Fertility Friend Handbook

Fertility Friend Handbook
Fertility Charting For Conception
Fertility Friend Online
http://www.FertilityFriend.com
Copyright 1997?2004 Tamtris Web Services Inc.
All Rights Reserved ? See Important Disclaimer below

---

Copyright Tamtris Web Services Inc ? Fertility Friend Online 1997?2004
All Rights Reserved.
This handbook contains materials that have been created, developed, or commissioned by, and published with the permission of, FertilityFriend.com a division
of Tamtris Web Services Inc. (the "Materials") and this handbook and any such Materials are protected by international copyright and trademark laws.
The Materials (including but not limited to the text, images, audio, and/or video) may not be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or
distributed in any way, in whole or in part, except that one copy may be downloaded for your personal, non?commercial use. In connection with such use, you
may not modify or obscure any copyright or other proprietary notice.
Any answer, information given by this handbook does not constitute medical practice or advice and will incur no legal or moral liabilities for anyone
associated with this service. Always consult your personal physician for definitive answers to your medical questions.
The information contained in the Fertility Friend Handbook is provided for informational and educational purposes only. This material is not intended as a
substitute for consulting a physician or other health care professionals. Individual circumstances may vary and some information may not be applicable and/or
may have become outdated as result of recent developments. FertilityFriend.com accepts no responsibility for reliance on the information set out in this
handbook. Reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of data and calculations. We accept no responsibility for reliance on these data or
calculations.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, FertilityFriend.com disclaims all warranties, either express or implied including but not limited to
implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non infringement. FertilityFriend.com shall not be liable for any damages
whatsoever, including direct, indirect, lost profits or information, business interruption, or other pecuniary loss, even if Tamtris Web Services Inc. has been
advised of the possibility of such damages.
The Materials may contain trademarks, services marks and logos that are the property of third parties. You are not permitted to use these trademarks, services
marks or logos without prior written consent of such third parties.
If you have any questions about these terms, or if you would like information about licensing materials from FertilityFriend.com, please contact us via e?mail
at support at fertilityfriend.com.

---

Fertility Friend Handbook
Table of Contents
Making the Most of Fertility Charting For Pregnancy Achievement............................................................1
What is Fertility Charting?......................................................................................................................1
What are Fertility Signs?.........................................................................................................................1
The Benefits of Charting Your Fertility...................................................................................................2
What can charting my fertility signs tell me?....................................................................................2
Your Hormones are Driving Your Fertility Signs...........................................................................................5
Your Menstrual Cycle and Your Hormones............................................................................................5
Your Hormones and Your Fertility Signals.....................................................................................................7
Estrogen and Your Fertility Signs...........................................................................................................7
Estrogen and Cervical Fluid..............................................................................................................7
Estrogen and Cervical Position and Texture....................................................................................8
Estrogen and Devices........................................................................................................................9
Progesterone and Your Fertility Signs.....................................................................................................9
Basal Body Temperature (BBT) and Progesterone.........................................................................10
Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Your Fertility Signs...........................................................................11
Ovulation Prediction Kits (OPK)....................................................................................................11
How to Observe and Record Your Fertility Signs.........................................................................................13
Your Fertility Signs...............................................................................................................................13
Cervical Fluid..................................................................................................................................13
How to check for cervical fluid externally...............................................................................13
Things to notice when checking your cervical fluid.................................................................13
Checking your cervical fluid internally....................................................................................14
How to record your cervical fluid.............................................................................................14
Factors that can influence your cervical fluid pattern...............................................................15
More about Cervical Fluid........................................................................................................16
Basal Body Temperature (BBT)......................................................................................................17
How to take and record your BBT............................................................................................17
Some important guidelines to follow when taking your BBT..................................................18
Factors that can influence your BBT........................................................................................18
More about BBT.......................................................................................................................19
Changes in the Position and Firmness of your Cervix....................................................................21
Checking your Cervix...............................................................................................................22
Recording Cervical Changes....................................................................................................22
Devices and Tests for Measuring Fertility......................................................................................23
A few words about Ovulation Prediction Kits (OPKs).............................................................24
Other Possible Fertility Signs..........................................................................................................24
Fertility Chart Patterns....................................................................................................................................26
Ovulation Patterns..................................................................................................................................26
Regular (Ideal) Pattern....................................................................................................................26
Variations on the Ovulatory Chart Pattern......................................................................................27
Anovulatory Patterns.............................................................................................................................29
Pregnancy Patterns.................................................................................................................................31
1

