Enlightened Reading

A friend of mine recommended a book to me.  It's called Taking Charge of Your Fertility, but Toni Weschler.

I ran out and bought the book because I trust this friend's judgment and she hasn't steered me wrong before.  More than than that, she's going through what I'm going through to some extent, so I believe that she knows what she's talking about.

I can't put the book down.  I've done a lot of research over the past two years about getting pregnant, charting your cycle, etc, and I assumed that I knew a lot about the topic.  So far, only six chapters in, I've learned a lot more than I thought I ever could.

I have charted my temperature before, for months, but never actually understood exactly what it meant I don't think.  Now I get it.  I get how I can determine fertility before I ovulate... that's a bonus.

Mostly, I discovered something that may be of significance when I start the fertility treatments.

I have, for the last three cycles, spotted prior to my cycle.  Only two or three days of spotting, but it's not regular menstruation, it's definitely spotting.    According to the book, this could mean a couple of things... my thyroid could be messed up, or I could be having a very short luteal phase.

I had my thyroid checked about three weeks ago, and have an appointment to see my doctor on Tuesday about the results.  I am suspecting it is low.  This could explain the spotting, and some of the menstrual problems.

The luteal phase could be a problem if we can actually  manage to conceive.  The idea that I could be conceiving and then having the inability to maintain a long enough luteal phase to sustain the pregnancy is worrisome.  However, the fact that the book filled me in on this possibility, makes it worth every cent I paid.  I would never have thought to tell the doctor about the spotting -I had just assumed it was normal.  Now I know that it could be problematic, and will share that info with the obgyn when I see her again...

Now I know.

Money well spent.