The Garden of Fertility: A Guide to Charting Your Fertility Signals to Prevent or Achieve Pregnancy--Naturally--and to Gauge Your Reproductive Health

by Katie Singer

In The Garden of Fertility , certified fertility educator Katie Singer explains how easy it is to chart your fertility signals to determine when you are fertile and when you are not. Her Fertility Awareness method can be used to safely and effectively prevent or help achieve pregnancy, as well as monitor gynecological health. Singer offers practical information, illuminated with insightful personal stories, for every woman who wants to learn to live in concert with her body and to take care of her reproductive health naturally.
The Garden of Fertility

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Feminism, Reference

290 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2004

Reviews

[Special Way · Rating 5 out of 5]

PLEASE LEARN ABOUT YOUR BODY AND YOUR PARTNER'S BODY! This is an indispensables handbook giving guidance on fertility/birth control charting. If you are opposed to the birth control industry and concept that every woman should be sexually available year round, you will find this book of great assistance. For those of you who think paying attention to fertility is just for women or just for heterosexuals, think again! Science is fun and taking charge of your reproductive health is priceless.

[Liza]

So far this seems like a really good companion to Taking Charge of your Fertility. The author is very interested in Traditional Chinese Medicine and discusses the connection between that and so-called Western medicine, especially how they can compliment each other. The charts in this book seem more simple but also more limited, so I'd rather use TCOYF's charts. I think this has a better discussion of medical problems, especially PMS and cramps. It even mentions factors such as diet and night-lighting, which is interesting. It also seems to be written for a wider audience. I think TCOYF is mostly written for straight, cisgendered women, but I thought this book was more inclusive.

[Tao · Rating 5 out of 5]

"On the Pill, a woman's reproductive system essentially shuts down, and she becomes available for sex all the time without the consequence of pregnancy. This is male fertility rhythm."

[Sarah Plestid · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must have for any woman at any age. I often thought while reading "when and if I have a little girl, we will read this together so she does not become ashamed or self conscious when she has her menses." It was a book I have been longing for and wish I found so much earlier. The author goes through the male and female reproductive organs and how things works. After the technical stuff she talks about why a woman may experience pain during her menses and potentially solutions (fyi low on vitamins), she talks about bras and the pill and how bad they really are for your overall health. She gives guidance if you are unable to have children or if you lost a child, and further onto when you have a baby and how to breast feed and prolong getting your period again (up to 2 years!). Fantastic book, will be forever cherished.

Also I am a woman who have painful periods. After supplementing my diet with the vitamins she suggested, guess what? No more pain! I am so excited.

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good added resource for those using fertility awareness. Katie Singer herself says in the book that she thinks of it as a companion to Taking Charge of Your Fertility, which seems accurate. Her teaching of charting is less detailed but much of the rest of the book is full of really great advice and information in a setting of being invitational to all belief systems. Some of her suggestions are partially unsubstantiated or pseudo-science-y. But there is value in reading it and doing your own research to determine what you believe. Overall, a great read for those who already know the method.

[Damilola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool information in the book. Written from a liberal, feminist perspective which I didn't care for but the information on women's health was good. Also I liked this quote from one of the women who was interviewed. She was having trouble conceiving and came to a profound realization in church: "One evening, I was at Mass. During the literary it seemed God told me '"Motherhood is an infinite mystery. Even if you had twenty children you would not grasp the fullness of this mystery."'

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me as it includes info on charting postpartum. Great book on fertility awareness, and why it is important for your overall health.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regardless of sexual activity levels or pregnancy plans, I believe every woman should understand and practice the concepts in this book as a means to appreciate and protect her body, because fertility signs are important indicators of overall health. I first read this book about 4 years ago, and at that time began charting my fertility signals simply out of curiosity. Then it became a useful tool once I got married, and now I am beginning to chart again after having my baby a couple months ago, so I read the book yet again to refresh. I have studied half a dozen books on this topic, and this one is my favorite. Charts can be downloaded from Singer's website. I took a class on the Billing's method but found it lacking compared to Singer's tri-fold approach to tracking (cervix position, cervical fluid, and bbt).