---

Fertility Friend Handbook
Table of Contents
A last word or just a starting point.................................................................................................................34
Glossary.............................................................................................................................................................35
Common Abbreviations....................................................................................................................................38
A last word or just a starting point...
2

---

Making the Most of Fertility Charting For Pregnancy
Achievement
What is Fertility Charting?
Fertility charting involves observing and recording your fertility signs so that you can easily see your daily
fertility status and identify your most fertile time. It is highly effective because your body provides clues, or
signs, that tell you about your fertility status throughout your cycle.
There are only a few days each cycle when conception is possible. Charting your fertility helps you to find
those days so that you can best time intercourse to get pregnant.
You may have been told that you ovulate or are most fertile on day 14 of your menstrual cycle, mid?cycle or
even 14 days before your period is expected. These are myths. While this may be the case for some women, it
may not be true for you, even if your cycles are regular. Your own fertility pattern is unique to you and
charting your fertility will help you to see it.
What are Fertility Signs?
The most important, or primary, fertility signs are your basal body temperature (BBT) and your cervical
fluid. Your basal body temperature can be measured when you wake up with an inexpensive special
thermometer that you can buy at your drugstore.Your cervical fluid can easily be observed when you go to the
bathroom.
Your basal body temperature increases after ovulation due to increased progesterone in your bloodstream.
Your cervical fluid is the fluid that is produced by your cervix that you can see and feel in or outside your
vagina. Cervical fluid, which is sometimes called cervical mucous (CM), changes throughout your cycle
depending on your fertility status.
Taking note of these observations and recording them is enough to provide the clues you need to help time
intercourse appropriately to get pregnant and see when (and if) you ovulate. Other, secondary, optional signs
can add extra insight and help to cross?check the interpretation from your primary fertility signs.
Secondary, optional fertility signs that you may or may not choose to observe include: observations of the
position, texture and opening of your cervix, results from tests and devices, and other personal observations
that you learn to associate with your fertility.
Recording these fertility signs, you can see when you are fertile on a graph. The information can be analyzed
and interpreted and the feedback lets you see when you are approaching ovulation, when you have already
ovulated, when you should expect your period or a positive pregnancy test, along with other insights that will
help you get pregnant and learn about your unique fertility pattern.
Charting with Fertility Friend, you enter your daily observations about your fertility signs online on your
personal account on an easy?to?use data entry form. The feedback, interpretation and analysis is interactively
and automatically provided for you. The analysis will tell you the best time to have intercourse to maximize
your chances each cycle. It will show you when you are fertile, when you have ovulated, when you are no
longer fertile, when to expect your period if you are not pregnant, and when you can expect a reliable
pregnancy test result.
Making the Most of Fertility Charting For Pregnancy Achievement
1

