Book Review: Taking Charge of Your Fertility

Before I had children, my husband and I discussed me getting off the pill, not so we could have kids, but so I could quit taking hormones, as I had done for three years straight.  I knew that taking hormones wasn’t good for my body and that oral contraceptives have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.

At that time, I didn’t really know any other methods of birth control except abstinence (which wasn’t going to happen), and condoms.  As you might guess, this situation is what led to my being pregnant with our first baby.

I was (and am) thankful to have him, but I was not quite ready to have another right away, so I started looking at natural birth control methods that actually work.  Now don’t laugh.  I know we all know some family with a dozen or so children who were using the rhythm method of “birth control.”  That is not my idea of birth control!  There had to be something better, right??

Well there is!  I was fortunate enough to read Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health by Toni Weschler.

OH MY GOODNESS!  Why the heck didn’t they teach us this in sex ed all those years ago?  I learned an awful lot about my own body that I had never known before.  Weschler writes, in practical terms, how easy it is to prevent or achieve a pregnancy without the use of hormones or other drugs, simply by observing your body, and knowing your cycle (not the typical 28 day average, I might add).  This book is incredible!

Women need this book.  We need to teach it’s lessons to our daughters.  Weschler teaches you in simple terms about your anatomy, your monthly cycle (which is more than just 5-7 days of bleeding) and gives you an easy system for tracking your cycle to either achieve or avoid pregnancy without the help of doctors or ovulation kits.  I was totally blown away by this book, and it really helped me on my journey towards whole-person health.

Ms. Weschler takes the book one step further by providing you with her website, TCOYF.com, where you can track your cycle online, or print off charts for your use at home, as well as providing up to date fertility information and community forum.  All in all, Taking Charge of Your Fertility is highly recommended.

Cloth Diaper Review: Fuzzi Bunz

Fuzzi Bunz diapers are the diapers I originally bought when I had my first baby.  I did not try any other diapers before buying them, but simply invested in them based on friends’ recommendations and online reviews.  Now days, parents have the option of buying a fitted diaper from Fuzzi Bunz called the Perfect Fit (they come in preemie, small, medium, large, petite, etc.) or a One Size, that has many snaps like the Rump-A-Rooz to fit from birth to 35 pounds or so.  When I bought my Fuzzi Bunz they didn’t make the One Size, so this review is specific to the Perfect Fit style of Fuzzi Bunz.

Also note that I know a bit more about these diapers than the others I reviewed, since I’ve used them on two babies now, and the others for only nine days total.

Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Fit

These diapers are another pocket-style

Cloth Diaper Review: Kushies Classic

During the nine day study I participated in, the other type of cloth diaper I got to try was the Kushies Baby Classic diapers.

Kushies Baby Classic Diapers

These diapers are an All-In-One (AIO) cloth diaper.  That means that there are no inserts like the pocket diapers.  Essentially, they are the most like disposables in the ease-of-use category.

Kushies are made up of 8 layers

Cloth Diaper Review: Rump-A-Rooz

A few months back, my youngest son and I participated in a infant feeding study.  During the last nine days of the study, we were required to collect stool samples from every diaper he wore.  The study provided cloth diapers that had been washed in a special soap for these nine days, so I had the opportunity to try a couple of different brands of cloth diapers (besides my own, which I could not use during the study).  I thought I’d offer up a review of the diapers we tried, in case it helps other parents decide what kind of diapers to go with.  One of the diaper brands provided in the study were Rump-A-Rooz.

Rump-A-Rooz

These diapers are a pocket style diaper, meaning that the diaper its self it made up of two layers: the outer one being water proof, and the inner one, meant to wick moisture away from your baby’s bum.  There is an opening between the layers (the pocket) where you can put in various absorbent inserts, adjusting for your baby’s individual needs.