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.

TTC? Tried everything? Maybe it's not you.  Today's fertili-tip from natural fertility, pregnancy and nursing wellnesss site Fairhaven Health tells you about a new test for the man in the mirror. "We know the thought of having to go through a semen analysis can make men extremely uncomfortable—who can blame them? Before going through with the laboratory-conducted analysis, you may want to consider trying an at-home test. Fairhaven Health now offers an accurate, at-home sperm test that can tell you if you sperm count is within the 'normal' range—20 million sperm per milliliter of semen or higher. The SpermCheck Fertility Test will provide results within minutes – hopefully, easing the process of assessing male fertility." Learn more about the SpermCheck Fertility Test at 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.

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.

There are so many possible reasons why you are having trouble getting pregnant. Seriously, it's stunning how many things can affect fertility. The good news is that there's help—and natural help, at that. This week's fertili-tip from Fairhaven Health, a natural fertility, pregnancy and nursing product and awareness site, is all about the luteal phase defect. The luteal what? Yeah, us too. Read on to find out. "A woman’s luteal phase begins at ovulation and ends the day before menstruation begins for the next cycle. A luteal phase lasting less than 10 days can be classified as a luteal phase defect and can affect a woman’s ability to conceive. It is necessary to have a luteal phase of at least10 days or longer in order for implantation to occur and be sustained. With a luteal phase lasting less than 10 days, the uterine lining begins breaking down too early; therefore, it is not prepared for implantation, which causes an early miscarriage. Vitamin B6 has been shown to lengthen the luteal phase (FertilAid for Women contains B6) in many women. Otherwise, there are medications that your doctor can prescribe. Luckily, it is fairly easy to diagnose and correct." For more from Fairhaven Health, go to www.fairhavenhealth.com.

If you're TTC and thinking about skipping the gym or housing that hot dog and fries, think again. Now more than ever, you need to stay fit. But, before you head off for an hour of intense cardio, followed by an hour of heavy lifting, a word to the wise: To much exercise isn't good for you either. The real deal when it comes to trying to conceive—and being successful at it—is balance. This week's Fertili-Tip, courtesy of Fairhaven Health, site dedicated to helping women with all of their trying-to-conceice needs, naturally, talks the importance of a balanced fitness and nutrition regimen. "Eating right and maintaining a healthy body weight is important when trying-to-conceive. Promote optimal reproductive health by ensuring that you are receiving all the necessary vitamins – eat whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and make sure to take a prenatal vitamin. It is also important to be active and maintain a healthy lifestyle and weight. However, excessive exercise can cause lack of ovulation, which can hinder your efforts at achieving pregnancy. Yoga is highly recommended to increase your fertility – by increasing blood flow to your organs and helping to restore hormonal balance. For more trying-to-conceive content and product info, please visit  www.FairhavenHealth.com."

It's our weekly fertility tip (fertilitip, if you will) time! Coming to you from the baby-making experts at FairhavenHealth.com, this week's tip positions you for parenthood. "Use the Missionary Sexual Position! When trying-to-conceive there are two specific sexual positions that increase your chances of conceiving. The missionary position (man on top) as well as the hands and knees position (doggy style) allows the sperm to reach your cervix. Another good thing to remember is that after intercourse (especially missionary position), we recommend that you remain laying in this position for about 10 to 20 minutes and allow the sperm to pool around your cervix—increasing the ability for sperm to swim up through your cervix. For more trying-to-conceive content and product info, please visit us at www.FairhavenHealth.com."

TTC? We've got one word for you: vitamins. The smart folks at Fairhaven Health, have a few more on the benefits of taking prenatal vitamins when trying-to-conceive: "It is becoming more common for women that are trying-to-conceive to begin taking a prenatal vitamin even before they conceive. The main reason for this is that the specific combination of vitamins in a prenatal has been shown to decrease the risk for birth defects. Folic acid, iron, and calcium all support a healthy pregnancy—for both mom and baby. Also, omega-3 fatty acids are critical in fetal development and infant health—this can be supplemented along with a prenatal vitamin. It is highly recommend by doctors that women begin taking prenatal vitamins prior to conception so they are receiving the necessary nutrients well before conception." (For more trying-to-conceive information and products, please visit www.FairhavenHealth.com)