---

Fertility Friend Handbook
It can take a cycle or two to really get the hang of charting your fertility signs. Once you understand the signs,
however, it quickly becomes second nature. Indeed, many women who start to chart are amazed to discover
that their bodies have been offering these signs all along. Some are even outraged that they were not taught to
recognize these signs sooner.
Our bodies are providing a bounty of knowledge and it only takes a couple of minutes a day to tap into it.
With a little bit of awareness and support, what you gain can be tremendous.
Your fertility signs, what they mean, and how to observe and record them are discussed in great detail in the
following Handbook chapter: How to Observe and Record Your Fertility Signs.
The Benefits of Charting Your Fertility
What can charting my fertility signs tell me?
There are only a few days each menstrual cycle that you can get pregnant. Charting your fertility signs can
help you find those days so that you can maximize your intercourse timing to increase your chances of
conception each cycle. It can also help you make sense of your entire cycle. Even if you do not get pregnant in
a given cycle, what you learn from charting your fertility signs that cycle will help you increase your chances
in future cycles.
Your fertility signs are directly related to the hormonal changes your body experiences throughout your cycle.
Recognizing and understanding the role of these signs can offer you the information you need to help you
achieve pregnancy, understand your own fertility pattern, and make informed choices at every stage of your
Trying To Conceive (TTC) journey.
Charting your fertility signs offers a way to visually make sense of these signs and unravel the mystery of
your fertility. Many people are astonished at just how much they can learn by taking a few minutes a day to
observe and record their fertility signs. Many more are delighted to discover that charting their fertility signs
is all that is needed to time intercourse and achieve pregnancy. Others find that they can identify fertility
issues early and decide on a course of action early. It can be an enlightening and empowering experience.
Observing and recording your fertility signs takes just a couple of minutes a day, but allows you to see the
following:
Determine if and when you ovulate
•
: This is a logical first step and is probably the first thing you will
want to know if it is taking you longer than expected to conceive. While this is not the only
information you need, knowing whether or not you ovulate will help you learn if you should consider
seeking medical attention. If you do ovulate, knowing when you ovulate will help you better time
intercourse and to know if you are timing intercourse well.
Determine the start and length of your fertile phase
•
. Knowing when your fertile phase begins and
how long it is will help you better time intercourse and know how often and when to have intercourse
to maximize your chances of conception. This information can offer you control, guide you, and if
necessary help your doctor help you with your unique situation.
Determine the end of your fertile phase
•
. While the end of your fertile phase is not as critical to
pregnancy achievement as its start, it does provide clues about your cycle and lets you know when
you can stop having scheduled intercourse. It also lets you know when you enter your post?ovulatory,
or luteal phase of your cycle which also offers clues about your fertility.
The Benefits of Charting Your Fertility
2

---

Fertility Friend Handbook
Determine the length of your luteal phase
•
. Your luteal phase is the time between ovulation and
menstruation. In most cases your luteal phase is fairly constant and does not vary much from cycle to
cycle for the same woman. Knowing the length of your luteal phase will let you know if your luteal
phase is sufficiently long to sustain a pregnancy.
Plan and predict your cycles
•
. While your cycles may vary slightly (or greatly) and we know that they
can vary a great deal from woman to woman, charting your fertility signs will help you predict when
you are most fertile, when ovulation is likely to occur and when your period is expected. Each cycle
charted will give you an increased awareness and better ability to predict what is likely in future
cycles. With this awareness you can improve your intercourse timing. You will have advanced
warning of the beginning of your fertile phase and will know when to expect ovulation. If you are
aware of your own typical cycle you can also know early if you conceived in a particular cycle.
Determine the length of your cycles
•
. Knowing your usual cycle length or the range of your cycle
length if it varies can help you know when you are most likely to be fertile, if you are likely to be
pregnant and when you can test for pregnancy on an early pregnancy test. This information is also
useful for your doctor and is something you are likely to be asked should you seek medical attention.
Time intercourse or fertility treatments to maximize the chances of conception
•
. Knowing your
unique fertility pattern will help you time intercourse increasingly well as you gain greater awareness
of your fertility. When you know when you are fertile and when you ovulate, intercourse timing can
be maximized for conception purposes.
Time when to use ovulation predictor kits (OPKs)
•
. It is not necessary for everyone to use OPKs, but
if you do use them, you want to maximize their use since they are expensive and often only allow for
about 5 days of tests. Knowing when you are entering your fertile phase and knowing about your past
cycles will help you make the best possible use of OPKs.
Bring clear, clean and accurate data to your doctor
•
. Whether your doctor has suggested that you
chart your fertility signs, or if it becomes evident that you need to seek medical attention after you
have charted for a few cycles, your doctor will appreciate your charting efforts. Doctors are becoming
increasingly supportive of women charting their fertility and they are also becoming more
experienced at reading and interpreting fertility charts. The more data you have, the better able your
doctor will be to evaluate, analyze and make sense of your charts with you. Having several cycles
charted can help you and your doctor decide on the best course of treatment if treatment is necessary.
Having charted cycles available for your doctor in advance can also minimize your waiting. This is
especially important if age is a factor.
Maximize the timing of fertility tests and treatments and medications
•
. Your charted cycle data will
help your doctor offer you the best possible care by timing tests and treatments to coincide with the
most appropriate time in your cycle. Many tests and treatments are most effective when they are
well?timed and you can avoid the guesswork if you are charting your fertility signs.
See if you timed intercourse well
•
. Many people find the time after ovulation to be the most stressful.
They are waiting and hoping to have conceived. Once your fertile time has passed and ovulation has
been confirmed by your fertility signs, you can examine your chart to see if conception was possible
in any particular cycle. Though your chances are only about 20% in any given cycle, you will know if
you have reason to be hopeful. If you do not conceive for several cycles, in spite of well?timed
intercourse, you will know that there may be factors that require medical attention.
Know early if conception occurred
•
. Your chart offers clues that can tell you that you may have
conceived.
Know when conception occurred to better estimate your due date
•
. Once pregnancy is confirmed,
doctors typically estimate your due date based on your Last Menstrual Period (LMP). This estimation
assumes a typical cycle length and ovulation date that may not apply to you. If you know when
ovulation occurred, then you can more accurately determine your baby's due date.
Time when to take an early pregnancy test
•
. If you know when your period is really "late" then you
can decide when you can reliably take a pregnancy test. This can help to avoid the disappointment of
seeing negative pregnancy tests and the anxiety of ambiguous results and early false?negatives caused
The Benefits of Charting Your Fertility
3

