Toni Weschler's classic work "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" has long been the bedside reading for women who are trying to mazimize their chances of conception--as well as those who are interested in natural ways to limit family size. Weschler does a great job of explaining what fertility signs to watch for, as well as what those signs mean. Included are color photos to help you understand exactly what fertile cervical mucus looks like and what changes you need to watch for around the time of ovulation.

Weschler explains how your basal body temperature (BBT) rises and falls throughout the cycle, so you can predict your ovulation date. BBT charting is a great way to learn when your body typically ovulates. It also provides evidence that you can take to your doctor to show them suspected problems such as a short luteal phase.

This book is an easy to understand resource that belongs on the bookshelf of every woman. It is amazing how few of us understand how our bodies work and what signs can help us see the changes taking place throughout our cycles.

For the vast majority of women the inner workings of the body are not even given a second thought. When you are trying to beat the fertility odds - knowing all the details can make the journey easier and can help you work with your doctor to save money and make the process much more effective. While understanding the complex interplay of hormones and processes can seem overwhelming at first, if you take it one step at a time it will all start to make sense.

Just remember that you don't have to understand it all on the first read. Unless you took - and understood - organic chemistry in college, the many different processes can seem like an alphabet soup. Just take it slow and focus on what you need to know for now.