Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility

After my scary day at the doctor's, when I finally snapped out of my funk I went and picked up a few new books and a slew of fertility friendly supplements.  Basically, I spent mad cash to feel like I had some kind of control over the situation.

But this Making Babies book, written by a Western fertility specialist and an Eastern fertility specialist, was the best book I've read so far.  After reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility, what so many women consider the bible of infertility (not so much), Making Babies was a welcome breath of fresh air.  It made it clear that many unexplained infertility issues can be resolved, but more importantly, that one little change can make a world of difference.  Anything from unidentified infections to intercourse position changes have helped many patients go for unexplained infertility to the birth of healthy babies.

The book breaks monthly cycles into Menstruation, Pre-Ovulation, Ovulation and Implantation.  The authors recommend diet changes, exercises and massages based on cycle phases because the body's needs vary based on each phase. 

In addition, there are checklists that help the reader identify which of the 4 types of infertility the reader has and natural treatment based on type. This portion veers more heavily towards Eastern medicine, recommending many of the same things that my Acupuncturist/Eastern Fertility Specialist advised but with more detail.

This is the most comprehensive book I've read so far explaining in detail the various questions I've had, easing my fears and renewing my hope in successful baby making.  

Switching to Kaiser for Fertility

We've been with Healthnet for the past three years and over the past two years the premiums have doubled twice and the copays doubled once.  And as irritating as that is, when I compared their coverage with the less expensive Kaiser, they didn't include a lot of treatments that are now important to me while we are TTC.

For instance, Healthnet didn't cover acupuncture.  Kaiser does which means my $60 visits turn into $30 per visit.

Healthnet also covers only 6 cycles of IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) for a lifetime while Kaiser covers outpatient IUI at no cost with no limit.

Neither, however, cover IVF. 

After 2 hours on the phone with varying answers from each company's reps, we've decided to go the Kaiser for half the price with more coverage related to fertility.

Charting Changes and Acupuncture Successes

Jul-Aug: 42 day cycle, 96.5 low temp, 98 high

Don't let the overly optimistic title fool you, I am not pregnant. I am however, going to show you my charts, not because I am awesome at it but because up until the past 2 months, I was terrible at it.

You might not think that getting up at the same time everyday and popping a thermometer in ones mouth would be difficult but it definitely was for me.  Changes in weekend schedules, a lack of routine and general laziness really got in my way.

Charting is so extremely important though.  From charting, I found a couple of major issues in my reproductive cycle that acupuncture has helped to fix.

I went from tracking my Cervical Mucus (CM) and Basal Body Temperature (BBT) to tracking CM, BBT, Ovulation Prediction Kit (OPK) and Cervical Position (CP). I'm not so hot at CP tracking. I think my stubby fingers are just too short.


The problems I found? First, my basal temperature is fairly low which mean my body might not be warming up enough to sustain a little bun.  Second, my cycles were extremely long.

Aug-Sep: 38 day cycle, 96.8 low temp, 98.5 high temp.

My lackluster attempt at charting in July showed a 42 day cycle.  My cycle before that was 40 days which wreaked havoc on my psyche.  Every month I was late leading me to hope that I was pregnant only to be disappointed that my cycle was just lengthening. With a 42 day cycle, I would only get 8 chances a year to ovulate compared to the typical 12.

August's chart was a little better as I had started acupuncture, my cycle went from 42 days to 38 days. My high temp sent from 98 to 98.6 and my average temperatures stayed in the 97s instead of the previous 96s.

Then, while I was on vacation in Minnesota, Shark week came to town 10 days early. Yes, TEN DAYS.  I was thrilled (and completely surprised that I needed to make a Target run for feminine products)!  A 28 day cycle?!  I haven't seen one of those in years.

A 28 day cycle means I get 12 chances to ovulate!  But what about my temperature?  My high temp was back to it's original paltry 98 degrees.  Well, we're working on that.

Sep-Oct: 28 day cycle, 96.8 low temp, 98 high temp.

So I'm going to celebrate this victory and continue to get poked with needles a couple times a week.

Fertility and Acupuncture

Let’s get pokey shall we?



If it weren’t already obvious by my ingestion of disgusting Chinese herbal tonics, I believe in Eastern medicine.  So why haven’t I tried acupuncture before?  My debilitating fear of needles, of course.

But my biological clock has overtaken my irrational phobia with the help of a little scientific research.  It seems in a 2002 study “40%of women receiving acupuncture just before and after an assisted-reproductive therapy, such as IVF, became pregnant; that compared with 26% of patients who got pregnant with assisted-reproductive treatments but who received no acupuncture therapy. ”  (LA Times.)

According to the American Pregnancy Association, acupuncture and herbal medicine can improve ovarian and follicular function and “increase blood flow to the endometrium, helping to facilitate a thick, rich lining.” (APA.)

Now here I am, waiting for my third accupuncture appointment.  What is it like?

Well, the ambiance is similar to that of a massage. Low light, therapy table, relaxing music.  My Doctor/Acupuncturist guides me through a visualization of a color.  First it was green, as in imagining laying on a field of green grass under a canopy of trees filled with green leaves rustling with green energy and mentally harvesting all the energy to fill my heart area. I’m assuming the green is because that’s the color of the heart chakra. In my second session it was orange focused below the belly button and above the pelvic bone.

While she’s walking me through the visualization, she’s placing a needle in various places.  Notably, the left ear and not the right ear because the left ear is connected to the female side. Using a tube to prevent the needles from bending, it feels like a prick or pinch, in a couple of places it is painful initially, and in the rest virtually painless momentary pressure that fades.

What’s left is a sinking heavy feeling of deep relaxation.  In every session, I have fallen asleep at some point.  The needles are left in place for the rest of the session (about 30 minutes or more) and mostly painless when removed.

Some recent studies argue that acupuncture is not as helpful to fertility as originally thought but the number of success stories I have read make me a believer.

A big enough believer that that at least 4 times a month I’m willingly getting poked with needles.