---

Fertility Friend Handbook
by testing too early.
Gain awareness of your hormonal profile and your body
•
. Charting your fertility signs eliminates the
mystery that may have surrounded your fertility. It is really no mystery at all when you are aware.
Each sign is tied to processes that are governed by the hormones that are running through your body.
Recognizing these signs and knowing what they mean is eye?opening and enlightening.
Take control of your Trying to Conceive experience
•
. Charting your fertility signs and learning what
they mean and how they are related to your fertility is something you can do to take control of your
trying to conceive experience. This is something proactive that you can do to dramatically increase
your chances of conception every cycle. You are informed and in control. There is nothing to lose by
doing it and everything to gain.
Charting your fertility signs is something that you can do to increase your chances of conception, understand
your own fertility pattern and put you in control of your trying to conceive experience. If you have decided to
chart your own fertility signs, read on for more about how they relate to your hormones and how best to
observe and record them. It is also not possible to underestimate the role of support when you are trying to
conceive. Talk to others who share your experience and ask for advice and hints from those who can offer
guidance.
The Benefits of Charting Your Fertility
4

---

Your Hormones are Driving Your Fertility Signs
Your Menstrual Cycle and Your Hormones
You may wonder why we are talking about your hormones and not just getting to the details of how to best
identify, chart and interpret your fertility signs. While it is possible to chart without fully understanding the
role of your hormones, understanding what triggers your fertility signs and what they mean will make the
clues more meaningful. Seeing the role that hormones play will show you how each of your fertility signs is
directly related to your hormonal changes and demystify the entire process.
Your fertility signs, whether they are those you observe yourself (your temperature, cervical fluid, cervical
position), or those measured by devices (OPKs, fertility monitors, microscopes), are related to this hormonal
process. Your hormones, while giving you clues about your fertility status via your fertility signs, are also
responsible for triggering the responses needed to prepare your body for a possible pregnancy. The diagram
below shows you how your hormone levels change in relation to your menstrual cycle.
Your menstrual cycle is driven by your hormones. Hormones are biochemical substances that are produced in
one area of your body and carried in your bloodstream to send signals that trigger responses in another part of
your body. The hormones that control your fertility signals are produced in your hypothalamus (in your
brain); your anterior pituitary gland (also in your brain, located behind and attached to the hypothalamus);
your ovaries; and your adrenal glands (located on top of your kidneys). A series of hormonal steps trigger the
events of your menstrual cycle.
The first thing that happens, at the beginning of your menstrual cycle, is that the hypothalamus
1.
produces GnRH (gonadotropin?releasing hormone). The GnRH pulses through your bloodstream
from the hypothalamus to the pituitary gland in spurts every 60?90 minutes from menstruation until
ovulation. The GnRH signals the anterior pituitary gland to secrete FSH (Follicle Stimulating
Hormone) and later LH (Luteinizing Hormone). This is what is going on when you have your period
and in the days before ovulation.
The Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) as its name suggests, stimulates the development and
2.
maturation of follicles in the ovaries. One of these follicles will become dominant and contains the
Your Hormones are Driving Your Fertility Signs
5

