From PCOS and Infertility to Pregnancy: Meet Jack and Jenna

**Note names have been changed for privacy, and charts have been summarized with much detail removed.

Jack and Jenna are a lovely couple from Michigan who were sent to me with instructions from their medical provider to learn how to chart with the FEMM method of fertility awareness. After just three cycles of charting, they were able to conceive on their own without the use of any fertility drugs, despite a PCOS diagnosis.

They were in the process of learning how to manage Jenna's newly diagnosed insulin-resistant PCOS while also trying to conceive for about three years before they decided to see a FEMM medical provider. This provider did the normal, beginning testing to learn about her baseline hormones and then sent her over to me. Learning to chart is so much more than just "paying attention" to your cervical mucus and using some ovulation strips. Learning to chart in the specific, codified manner that we teach enables our medical team to glean so much more detailed information about your hormones that they can then order more effective treatments and labs to help you reach your goals faster! For students, learning to chart teaches you to monitor your own health in real time, so you're not relying on apps or algorithms to tell you when to try!

Jenna was only twenty-six when I met her. She was active and was lifting weights a few times per week, as well as walking. Her cycles averaged about 30 days long, which was well within the range of normal. However, after nearly 3 years they were still unable to get pregnant. They found their FEMM provider and were shortly thereafter diagnosed with insulin resistant PCOS.

So, let's talk about her charts and what her body was telling her.

Jenna's first cycle of charting

After beginning to chart, we were seeing a few things initially. The first thing we noticed were clear signs of a progesterone deficiency. Her mucus buildup looked good and told us that her estrogen levels were likely rising appropriately to allow ovulation to take place, but for some reason, she was not producing the progesterone necessary to have a healthy luteal phase which resulted in spotting before her period began. This meant two things - first, there was likely something interfering or weakening her ovulation and secondly that she was at a higher risk for miscarriage due to her luteal phase being only 7 days on average. We talked about making some small lifestyle changes like walking after meals, eating foods to prevent glucose spikes and getting enough sleep. As women, we are often not sleeping enough, and it sounds so simple, but especially when there is a progesterone deficiency, it can be hard to fall asleep and stay asleep. Adding in more day time activity was helpful in regulating her insulin levels a bit as well as making sleep more accessible to her.

Cycle 2 of charting

Jenna's next cycle was visually more confusing on paper, but showed that those little lifestyle tweaks were working! We can see in her second cycle that she has more estrogenic activity which shows up as mucus on her charts earlier! We can also see a luteal phase that is one day longer than before. Since they had already been trying for so long, another appointment with her doctor was in order and at that time they discussed some supplements that might be able to help with strengthening her ovulations and lengthening her luteal phase. That, combined with the lifestyle changes she had been implementing, showed us a huge improvement in her third cycle!

Cycle 3 of charting

Jenna's third cycle of charting showed major improvements! We can see her mucus pattern has moved to earlier in the cycle by almost a full week AND her luteal phase has lengthened by almost the same! She does still have some luteal phase spotting, which can mean increased risk for loss, or it could also be implantation bleeding! In this case it was implantation bleeding and Jenna and Jack were pregnant!! Due to the spotting, her medical provider did give her some progesterone supplementation to take for her first trimester, based upon what her charts looked like at the time of conception. They were able to concieve on their own, with no fertility drugs, injections or treatments. They used no femtech monitors, just their paper chart! The pair welcomed a healthy baby boy this past spring.

We've touched base for a postpartum review on charting and Jenna and Jack are confident as they move forward with charting in their new postpartum season of life. Working together for long enough to walk with them through conception, pregnancy, and now postpartum is truly such a rewarding part of being a FEMM teacher. I'm so thankful for their provider for sending them to me.

Jenna, 27, MI:

"My husband and I were struggling with infertility for a few years due to my PCOS, and my OBGYN recommended that we reach out to Rachel and learn the FEMM method of fertility awareness. I’m so glad we did! My husband and I took Rachel’s classes together, and we learned so much about women’s health, hormones, and fertility. Rachel taught us how to confidently track my hormones and biomarkers to determine if I am fertile at any given point in my cycle. Using this information, along with some lifestyle changes to help with my PCOS, we were able to get pregnant. Because I was charting my cycles, I was able to identify the exact date we conceived! I gave birth to a baby boy in March, and since then Rachel has taught me how to chart postpartum. After struggling with infertility for a few years, Rachel’s FEMM classes were truly an answer to our prayers!" Jack, 28, MI:

"Learning about the different phases in my wife’s cycle and symptoms of fertility was extremely helpful in conceiving our son! We learned exactly what to look for and how to track it to be as close as we could to pinpointing her ovulation. Understanding the different types of cervical mucus and the purpose of each was very interesting. While my wife was the one doing the work and identifying the symptoms, I got to track each day on her chart and decode what was happening in her body. I feel like I have a much better grasp of her cycle and I am in awe of how her reproductive system works! Now we are continuing to track her cycle after the birth of our son.

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