Infertility Starter Pack

Now that you’re officially TTC (trying to conceive), you should probably make a run to Target and buy a bunch of slightly embarrassing supplies.

Oh wait — you can order them online from the comfort of your own couch. Winning!

Here are the essentials I would include in an infertility starter pack.

Contains affiliate links.

 

Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler – Amazon
If you weren’t taught anything useful about your cycles and reproduction in school — or you forgot it years ago! — get this book. This bestselling classic is packed with practical info, including how to track your basal body temperature (BBT).

Pre-Seed Fertility-Friendly Lubricant – Amazon
Regular lubricant can slow down sperm, so it shouldn’t be used when you are trying to get pregnant. Pre-seed was designed to mimic a woman’s natural fertile fluids and help get those swimmers where they need to go. It is especially useful if timed intercourse gets dreary or you are not producing good-quality cervical fluid at the appropriate time. A word of warning, though: You do NOT need to use as much as the box claims!

Digital Basal Body Temperature Thermometer – Amazon
If you’re going to try temping, even just the lazy way (the days around ovulation and the days around your period), you need a good thermometer that is accurate to a 10th of a degree F. The thermometer you have in your medicine cabinet for the occasional fever is probably not precise enough for this purpose, so get this one.

Clearblue Advantage Ovulation Predictor Kit (20 Tests) – Amazon
I confess that I didn’t actually use these myself, because I have PCOS and I didn’t trust the results to be accurate. But ovulation predictor kits can be very useful for women with reasonably regular cycles, so I’m putting them on the list anyway.

First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test (FRER) – Amazon
 The FRER is considered the gold standard of home pregnancy tests.

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea – Amazon
This naturally caffeine-free tea is thought to have many benefits for women, including easing cramps and helping prepare the uterus for childbirth. I have a whole article about this tea here.