---

Fertility Friend Handbook
egg that will be released at ovulation. The developing follicles begin to produce estrogen.
The estrogen released by the developing follicles, and later by the dominant follicle, causes the lining
3.
of the uterus, the endometrium, to grow and thicken in preparation of implantation of a fertilized egg.
By about the seventh day of your cycle on average (but this can vary widely) the dominant follicle
4.
takes over. The egg within the other follicles loses its nourishment and dies as do the follicular cells.
The dominant follicle produces a sharp rise in estrogen. (You can recognize this stage of your cycle
5.
by closely monitoring your cervical fluid). Estrogen is at its peak one to two days prior to ovulation.
This estrogen surge signals the release of LH (Luteinizing Hormone) which is what is measured by
6.
ovulation predictor kits (OPKs). LH goes through the bloodstream to the ovary where it causes the
ovary to release enzymes that make a hole in the sac that is the dominant follicle. This causes the
dominant follicle to rupture and release the egg into the Fallopian tube where it can be fertilized. This
is ovulation. The LH surge is necessary for ovulation to occur. The LH surge (the highest
concentration of LH) occurs 12?24 hours prior to ovulation but LH begins to rise about 36 hours
before ovulation.
Estrogen drops dramatically after ovulation.
7.
The dominant follicle, transformed by LH, becomes the corpus luteum after ovulation. This phase of
8.
your cycle after ovulation is called the luteal phase since hormone production is governed by the
corpus luteum. The corpus luteum continues to produce some estrogen, but now also produces
progesterone which is the hormone that dominates this phase of your cycle. Progesterone, like
estrogen, is needed to develop the endometrium so that a fertilized egg can implant and be nourished
should fertilization occur. Your BBT (Basal Body Temperature) rises as a result of progesterone.
If an egg is fertilized, the corpus luteum's life is extended by the presence of the pregnancy hormone
9.
(hcG) and it keeps on producing progesterone and some estrogen and the development of the
endometrium continues. As the pregnancy progresses, hormone production is taken over by the
placenta.
If there is no pregnancy, the corpus luteum dies, progesterone levels fall and a new cycle begins.
10.
Your Hormones are Driving Your Fertility Signs
6

---

Document Outline

• Table of Contents
• Making the Most of Fertility Charting For Pregnancy Achievement
  • What is Fertility Charting?
  • What are Fertility Signs?
  • The Benefits of Charting Your Fertility
    • What can charting my fertility signs tell me?
• Your Hormones are Driving Your Fertility Signs
  • Your Menstrual Cycle and Your Hormones
• Your Hormones and Your Fertility Signals
  • Estrogen and Your Fertility Signs
    • Estrogen and Cervical Fluid
    • Estrogen and Cervical Position and Texture
    • Estrogen and Devices
  • Progesterone and Your Fertility Signs
    • Basal Body Temperature (BBT) and Progesterone
  • Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Your Fertility Signs
    • Ovulation Prediction Kits (OPK)
• How to Observe and Record Your Fertility Signs
  • Your Fertility Signs
    • Cervical Fluid
      • How to check for cervical fluid externally
      • Things to notice when checking your cervical fluid
      • Checking your cervical fluid internally
      • How to record your cervical fluid
      • Factors that can influence your cervical fluid pattern
      • More about Cervical Fluid
    • Basal Body Temperature (BBT)
      • How to take and record your BBT
      • Some important guidelines to follow when taking your BBT
      • Factors that can influence your BBT
      • More about BBT
    • Changes in the Position and Firmness of your Cervix
      • Checking your Cervix
      • Recording Cervical Changes
    • Devices and Tests for Measuring Fertility
      • A few words about Ovulation Prediction Kits (OPKs)
    • Other Possible Fertility Signs
• Fertility Chart Patterns
  • Ovulation Patterns
    • Regular (Ideal) Pattern
    • Variations on the Ovulatory Chart Pattern
  • Anovulatory Patterns
  • Pregnancy Patterns
• A last word or just a starting point...
• Glossary
• Common Abbreviations

---