Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 10th Anniversary Edition: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health Paperback – October 31, 2006

I feel compelled to write a review of "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" because this book has really helped me. It was recommended by a friend who had some problems conceiving. First, I have to say that I bought this book on November 16, I immediately started reading it and charting my fertiliy signs using the charts provided in the book (which is incredibly easy and quick to do, and kind of fun, too), and by DECEMBER 13 I had a positive pregnancy test and now am about 8 weeks along! Not kidding!! I can't really give this book full credit for getting me pregnant, because it really was due to me and my husband taking the information we learned and applying it. But what this awesome book did was give me a wealth of information about how to interpret what was going on with my cycle and my body and gave me more confidence in my ability to conceive. The other thing I love about it is that it gave me a sense of control over something that most women often feel very little control over, especially those having trouble conceiving. This book made me realize that I know more about my own body than any doctor ever will, and it was very powerful for me to realize that I already have the tools for understanding what is going on with my cycle already naturally built in. I honestly thought that it would take much longer to conceive based on several factors, one of which was my irregular cycle (I had been charting just my periods and ovulation predictor sticks for 6 months prior to reading the book), but by applying what I learned from the book, I discovered that I ovulate almost a week AFTER the "traditional" Day 14 that most literature (and even my doctor) tells you. The information I learned about charting basal body temperature is what led me to take a pregnancy test when my temperature stayed elevated when it should have gone down, and I found out about my pregnancy at just 4 weeks along. I was also able to know exactly when I conceived and that my due date is actually one week earlier than the due date determined by the standard 40-week pregnancy wheel that my doctor used (this was confirmed when I had a dating ultrasound!). I cannot say enough good things about this book. It is also not just for trying to get pregnant, it can also be used for avoiding pregnancy naturally, and also covers womens health topics for all ages, including menopause. I am 34 years old and am amazed at what little I really knew about my fertility and monthly cycle prior to this. Before I bought the book, I had friends recommending that I buy things like a $200 fertility monitor, but I am so glad that I waited and decided to really educate myself first. That made all the difference and I believe it saved me a LOT of time and money. If you are having trouble conceiving or understanding your cycle, or even if you are starting out with trying to have a baby, I would highly recommend this book.

When my husband and I decided to try for our second child, a friend recommended that we read this book. I am an avid reader and finished the book in one night, but have often gone back to several parts of it as it is much more than just a book, but more of a reference guide. TCOYF is a comprehensive plan to naturally understand and use the signals a woman's body is giving in order to naturally avoid or achieve pregnancy. The information in this book should be taught to all women during puberty since it is much more than a family planning method, but a comprehensive guide to help in understanding the biology and physiology of the female reproductive system and all that this entails. There are no religious undertones to the book, and it stands firmly on scientific knowledge to get the information across. With that said, it isn't written in a text book manner, but is easy to read, understand and put to use.I'm grateful for this book since it not only has helped my husband and me identify problems we were having in trying to conceive, it is also useful in helping me keep tabs on my thyroid problem. Using the method described in this book has saved me months of time and likely hundreds of dollars with doctors since I could pinpoint when I ovulate, what signals my body was giving (low temps, length of luteal phase, when I have an LH surge, cervical mucus changes, cervical position changes). I am an informed patient who isn't a bystander in her health care but rather an active participant. My doctors are grateful for my use of this method and praise me for taking the initiative and being so proactive in my own health care. After reading this book, I am never going back to using birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. I will be using this, combined with a barrier method, if need be, in order to prevent pregnancy in the future. I have recommended this book to all of my girlfriends and will continue to do so in the future. While I have been trying to get pregnant for 6 months now using this method, I am confident that I am much better off and will be more successful than if I hadn't. This is a must read for all women!