn't listen to me about how we couldn't do it that night because I was ovulating and it resulted in a 4th child. LOL Oh well, we wouldn't trade her for anything.
Great post! It should be a crime that birth control methods cost so darn much. The Weschler is a good alternative, though. :)
I don't want to completely write this off, but I work in the health care field and we call people who use the rhythm method (which is what this is, essentially) mothers. User beware.
It worked for me in the 80s after trying lots of ways to get pregnant.
Personally, I love this book! I also love their software too - it's so much easier to keep track when it's online! My husband and I are using the Depo Provera shot, but when times aren't so tough we're going to switch back to TCOYF's NFP method. He just doesn't trust it enough to use it when times are this tough. It's great to hear your recommendation though, and I'll be sure to pass it on to the hubs! Great review!
I have that book! I have yet figured out how this fact would fit in... my midwife told me that man seed can live up to 7 days inside. Wouldn't that kinda defeat knowing when you are ovulating? I have yet worked around THAT.
I love this book - I highly recommend it for all women - even if you don't want to conceive.
It ought to be something you can tell your daughter - there was great info in it!
Sounds a whole lot like the Couple to Couple League's Natural Family Planning Method. That's what we use. Love it.
This book is wonderful. I used it to chart my periods and in the process, really learned a lot about my body. I highly recommend it for all women whether they want to conceive or not.
I never read the book, but that's what we do. And it works...we've been married over 1.5 years and no babies yet. Something about messing with my hormones just doesn't seem right...and your right, it's def. cheaper :-)
Gayle, I love your blog. I have been reading it for a few months now and have never posted before. I just want to say that my husband is a OBGYN and comes home weekly saying "Another person will enter the world due to natural family planning" I know it can work but you really need to know what you are doing. Don't just do it for one month and think you know what you are doing especially if you do not want any more children.
I totally believe that it works. I think some self control is involved though? That got my husband and I in trouble when we tried natural family planning. You know how when you can't have something, it makes you want it more???? I love that you posted about frugal fertility!!!
I've heard good thing about that book. Thanks for sharing!
For the record, this is NOT the rhythm method. The rhythm method assumes that every woman ovulates on the same day of a 28 day cycle. TCOYF teaches you how to track your own cycles and see what you body is doing. Yes, sperm can live for up to seven days if conditions are right. That is why you are learning the conditions when you need to avoid intercourse to prevent pregnancy. We used TCOYF for conceiving both of our kids and are using it now to avoid pregnancy -- without all the nasty hormones.
I definitely recommend this book! You can also do their online cycle charting, forums, etc. at ovusoft.com.
Michele :)
I agree -- this is not the rhythm method at all! We used this between child 1 and 2 to not get pregnant. On the night child 2 was conceived, I warned DH that I would get pregnant (it was few months earlier than we had been planning on)... and I did! :-)
Haha! Ditto, I got this book :)
I completed with the couple to couple league class, and a basal thermometer :)
www.ccli.org
Also Anonymous: "I work in the health care field and we call people who use the rhythm method (which is what this is, essentially) mothers. User beware."
I'd like to know which "health care field" you work in, and how long you've been retired...?
Fertility awareness is not the rhythm method.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070221065200.htm
it's quite easy to find scientific reports on the efficiency of each fertility awareness method...
I just want to warn people that this method is not "fool-proof". The fact is that sperm can last in the body for 7 that is SEVEN full days after having intercourse. That means that even if you have sex before you ovulate, they get trapped in your cervical mucus and then get "release" by the mucus to reach the egg. The percentage of women who get pregnant because of this accounts for 95% of the failure rate of the "rhythm method".
I suggest talking to your Dr. about possible methods. I am currently using Mirena. It is good for 5 years, and only cost us $167 after our insurance covered the rest. Divide that by 5 years, and it is one of the cheapest methods available. PLUS.... it has a better prevention rate than a vasectomy!!
Anonymous - have you actually read the book? it is NOT the rhthym method at all. I can't stand it when people in the medical field think they know everything and refuse to consider alternatives to what they were taught in med schoo.
