Now proudly offering online home study courses for the Billings Method of Tracking Ovulation. Learn how to track your fertility from the comfort of your home any time of theday!
Are you interested in learning about the Billings Method but live far from Franchesca or have a challenging schedule to work around? The online home study and email/phone follow-up is a great option for you!
The online class room contains the exact material Franchesca would be teaching in a group workshop and offers simple tests throughout the material to highlight aspects of the class that are important to pay attention to. Once the online class has been completed you will begin charting using either an online service or Iphone app which Franchesca will explain once she contacts you to answer any questions you may have about the course material and schedule your follow-ups.
Steps for Self Registering For Online home study course.
Step One: Follow this link and click the blue button on the lower right that says “New Account” create a user account for yourself.
Step Two: Once you have created an account you will log in and be taken to a page that says “You are not registered for any courses at this time”. Click on the tab on the upper right hand corner that says “Catalog”.
Step Three: You will be taken to a screen where the Billings Ovulation Class will appear along with a green button that says “Add to Cart”. Click the green button and the class will be placed in your online shopping cart.
Step Four: Click the green shopping cart in the upper right hand corner and complete the checkout process.
Step Six: Once you have paid for the course click the tab on the upper right hand corner that says “Dashboard” and you will be taken to the Billings Ovulation Class.
Step Seven: Click play on the course. There will be two screens side by side, one that the class will play on and the other that is a black white space. If you would like to take notes while watching the class material click the word “Notes” on the top of the white blank space and you will be able to type up notes and print them out at the end of each course section.
Cost for the online home study course and unlimited follow-ups is $350
Labor Snacks, Sweet Simple Foods to Keep You Going
The process of giving birth burns on average the same amount of calories as a 30mile hike! When thinking about snacks to have on hand think hydrating, juicy, and easy to prepare treats that the momma and birth support will enjoy. All drinks can be offered through a straw for ease and sips should be given to the momma at least once every 15 minutes to help her stay hydrated.
Here are some sweet simple snack ideas to get you inspired:
Home Made Labor Popsicles:
This is a simple way to stay both hydrated, and nourished throughout labor. Many women experience nausea with contractions, and these labor pops are a great way to head that off. The coolness is also refreshing and easy to take in.
You’ll need:
1-2 oz of dried red raspberry leaf
1 quart of water
Quart size jar with lid
Honey and lemon to taste
2-3 1mg calcium tablets
ice tray or paper dixi cups
To make the labor pops, steep 1-2 ounces of red raspberry leaf in a quart of water for at least 20 minutes up to four hours. Strain and sweeten with lots of honey and lemon, these will add much needed calories and lemon can help ease the nausea (as well as the red raspberry leaf). Crush the calcium tablets and add to the tea. Calcium is a muscle relaxant and can help with some aches and pains during labor. Pour the mixture into the ice tray. When labor commences, eat throughout the labor. They really are easy to eat when nothing else sounds to good! (credit to hakima widwifery).
Also Try Peppermint Tea pops, brew up a strong batch of peppermint tea and add a decent amount of honey to taste – the honey will give you a boost of energy while the cool refreshing peppermint will give you and your birth support just the thing you need to feel refreshed.
Honey Sticks are also great for a swift blood sugar booster – these can be snuck into a hospital which does not allow the laboring mother to eat foods.
Fruits and avocado – think lite and easy snacks that can be presented on a beautiful plate can boost the laboring womans spirits.
Coconut water either from the can or from a freshly cracked young coconut provides electrolytes and hydration which is essential for a yummy smooth birthing experience.
Home Made Electrolyte drink:
In a mason jar of water fill with chilled fizzy water the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon, two pinches of salt and either honey or maple syrup to taste. The lemon/salt combo provides electrolytes like any energy drink without the added dyes and preservatives.
Once your baby is born the momma is going to be quite hungry (and rightfully so!) good post labor foods to have on hand are things that can be prepped/reheated easily that are rich in good fats and carbs. Think lasagnea, cheese tamales, good burger, her favorite comfort foods. The richness of the post labor meal will help the mothers breast milk to come in. Good fats and hydration are key to a healthy milk supply.
Ovulation is the release of a ripe fertile egg from the ovary, it is a womans peak time of fertility in the month.
The physiological journey that a womans body goes through every cycle to achieve ovulation is the product of a series of hormones that lead into one another. This article is intended to shed light on the hormones behind ovulation in a way that any of us could understand.
The information in this article will first cover the full function of the glands and organs involved in ovulation so there is groundwork for understanding the overall sequence of events which will be covered at the bottom of this article. If you already have an understanding of anatomy and physiology feel free to skip to the bottom of these writings.
The act of ovulation and menstruation are the result of a hormonal dance between the Hypothalamus (master gland), the pituitary gland, ovaries, and uterus.
A fresh cycle begins with the first day of a womans bleed. The bleed causes estrogen and progesterone levels to fall and the Hypothalamus begins to work.
