Читать книгу Zita West’s Guide to Getting Pregnant - Zita WEST, Zita West - Страница 24

This may sound strange, but many women today have no idea what a normal menstrual cycle is – many of them have been on the Pill for 15 years or more, so this is hardly surprising. Women often feel embarrassed that they don’t know everything about their fertility, and this lack of basic knowledge isn’t helped by the numerous myths out there about what they should and should not be doing in order to conceive successfully!

I am very fortunate to work alongside Jane Knight, who has done so much to raise awareness for women in this area of fertility. I encourage all women to attend a fertility awareness session, because even if you understand the basics, your cycle is unique to you. At our clinic, the aim is to make it easy to understand when and how ovulation occurs, without getting obsessed about it – which months of ‘charting’ can do to you. As Jane says:

An understanding of fertility – fertility awareness – is an important life skill and is every woman’s right. My work involves providing fertility – awareness sessions for both men and women. During a consultation I explain how a woman can identify the fertile ‘window’ during her menstrual cycle. I also help men to understand their own reproductive potential. Couples who understand the key concepts of fertility are in a much better position to understand how fertility declines with age and how factors may damage, reduce, enhance or optimize fertility.

Female Reproductive Organs

The primary indicator of fertility for a woman is her cervical secretions – because this relates so closely to oestrogen levels and ovulation – so we encourage women to focus on this, alongside ovulation-predictor kits or temperature charting, because it is just as important as good nutrition, relaxation and you and your partner’s health in your efforts to conceive.