Almost Pregnant: Pt. 1

The prospect of becoming a parent is scary; I've mentioned that in my last two posts. But we're going for it, so I might as well get down to brass tacks and discuss our plan for getting a bun in this oven. I've been "taking charge of my fertility" in an attempt to get pregnant for the past two months. This means doing the requisite 6:30 am temperature taking, cervical fluid observation, and charting of all my activities (sexual and otherwise) on the handy-dandy spreadsheet that the infamous Toni Weschler provides in her fertility awareness method bible. This is not the first time I've followed her method; off and on for the past five years, I've enjoyed getting to know My Cycle in this way. Since My Cycle is very sensitive (isn't every gal's?), it tends to vary quite a bit based on stress; I've always liked predicting with confidence when my period might come, although I've never been willing to play with fire and use FAM for birth control.

When I started charting again this summer after our wedding, I felt like I was returning to a good way of life--similar to how I feel when I go to a yoga class after a year's absence and remember the stretchy openness of breath and body that used to be mine on a more regular basis. The FAM charting and the yoga both get me back into my body, if only for a few moments a day; but let's face it, I need all the help I can get to crawl out of my head and back into my own skin.

So, the first month we "tried" we were on our honeymoon and--fabulously--I was drinking and staying up late, having a grand old time throwing caution and condoms to the wind for the first time in my life. Apparently, this fertility method works for some people in terms of baby making, but not us. C'est la vie, I thought, and got ready to start my new job. It was probably for the best that I wouldn't have to discuss maternity leave before I got my first paycheck.

To be continued...