Free Fertility Chart
Charting Fertility

Once you download your free fertility chart overlaying a Chinese medicine perspective is indispensable in reading your fertility signs. There are 4 phases involved in charting fertility.

The 4 phases of the menstrual cycle include the period, follicular phase, ovulation and luteal phase. Comprehensive charting includes BBT (basal body temperature), quality of cervical mucus, characteristics of period, PMS symptoms, ovulatory sensation, breast tenderness, moods, and other physical and emotional signs on your free fertility chart.

Charting is an empowered approach to getting in touch with your personal fertility signs. Too few women take the time to accurately chart their cycle and instead rush off to try multiple rounds of Clomid, Follistim or IVF, after trying to get pregnant for a few months. Often times women will tell their doctors that they've been trying to conceive for a year. The most difficult part of my practice is meeting women who did multiple rounds of hormonal drugs before even making an attempt to get in touch with their fertility signs.

The hormonal drugs associated with ART are powerful and can damage the delicate reproductive system. This is evident by the changes in the menstrual cycle, the quality of the menstrual blood and the reduction in cervical mucus following multiple rounds of hormonal medication.

Accepting that sub fertility is a journey of self awareness and spiritual growth is the first step in this process of reclaiming fertility. Charting the cycle is one of analytical tools that we use. We'll go over the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle in this page and then link to detailed explanations of each of the 4 phases, including the period, follicular phase, ovulation and luteal phase.

Charting with Your Free Fertility Chart

Charting with your free fertility chart in Chinese medicine is representative of the fluctuation between yin and yang in a cycle. When thinking about the interplay of yin and yang in fertility, it can be helpful to become familiar the tai qi symbol. There are some tai qi balls below to illustrate this point. The following definitions of yin and yang should also help to clarify the progression that takes place during the 4 phase menstrual cycle, from a Chinese medicine viewpoint.

Yin is considered cool and still. Yin properties of the body include the fluids, such as menstrual blood, cervical mucus, and semen.

Yang is considered warmth and movement. Yang properties of the body include ovulation, the luteal phase, ejaculation and the motility of sperm.

4 Phases of Menstrual Cycle

Phase 1 is the menstrual period. In terms of Chinese medicine this is the transition from yang to yin in the cycle. In the yin yang balls below (yang is white and yin is black), this would be represented in the transition area between the white, bulbous area and the small pointed area of black.

Phase 2 is the follicular phase. In terms of Chinese medicine this is where the growth of yin takes place. In the yin yang balls below, this would be represented in the black area that is growing from a point to a bulbous shape.

Tai Qi Meditation Balls

Phase 3 is ovulation. In terms of Chinese medicine this is the transition from yin to yang in the cycle. In the yin yang balls below (yang is white and yin is black), this would be represented in the transition area between the black, bulbous area and the small pointed area of white.

Phase 4 is the luteal phase. In terms of Chinese medicine this is where the growth of yang takes place. In the yin yang balls below, this would be represented in the white area that is growing from a point to a bulbous shape.

This has been a general overview of each of the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle. To delve deeper into each phase and learn how to determine the health of each fertility phase, click on each of the 4 phases above to learn more about the use of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) principles and charting.