The Hypothalamus is a gland and portion of the brain located above the pituitary gland.
* It controls many physiologic mechanisms including: appetite, thirst, emotional reactions, and temperature.
* At menarche (first period) and throughout the reproductive life of the woman, the hypothalamus stimulates the pituitary to produce both follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), which in turn causes the menstrual cycle to occur.
* Hormones are chemical messengers that are produced in one part of the body, travel through the blood stream, and affect other parts of the body.
* The hypothalamus is influenced by our environment and emotional state and acts as a major computer in our body analyzing signals from other areas of the brain as well as hormonal signals.
The Pituitary is a gland is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea and weighs less than 0.02oz. It is a protrusion off of the bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain.
* The anterior lobe of the pituitary gland secrets FSH and LH that in turn stimulate the ovaries to mature and release ova (egg(s)). There is a feed back mechanism between the ovaries and the hypothalamus which increases or decreases the amount of FSH and LH produced in the pituitary. The pituitary gland also secretes prolactin to stimulate the production of breast milk.
Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH): is stimulated into production at the beginning of the cycle, because of the decrease in the ovarian hormones, estrogen and progesterone production at the end of the previous cycle. FSH stimulates several of the most sensitive follicles in the ovary to begin growing.
* The level of FSH fluctuates and must reach a threshold level before any follicular growth takes place.
* Several days of follicle growth are required before the follicles secrete enough estrogen into the blood stream to signal the hypothalamus/pituitary that the threshold for FSH has been reached.
* There is an intermediate level of FSH which must be exceeded before the dominate follicle is boosted into its full ovulatory response.
* There is also a maximum level of FSH, only 20-30% above the threshold which must not be exceeded, otherwise too many follicles would develop and multiple ovulations would occur.
* The drop in FSH after the intermediate level is reached causes the follicle to be receptive to the secondary pituitary hormone, LH which will surge before ovulation.
* Usually only one follicle is boosted to ovulation.
Luteinizing Hormone (LH) Stimulates certain cells that line the follicle (theca interna cells) to produce progesterone. The LH levels surge prior to ovulation and cause the egg to be ruptured from the follicle. Luteinization causes formation of corpus luteum from the ruptured follicle. Progesterone and estrogen are secreted by the corpus luteum.
The corpus luteum (yellow body) is formed from the ruptured follicle and functions for 11-16 days in the absence of pregnancy.
*The corpus luteum produces progesterone and estrogen.
Ovaries: Under the influence of FSH and LH the ova mature and are released from a cyst like structure called the follicle. Usually only one follicle reaches maturity and releases an ovum at ovulation. Following ovulation, the ruptured follicle collapses and becomes the corpus luteum. At birth, the ovaries contain about 500,000 eggs but during a womans reproductive life only about 500 ova will ever come to maturity.
* Folliculogenesis (maturation of the ova) takes 85 days.
Estrogen
* FSH and LH, act as synergistis – cause the growth and development of follicles containing the ova and stimulate the production of estrogen.
* Is the predominant ovarian hormone before ovulation.
* Stimulate the growth and development of the reproductive organs prior to menarche (first period).
* Stimulates the cervical crypts to produce mucus
* Causes the endometrium to proliferate in preparation for implantation
* Causes the cervix to soften, open and rise.
Progesterone: with the rupture of the follicle and subsequent ovulation, the follicle collapses and is now known as the corpus luteum which functions of 11-16 days
* Through the influence of LH certain (granulose) cells in the collapsed follicle now begin to produce progesterone and estrogen.
* Progesterone is the dominate ovarian hormone after ovulation.
* Progesterone acts on the endometrium to stimulate the glands to produce fluids, which will nutritionally support a new human being.
With that groundwork laid we can now understand the sequence of events that take place to make ovulation occur.
1) Estrogen and Progesterone levels fall
2) Suppression of FSH(follicle stimulating hormone) and LH(luteinizing hormone) lifted, a new cycle commences
3) The hypothalamus produces GnRH (hormone which triggers the pituitary)
4) Pituitary produces FSH
5) The ovary grows follicles (a cluster of 6-7)
6) Which produce estrogen
7) Which causes growth of the endometrium and the cervix produces mucus
8) Estrogen feeds back to the hypothalamus which turns off FSH and sends out LH
9) which releases the ovum from the follicle
10) stimulating formation of the corpusluteum
11) which produces progesterone and estrogen
12) The progesterone changes the endometrium which affects the cervicalmucus
13) If fertilization has not occurred, corpusluteum regresses after 6-7 days
14) Estrogen and progesterone levels fall
15) Suppression of FSH and LH lifted
16) Menstruation commences 10-16 days after ovulation, and a new cycle begins
Credit for the research goes to WOOMB (World Organization of the Ovulation Method – Billings).
Blue Lotus Fertility 