Fertility Coaching:
Individualized Virtual Guidance to Support Conception
Compassionate Fertility Support
For the Whole You
The process of trying to conceive brings an unending list of questions. Fertility Coaching sessions look at the whole picture, from multiple angles, start to finish.
With COVID, all fertility coaching sessions are meeting virtually. We get to know one another. We talk about your timeline, what you’ve been trying so far, ideas for what to include next. We’ll discuss cycle charting options, and look at your previous charts each visit. We make a plan for herbs and supplements. We can talk about options for sperm donors, home or clinic inseminations and IUI, egg retrievals, embryo transfers, or surrogacy. We’ll also discuss fertility bodywork techniques you can do at home by yourself or with a partner.
Our Fertility, Our Way
LQBTQ+ TTC Specialist
Clients in the queer and trans community, as well as folks planning to become solo parents, often have different needs and different questions from cis-het couples when it comes to planning a pregnancy. The typical guidelines of six months to a year of "trying" may not apply, and many fertility clinics assume medical fertility challenges, when you only need help accessing sperm. For cis-het couples, seeking fertility support often comes with a feeling of grief that it hasn't happened "naturally," but the majority of my clients see me at the start of their journey, excited and curious. Maybe you just want someone to talk about this sensitive topic with someone who gets your pronouns and understands that you may have a complicated relationship with your body.
I also admin a trans/ nonbinary TTC support group on facebook, and who would like peer support and solidarity. It began as a support group for my own clients, but has expanded, and if you're interested in joining, please contact me for an add! And...theoretically...I'm doing a series of LQBTQ+ TTC FAQ blog posts, so follow along with that but don't hold your breath?
Prices, Add-Ons, & Logistics
Virtual fertility coaching sessions are usually about an hour long. Sessions are $100. Subscriptions available with a discounted rate, and local folks can combine coaching with fertility massage in my Whole Fertility packages.
You may be wondering if partners/ co-parents are invited to our sessions: the answer is yes. I love to include partners in our discussions, because it's important for them to feel a part of the process if they so choose. Many partners feel a little removed from the process already, as the non-gestational parent. We can even discuss ways they can help with your self-care. I'm happy to discuss sperm health strategies with sperm-making partners, or for clients to pass along to their known donors. (Thanks, known donors! You're awesome!)
When to Schedule?
If you're actively trying to coceive, I prefer to schedule fertility consults after you've started a new cycle but before you've ovulated. It's the perfect time to review your last chart, see how your timing lined up with your signs, and make adjustments if needed for the upcoming ovulation. If you're more in the planning and research phase, or if you aren't sure when or whether you ovulate, or just if you prefer, we can meet any time.
Some Resources and TTC 101
Timing is Everything
About Fertility Charting
Regardless of whether you're doing home inseminations, IUIs, or the direct deposit method (sex that includes a possibility of pregnancy), odds are best if you get the sperm there waiting for the egg when ovulation happens. The best way to get that timing right is to monitor your fertility signs: usually some combo of basal body temperature, cervical fluid and position, and ovulation predictor sticks you dip in pee a few times a day (OPKs). I am of course happy to talk with you in person about it, but for those looking to get started right away, I highly recommend the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It is a huge book, does contain cis-normative and occasionally hetero-normative language, but is absolutely the best book out there on the subject. It was even a textbook for us in midwifery school. Important note: although TCOYF is the hands-down best book for charting...their app and the support around their app are problematic and I do not recommend it.
Support Local Bookstores!
If you're interested in a copy of TCOYF, you can grab it from one of these neato Portland bookstores:
Which Leads Me To:
Fertility Charting Apps
For fertility charting, you can do it with pen and paper, but most folks want an app. I've actually tried and reviewed many fertility charting apps, so you don't have to. The short version: although they don't have Clue's amazing stance on gender, and they are a bit heteronormative at times, even a bit pink, you can't beat Fertility Friend for accuracy, features, and ease of use. I used to be in love with Lily, and double-charted using both Lily and Fertility Friend, but as time goes by, the more cycles Lily doesn't pinpoint my ovulation correctly (or at all), and Fertility Friend does, every time. They have the best algorithm, which is my top priority when it comes to getting folks pregnant.