TCOYF

I'm still waiting for my period - 3 1/2 months late and counting. I think we may be getting somewhere, though, thanks to my good friend Toni Weschler and, of course, my naturopath.

First Toni. OK, so she's a good friend of many a woman, I'm sure, and I've never met her but I'd been hearing about her book - Taking Charge of Your Fertility - and I decided to check it out (you can too here). It's really cool. For those of you who haven't heard about it, it's a book about the Fertility Awareness Method ("FAM" - not the rhythm method but a form of birth control that involves checking your own signs of fertility rather than using any barriers or chemical intervention). FAM can be used as both a natural method of birth control and a way to chart your fertility if you are trying to get pregnant. It's slightly complicated and definitely more involved than other methods but I think I'm convinced. I have several friends who have made comments over the years, both in reference to themselves and to me, about how the pill in particular was a bad idea. I scoffed. Was it really that big a deal to mess with a delicate hormonal cycle given the convenience it affords? Hopefully not in the long run but I don't think I should have been so quick to dismiss their comments. Ah, hindsight. I've been thinking about that a lot lately, actually, because, in retrospect, taking something like the pill is pretty uncharacteristic for me. In almost all other situations I choose not to take drugs of any kind - not for fun, not when I'm sick, not when I have a headache. My general philosophy is to avoid chemical alterations of all kinds, not because of some moral opposition, but because I figure that natural is best except in pretty serious situations. I know, sounds bizarre for someone who was on the pill for some 10+ years but I swear I didn't appreciate the irony of it until just now. It's a bit early to say, but at this point I'd be surprised if I ever go back to that form of birth control. Though I can't say for sure that I would do FAM only, I will definitely consider it for later. And once the cycles are back to rights, hopefully it will make the baby thing work pretty easily.

Of course, my post wouldn't be complete without a visit to Dr. L. My digestion is mostly cooperating, with just a slight relapse last week, so we've moved on to addressing my period-free state. No more cuttlefish pills - apparently anything that they would have done would have been done by now - so I'm now on a chinese herb that improves the circulation to the ovaries and uterus. He tells me that sometimes the hormonal signals are sent but the lady body parts that are supposed to respond don't. The circulation increase is supposed to make them listen up. He also "warned" me that, though these weren't technically fertility herbs, they tune up the reproductive system and may increase your fertility somewhat so it would not be the time to be lax with birth control. He's very cute. Let's get this blood flowing, in more ways than one....