Editor’s Note: Good Morning. Dr. Amy Wells is here this morning talking about a hot topic in our house right now – fertility. Plugging in to your body cues is an amazing way to feel empowered when working on getting pregnant.

On a couple of other notes, I posed the question over on our Facebook page yesterday about what your best memories of being outside were as a kid after Barb’s thoughtful column and had some great responses. Check them out HERE.

Lastly, the SPROUTS Kids Gardening Series kicked off yesterday and we had an awesome time learning about compost, worms and recycling. Check out some of the photos from the day HERE.

And with that, here’s Amy:

Happy (upcoming) Mother’s day, to all the mommas out there!  I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to mother a little one.  There’s nothing quite like it.

We all have our personal stories of the journey through motherhood, the trials and tribulations.  Our stories began with conception and for some, it is a tale all on its own.

I’m hearing more and more from women the irony of avoiding pregnancy at all costs for our first 25 or 30 years, and then, when we’re finally ‘ready’ to take that next step, the baby-making process proves to be a little more difficult than anticipated.  What gives?

Fertility is such an anomaly.  Medical fertility experts that perform all the latest high tech surgeries and hormone treatments still, at the end of the day, can’t be certain which female patients will become pregnant and which ones won’t.

Understanding our fertility begins with understanding our menstrual cycles and physical bodies.  Our female rhythms correlate with the lunar cycle, typically on a 30-day pattern.  We label day 1 of our cycle to be the first day of our bleed and the last day to be the day before our next menstruation.

The first (roughly) half of our cycle is called the follicular or pre-ovulatory phase, which involves the release of FSH from the pituitary gland that triggers the ripening of our eggs and causes an increase of estrogen from the ovaries.

Estrogen causes the cervix to soften to allow for the passage of sperm, causes the mucus to change to a consistency that is easier for sperm to swim in, encourages thickening of the uterus lining for egg implantation and triggers the release of LH from the pituitary gland.

The second 14 days of our cycle is called the luteal or post-ovulatory phase and is characterized by the release of progesterone as a result of high LH levels.  Progesterone increases body temperature, thickens cervical mucus, further grows the uterus lining and ceases the release of more eggs.

If pregnancy occurs, the progesterone levels continue to rise until birth.  If there is no fertilization, hormone levels drop and the uterus sheds its lining resulting in menstruation.

Knowing what’s happening with your ovulation patterns is the basis of managing your fertility, either from a conception or contraception point of view.  Ovulation can often be delayed due to the influence of medications, diet, stress, travel, illness, weight changes, or excessive exercise, so keeping monthly records of menstrual patterns allows for greater accuracy of ovulatory predictions.

Natural fertility management involves a number of methods to determine your most fertile times during the month.  A woman’s waking basal body temperature fluctuates throughout the month, related to the various surges of hormones.  A woman’s temperature spiking around mid-cycle indicates release of the egg from the ovary about 24 hours previously.  Temperatures will remain elevated during the luteal phase, and drop when menstruation begins, or will continue to be high if fertilization has occurred.

Another very important part of assessing fertility is to educate yourself on cervical mucus and the changes that occur during the cycle.  Non-fertile cervical mucus is described as a thick, creamy white discharge, the consistency of which inhibits easy passage of sperm, or as no discharge at all.  Fertile cervical mucus is a clear, slippery, egg white textured discharge that when tested with the thumb and middle finger will stretch between the two.

Cervical positioning is a third sign of fertility.  The cervix is normally firm, like the tip of your nose, and low but will become soft and mushy, like your lips, as ovulation approaches.  As estrogen levels increase around ovulation, it causes the cervix to rise up and open to allow for passage of sperm.

Other secondary fertility signs that may occur for some women around ovulation are mid-cycle spotting, achiness in the ovaries, increased libido, swollen vulva, water retention, increased energy levels, and heightened breast sensitivity or tenderness.

Patient education on a woman’s menstrual cycle and body awareness is the first approach I take when addressing fertility issues.  Natural fertility management encourages patient responsibility by really getting to know your body and its daily oscillations.  It provides insight to any hormonal incongruities that could be contributing to any difficulty conceiving.

To learn more on natural fertility management, there’s a great book called Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler that provides more information on how to chart and record your monthly fertility patterns.

© Dr. Amy Wells, Naturopathic Family Physician