infertility

Mommy Dearest,

I am a mother to a three-month-old little girl whom I adore. I was blessed with a successful pregnancy on the first attempt with my husband, but sad, a few friends of my friends have not been so lucky. Having tried clomid and several rounds of in vitro fertilization, it is becoming increasingly difficult for my childless friends to see me with my baby. One friend has already cut me out of her life because it is too painful for her to be around any infants and I fear I am losing another one to the clutches of non-motherhood. I desperately want to keep my friends, but don't know how to do it without causing them pain every time they see us.

— Fertile Myrtle

To see the response from Mommy Dearest, read more

It's not always easy to talk about, but 10 percent of couples that wish to have a baby are still unable to after a year of unprotected sex. About half of these couples can achieve pregnancy within two years after appropriate treatment of the woman, the man, or both, but it can require a lot more effort than charting out your ovulation days. There are no dietary or nutritional cures for infertility, but specialists stress that a healthy lifestyle is important. For a list of lifestyle changes that can help, read more

Most mothers or future mothers know all their fertility terms and jargon, but knowing your body and understanding your cycle can be a bit more complicated. Doctors recommend that couples that are trying to have a baby have intercourse between day 10 and day 20 of a woman's menstrual cycle. However, it is still difficult for most of us to magically know exactly when ovulation is going to occur.

If you aren't certain if and when you are ovulating, you might start with an ovulation predictor kit, which can be bought at most drug stores and check for LH (luteinizing hormone) in your urine. You can also use a simple calendar to map out your cycle. For some other simple suggestions of how to identify your fertile days, read more