Many a couple can relate to the sudden realization that something is not right. It is an epiphany that something, or someone, is lacking. Suddenly glances are thrown at the happily pregnant couples who appear to be all around, at the baby carriages that seem to grace every park, and at the mother and child who are happily shopping at the local supermarket.  If you experience this sudden feeling of hopefulness, then you know that it is a child that will make your life, your household, and your family complete.

What should a hopeful couple do to usher in the longed for birth date of their child? Will the almost religious adherence to the edicts of a variety of pregnancy calendars finally yield that hoped for pregnancy date?  The odds are overwhelmingly in favor of such couples.  While at times it may appear that all around the expecting couples abound, it is just as true that fertility may be achieved, even in case of some initial disappointments.

A child's birth date is nothing more than the culmination of a host of variables: there is the pregnancy date, as it may be divined from a multitude of available online pregnancy calendars, the date of conception, and the date of implantation.  Other important dates that precede the birth date are the dates that denote the beginnings and ends of the first, second and third trimesters.  Each of these time periods presents its own challenges, worries, promises, and excitements. 

Pregnancy truly is the kind of event that gives new meaning to the term "enjoying the journey." The process of bringing a child into the world is fraught with anxieties, tears of sadness and tears of joy, as well as the inevitable new experiences that all end in that one triumphant birth date of the awaited child. Fortunately there is a lot of information available about what to expect during each stage of pregnancy; it is also a fortunate event that more and more information is now available about the time and events that must take place prior to conception.

For a couple who truly wishes to take charge of the conception process, the use of pregnancy calendars is a must.  Consider this: we plan for and commit to paper our plans for a wedding -complete with rehearsal dinner, flight information of the in-laws, and hall availability of the local hall we wish to rent- or a family vacation, our financial goals and aspirations almost always get committed to paper, and yet sometimes procreation is left to chance and predictably chance does not always happen.  Granted, some folks are blessed with a child on the first try, but for the majority this is a rare occasion and a more structured approach will spell success.  For example, considering that a woman's fertile days are few and far between, it is imperative that she charts her monthly cycles consistently. 

Additionally, while this charting in and of itself is helpful, it is also a useful exercise to mark down any changes in the monthly cycles and see if they correspond to any life events, such as increased stress, or other determining factors.  Doing so will quite possibly lead to the addition of another charting expedition: the notation of the anticipated birth date of a long awaited child!