I LOVE "Taking Charge of Your Fertility"!!! I was my "bible" of sorts in helping us get pregnant (as I have reproductive problems that *could* (never know for sure until you do or don't) have prevented us from conceiving. (We conceived our sons after 3 months and 2 months, respectively, of trying.) Until I read this book, I didn't understand all of the fertility signs (which are MORE than just your basal temperature - which, by the way, if it has already peaked, you have ALREADY ovulated and if trying to get pregnant you want the sperm there WHEN you ovulate, not after). Using the three signs that your body gives you will either prevent or help you to get pregnant. But, you do have to pay very close attention to those signs - especially if you are using it as BC. But, this is NOT the rhythm method by any means. EVERY girl and woman should read a copy of this book so that they understand their body better even if they aren't sexually active.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful resource with everyone, Gayle! TERRIFIC article!!
What a great book, I was hoping that your frugal fertility would be about fertility Awareness method. My husband and I have been using it for 3 years, and i love the fact that I know whats going on with my body and i feel so good off of birth control pills. Thanks for posting this!
Thanks so much for sharing this Gayle! I just got married this summer and I am currently on the pill, but I am sick of paying for it, putting hormones in my body, etc. and my husband and I were just talking the other night about going off birth control.
This looks like a great resource!
I was told at 19 that children wouldn't be possible due to endometriosis. At 25 and 27 I successfully conceived and delivered two healthy boys using this book. It was AMAZING and I recommend it to everyone!
Thank you for sharing this resource and ALL of your wonderful resources!
Angela
reinhart3350@verizon.net
This is a great resource! After having three babies in less than 2 years (twins born when daughter was 18 months), we went back on birth control--but they were expensive and not working for my post-baby self hormonally. Since reading/using TCOYF, we've not had a problem! Highly recommend it. If you don't want to have to practice "self control" for part of the month, just plan to use barrier methods for that stretch.
I haven't had time to read though all the comments so maybe this has been said-forgive me. But to the commenter who claims to work in the HC field-this is NOT the rhythm method. That is old old old and completely different. This is called the sympto-thermal method and is is highly accurate. It is scientifically proven to be more effective than most contraceptives and obviously much much safer. Please learn the facts before commenting such erroneous information-that is dangerous to women's health. Women need to take charge of their bodies and learn the amazing things it can do!! Your body has signs all made up for you that work together. I use temperature, cervix positioning and mucous signs and it is totally foolproof to have all of those crosschecks if you are adept and educated at reading them. There are classes you can take through CCL to learn more. The "accidents" that happen with its use are user error-not the method's fault. Same as condoms-user error, or skipping a pill etc. It's all in the users knowledge of the method, applying it appropriately and then making the choice of self-control or risking pregnancy. It is not the methods fault. And it is abhorrent that the medical community is not more knowledgeable in this method due to the damaging effects that artificial chemical methods have wreaked on women's bodies!
I find it sad that people want to prevent blessings from God. I know because I made my husband get a vasectomy and now regret it everyday. Please do not try to prevent these blessings if you are a believer in Christ! Kristin
This is a great book. I can't believe how little I knew about my body!! I will be buying her cycle savvy book for teens even though my girl's won't need it for 8 years or so!!
We loved this book...using her methods, I did learn so much about my body and found out I had PCOS. I also knew I wasn't ovulating and got some help...Now I have very handsome 11 1/2 mo. old twin boys. I recommend this book to all!
this IS a great book, I just finished reading it. I would recommend it to all women!
I used this book 8 years ago to learn about my body before I got pregnant. It is great if you want to get pregnant, or if you don't. There is info on both extremes.
thanks for your review of this book! I LOVE it,and recommend it to all my friends.
I see there has been some argument here... I have to say that I know this is not the rhythm method and that the book probably goes into detail all of the other details of how the female body works... from timing, temperatures, cervical mucous...etc.
I will say that if you're using this for prevention, you could potentially do everything right in predicting ovulation & when you are most fertile, but you could still end up pregnant.
Your body can change with stresses & sperm can live a long time in the right environment. And you may only have a few days a month that are truly "safe" to begin with. Can your Hubby live with that?
Can you afford a child if it "happens"?
On the other hand, if you're wanting to get pregnant... by all means get to know all about how the female body works... the male too for that matter- that was where our problem was. If you have trouble getting pregnant, timing things just right each month can really make the difference!
For all of you trying to conceive.. I hope it happens for you!
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