Fairhaven Health, a leading trying-to-conceive, pregnancy and nursing site, explains the role of hCG in your new pregnancy: "Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin, hCG, is the hormone detected on a pregnancy test, produced by the placenta right when implantation first takes place. The point of hCG isn’t just to alert a woman of pregnancy, it is produced in order to let the corpus luteum to maintain the production of progesterone. Elevated levels of progesterone are vital in sustaining pregnancy, warming the body and preventing menstruation to begin as well as preserving the integrity of the endometrial-uterine lining. When testing for pregnancy, make sure to check the pregnancy test for when you can begin testing; pregnancy tests detect hCG at different levels so ensure you are testing at the appropriate time in your cycle!" For more helpful tips, go to www.fairhavenhealth.com.

FairhavenHealth.com, the go-to spot for fertility, pregnancy and nursing products, is back with its latest fertili-tip: "What is the importance of cervical mucus? Cervical mucus plays a pertinent role in fertility. When charting your fertility, cervical mucus is a key indicator of fertility. As women progress through their menstrual cycle, their cervical mucus consistency will transform. After menstruation, the consistency may be sticky and white, beginning to become more slippery and as you approach ovulation, it should become stretchy and clear (similar to the consistency of egg whites). When you detect the stretchy, clear fertile-quality cervical mucus, you are in your most fertile window. For women lacking fertile-quality cervical mucus, there are a supplements and products that can help. FertileCM is an all-natural supplement designed to encourage your body to produce fertile-quality cervical mucus. Pre-Seed (a sperm-friendly lubricant) mimics your natural fluids and is a great product to use in your fertile window, creating the optimal environment for sperm to travel." For more TTC help, go to www.fairhavenhealth.com.

This week's fertili-tip from Fairhaven Health, a one-stop healthy TTC, pregnancy and nursing shop, weighs in on the usefulness of fertility monitors: "There are many different wants to track your ovulation — as we previously discussed, The Fertility Awareness Method is one option, however, many women prefer using Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs) and/or Fertility Monitors. OPKs are urine based tests that detect your lh (luteinizing hormone) surge, which may be detected roughly 24 to 36 hours before ovulation occurs. Electronic Fertility Monitors are one of the most advanced ways to predict ovulation — and can provide more notice than other methods. For example, The OvaCue is a saliva-based fertility monitor that can predict ovulation up to 5 to 7 days in advance — providing sufficient notice of your fertile window and of your highest fertility days. There are quite a few monitors on the market (saliva or urine based) that can be extremely helpful in increasing you chances of conception!" For more from Fairhaven Health, go to www.fairhavenhealth.com.

This week's fertili-tip from Fairhaven Health talks mucus—and, interestingly enough, it's actually quite helpful when it comes to conceiving. "The Fertility Awareness Method is the most basic way of tracking and charting your menstrual cycle and predicting ovulation. The primary natural signs are your basal body temperature and the consistency of your cervical mucus. All it takes is each morning (before getting out of bed and drinking or eating anything) take your basal body temperature and record it— an increase of .4 degrees Fahrenheit may indicate that ovulation has occurred. Charting cervical mucus is also quite easy. Is it dry? Sticky? Slippery? When your cervical mucus is slippery and clear (similar to an egg white)—you are in your most fertile window and can predict ovulation to occur shortly. When trying-to-conceive, have sex on those days each cycle when you have slippery cervical fluid and prior to your temperature spike (and shift) to increase your chances of conception!" For more from Fairhaven Health, go to www.fairhavenhealth.com.

This week's fertili-tip from Fairhaven Health is all about balance: "PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Sydrome) is a hormonal imbalance in women that can affect fertility. Symptoms can be quite varied among women but many experience irregular cycles (sometimes no menstruation), abnormal hair growth, weight gain and ovarian cysts. The cysts are not harmful, but lead to hormonal imbalances and irregular menstrual cycles. PCOS is actually quite common, affecting as many as 1 in 5 women. Treatment is dependent upon the symptoms – both physical and hormonal. For obese women, weight loss is highly encouraged and has shown to help regulate menstruation/ovulation in women. FertilAid for Women has been quite successful for women with PCOS — helping to restore hormonal balance, and in turn, helping to regulate their cycle." For more from on TTC, prenatal and postnatal health, go to www.fairhavenhealth.com.