I would even go so far as to say most MEN could benefit from reading this book. Certainly in a marriage, charting fertility can become a great way to make preventing or achieving pregnancy a team effort.

Note: the author is a feminist, liberal, and passionate about the topic which makes for some interesting vignettes included in the text. I really enjoy her writing style.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had fantastic information about menstruation and a woman's cycle--basically all the stuff you didn't learn in school and really should have learned. The book tells you, in no uncertain terms, when you are fertile and when you are infertile, so that you can have monogamous, unprotected sex with no risk of pregnancy (yay!), but the rules only apply if your cycle is at least somewhat similar to a textbook, predictable cycle. Mine, I discovered, is not. Singer addresses the issue of what to do when your cycle is irregular, and provides recommendations on how to get your cycle back to a normal pattern, but her ideas are a bit harder to put into practice than they are to read about, and I feel that I need to actually talk to a Fertility Awareness teacher to understand what to really do. Luckily, Singer provides contact information for many Fertility Awareness teachers in the book's appendix, but as my advice to anyone wanting to prevent or achieve pregnancy using this method: be prepared to put in a LOT of work. Much more than the 2 minutes a day she promises in the book's intro.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've still got a bit of this book to finish, but it is really excellent. Women have become so disconnected from themselves, but this book really offeres incredible information about how to listen to/interpret what our bodies tell us every day. I really wish I'd know about this 10 years ago... While the first 1/2 is dedicated specifically to "Fertility Awareness" - which is NOT the same thing as the "Rhythm Method" - as a tool to avoid or enhance conception, the rest of the book discusses how FA can tell you about your overall health and well-being. Fascinating!

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

1/2/11: This is one of those times where telling Goodreads what I'm reading feels a little personal . . . and slightly embarrassing. BUT, after reading the first few chapters of this, I'm in agreement with the author that EVERY woman should know about this subject — both for "birth control" purposes and for monitoring her own health. Just the first four chapters have already made a huge difference in my perspective, especially the chapter about breast feeding.

[Mindi Rosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has taught me a great deal about my own female organs. I never quite understood my cycles' ebbs and flows. I feel empowered reading this book, as I can take control of my own femininity with pertinent knowledge. I would HIGHLY recommend this as a textbook to all schools teaching sex education. If parents are taking responsibility for educating their daughters, they should read and explain this book to their prepubescents.

[diana]

I referred to this book daily when I was trying to conceive. Based on my personal history, I thought it would be very difficult to conceive. (I used to only cycle 3-4 times a year). By reading this book, I was able to track my cycle and pinpoint my ovulation to the day. It also really helps you to come in tune with your body.

[Jeniann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains information about how to chart your fertility to know when it is best to try to conceive. It will help you to know if you have hormone imbalances that are affecting your ability to conceive. In addition, it has good nutritional and dietary information in how to best build your body for conception.

[Ramona Drozek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice read for approaching female health with natural intentions. It doesn't advocate one process over another; simply presents the research that it has done on birth control and fertility.

A good read for women who are considering pregnancy or wishing to avoid it naturally. Without birth control pills.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good companion to Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It goes over charting, achieving or avoiding pregnancy, mostly a repeat from TCOYF. But it also has several chapters on how you can understand other aspects of your health from your chart and your fertility signals.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for any woman. It teaches you how to chart your cycle using a few different methods. Not only can you use this information to prevent or obtain pregnancy charting your cycle can also give you other infomation about your health in general.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this book. It's easy to read and understand and has answered a lot of the questions that I have had about charting. I would strongly recommend this to anyone who is thinking about getting pregnet, or even wants an alternative to prescribed birth control methods.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ladies!!! (and gentlemen who love them!!) This is the best resource I've seen for understanding cycles and how to know--scientifically--when you are fertile and when you are not. Healthy healthy healthy bodies, yay!!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good reference book and companion to Toni Weschler's Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Comprehensive appendix and easily understood explanations of charting, anatomy, and fertility.

[Devon Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for anyone considering going off traditional birth control pills, etc. and still wishing to plan on their own. A very handy guide book for natural family planning.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every woman should read and understand this!