Up your natural glow with a tip from Tara Bloom, owner of Maternitique.com, a popular online one-stop fabulous-pregnancy shop: "Pregnancy is a good time to make lifestyle changes toward organics, to avoid early exposure to your babies of pesticide residue, heavy metals and chemicals that may be linked to birth defects and health problems later in your child’s life." Slather the all-natural way with Mambino's Bun in the Oven Pregnancy Skin Care Pack!

This week's fertili-tip from Fairhaven Health talks about the hormone that affects the quality of your eggs: "FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) is a very important reproductive hormone, which correlates to the quality and quantity of your remaining eggs. As you can imagine, FSH levels have quite an impact on a woman’s ability to conceive. If your body isn’t producing enough FSH, it cannot sustain a healthy ovarian reserve and you may experience irregular cycles (as seen in PCOS). High FSH levels can be seen in women experiencing early menopause – as their egg quality and quantity dwindles, their body tries to compensate by producing more FSH to stimulate ovarian function. Supplements, such as FertilAid for Women, help to keep FSH levels from increasing and has even helped to decrease FSH levels in some women." For more from the natural fertility, pregnancy and nursing product depot, go to www.fairhavenhealth.com.

Man, oh man! What if this whole TTC thing isn't about you? What if it's about your man? Maybe your dude has some fertility issues. Dude! If you're trying to conceive, you should most definitely get your man checked out, say the reproduction (that word always reminds me of Grease 2) experts at Fairhaven Health. Here's their TTC fertili-tip of the week: "When a couple is having a hard time conceiving, it is important that both are tested for infertility issues. Low sperm count, slow sperm movement (motility), or abnormal shape (morphology) tends to be the main infertility issues that men face. Male infertility plays a role in almost half of the couple experiencing infertility. Supplements, such as FertilAid for Men, are designed to increase sperm count as well as improve the motility and morphology of sperm—promoting the healthy development of sperm. For more trying-to-conceive content and product info, please go to www.FairhavenHealth.com."

When it comes to your menstrual cycle, just about anything from stress to lack of sleep to a poor diet can throw it off. But, if you're trying to conceive, a regular cycle is clutch. Here, the good eggs at Fairhaven Health share their advice for getting your cycle rolling in the right direction. "It is much easier to predict your fertile days and know when to test for ovulation if you have a consistently regular cycle. A regular cycle typically ranges from 26 to 35 days, however some women may experience a cycle outside of that range. It is important that each month you have relatively the same cycle length (i.e., each month you have a 30 day cycle). This will help you to predict ovulation and know the best days to have sex when trying-to-conceive. Supplements, such as FertilAid For Women, are designed to help regulate your cycle. FertilAid contains an herbal blend of ingredients to help balance the hormones, correct any imbalances that might be present and help normalize your cycle. For more trying-to-conceive product info, go to www.FairhavenHealth.com"

This week's fertilitip from Fairhaven Health, a natural fertility, pregnancy and nursing support and product site, is a great one (easy to do and key)—but we have to confess that the word still make us laugh (because we, apparently, are 12). And if you knew the other ideas we had for headlines, you'd laugh too. We'll spare you though and keep up our (feigned) ladylike composure. "Don't douche! When trying-to-conceive, douching can be harmful and hinder your conception efforts. It extremely important to have fertile-quality cervical mucus, as it is the medium in which sperm travel. By douching, you are removing your cervical mucus creating a hostile environment for sperm. It can also introduce bacteria into the vagina which can lead to infection and again, decreasing your chances of conception. Unless directed by your doctor—it is recommend to abstain from douching when you are trying to become pregnant. For more trying-to-conceive content and product info, please visit us at www.FairhavenHealth.com."