Category Archives: Sex

So You’re Ready to Start a Family: 3 Steps to Set the Stage for Conception




Deciding to start a family, or add a new bundle of joy to your already bustling brood, is a truly unique process. No one arrives at the destination of ‘Parenthood’ in exactly the same way. For some, it isn’t even a question — having a family is something that they had always envisioned for their lives; for others, it can be a little more complicated. Whether you’ve always wanted to be a mom and now is the time to try and make your dreams a reality, or baby fever snuck up on you with age, deciding to get pregnant and bring a baby into the world is life-changing, and so is making the adjustment to ready your body for pregnancy.

Some would like you to believe that getting pregnant is as easy as getting busy as usual and realizing your period is late the following month, and once you’ve started telling people that you’re trying to get pregnant these stories and anecdotes will only multiply. But for women who have been trying to conceive for months or even years, this is literally the last thing they want to hear. Trying to conceive can be time-consuming and stressful, so before you begin trying for that new family member, here are three steps to setting the stage for conception. We hope they help on your journey to becoming a new parent.

Get Healthy

A healthy body is ideal for a healthy pregnancy, so make sure you are taking care of your overall health and wellness.

  • Get 8 hours of restful sleep every night.
  • Eat healthy, well-balanced meals that contain enough key nutrients — zinc, folic acid, calcium, and vitamins C and D.
  • Get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, even if it’s just a walk around your neighborhood.
  • Reduce your stress — we know, this one can be particularly difficult, but it is possible! Getting enough sleep and regular exercise will naturally reduce your stress levels, but also try taking an hour a day just for yourself and do something you enjoy, cut down your self-imposed to-do list (we all have them), try not to take on new projects that you know will result in a bundle of nerves, and avoid hotly debated topics and conversations, especially online, for starters.
  • Schedule an appointment with your primary physician for an overall wellness checkup, especially if you have not had a checkup in the last year.
  • Schedule another appointment with your gynecologist for a women’s health checkup, and let them know that you are actively trying to conceive. They may have tips for increasing your chances, or if you are having trouble conceiving, they can point you in the right direction as to when and how to seek fertility testing.

Know Your Cycle


Any woman who is trying to get pregnant should be aware of her body and menstrual cycle. Not every woman has the classic 28-day cycle, and when trying to conceive, timing is everything. Knowing when you menstruate, ovulate, and any history of deviations in your cycle will help considerably in knowing when you can get pregnant.

If you don’t already, you should start tracking your menstrual cycle for at least three months before trying to conceive. This will give you a solid foundation of knowing when your most fertile time of the month is. For a foolproof way to track your cycle, try apps!

There are countless — seriously, countless! — period, ovulation, and fertility tracker apps out there. We have found some of the highest-rated for both Apple and Android to get you started:

  • Lily: A personal, private period and cycle tracker, and fertility and ovulation calculator [Available for Apple]
  • Ovia Fertility: Ovulation and period tracker [Available for Apple]
  • My Days: Period and ovulation tracker [Available for Apple and Android]
  • Period Calendar: Menstrual cycle and ovulation tracker [Available for Android]
  • OvuView: Ovulation and fertility tracker [Available for Android]

Have Fun


Connecting with your spouse or partner is supposed to be fun, but it’s common to lose sight of that when you’ve been trying to conceive for more than a few months. When you become frustrated and stressed, it’s easy to start treating getting pregnant like a job; not only that, but a job you’re failing miserably at. It can also put added stress on your partner and begin eating away at your relationship.

When you sense you’re going down this slippery slope, take a step back and remember that this is supposed to be a happy time. You and your partner are on this journey together, and truly connecting with one another, emotionally as well as physically, should be priority number one. Give yourself permission to relax and have fun together. Go out on a date night, or stay home and make a romantic meal together and surprise your partner with lingerie they may have not seen in a while. It’s these little things that foster a happy, healthy, and loving relationship — and makes for great parents. Plus, leaving your stress at the door will help your overall health and wellness like we talked about earlier. It’s a win/win for everyone, really!

Once you’re nice and relaxed, reach for new Astroglide TTC Trying to Conceive™, a specially formulated personal lubricant for couples who are trying to conceive.

Astroglide TTC

When you are trying to conceive, you are most likely focusing on having more sexual activity than usual. In fact, some fertility experts and doctors recommend trying every other day to ensure that healthy sperm are available for an egg during ovulation. Astroglide TTC™ temporarily relieves vaginal dryness during intercourse while supporting fertility with adjusted pH levels, compatible osmolality, and a consistency similar to your body’s cervical mucus.

How Astroglide TTC™ Works:

  • By providing an ideal environment where sperm has a chance of survival. Environmental conditions are affected by pH levels, osmolality (the concentration of substances like sodium and potassium), and the consistency of egg white cervical mucus. While traditional lubricants may affect these conditions and inhibit sperm mobility, studies have shown that Astroglide TTC™ is compatible with sperm, oocytes, and embryos, and allows sperm to move freely.
  • TTC™ is specially formulated to contain galactose, which is found naturally in semen, as well as fructose, the main source of energy for sperm.

Each box of Astroglide TTC™ contains 8 pre-filled disposable applicators that make it easy to coat the inside of the vagina, supplementing natural fluids and enhancing comfort.

If you have tried Astroglide TTC™, share your testimonial. If you haven’t yet tried it, click here to find Astroglide TTC™ at a store near you.

Astroglide TTC™ sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine

Jimmyjane Toys are 25% Off at Babeland Black Friday Weekend

Babeland Jimmyjane Black Friday sale

Babeland, bringer of “sex toys for a passionate world,” has been dedicated to body positivity and celebrating good, healthy sex since the first store opened in 1993. We have worked with them since 2008 on articles and reviews of numerous products they have on sale, and we have been fans of theirs since before even then.

If you can visit a store location this weekend or plan to shop online, Babeland has deals on all Jimmyjane products starting at midnight on Friday!

Get 25% off all Jimmyjane toys with promo code JJLUXE at checkout. This deal is going on November 28-30.

Need some suggestions? We’ve reviewed some Jimmyjane products in the past that you might be interested in!

Jimmyjane Form 3

Jimmyjane Form 3

The Form 3 is an incredibly weird vibrator, in shape as well as in function. It is a toy rooted in second-guessing what you’re doing, and has been since I received it.

The four-inch, oblong-shaped external vibrator is completely body-safe, as is the case with all Jimmyjane luxury toys. The entire body of the toy is made of medical grade, phthalate-free platinum silicone that is soft to the touch. The top of the toy looks kind of like a scoop. It has a thin membrane-like portion of flexible silicone surrounded by a thick wall that feels like cartilage. The bottom portion is solid, internally packed with a rechargeable lithium polymer battery.

Jimmyjane Iconic Ring

Jimmyjane Iconic Ring

There are two fabulous things about the Jimmyjane Iconic Ring:

  1. It excels in aiding the wearer in maintaining a powerful erection, whether worn stretched around the penis or around both the penis and testicles.
  2. It doubles as a couples vibrator.

Jimmyjane Form 4

Jimmyjane Form 4

The Jimmyjane Form 4 is by far the least complicated and mind-boggling vibrator to come to the Form line. That is its shining accomplishment. It sets out to do a particular job and it does it.

I do, however, think Jimmyjane is reaching a little with what this toy could effectively be used for. Because they claim the Form 4 can penetrate the g-spot, though it didn’t come close to mine, that if it was actually able to accomplish this, there would be some slippery finger incidents while trying to keep hold of the ultra-smooth, curved toy. So, solo masturbation, clitoral stimulation, and some subtle penetration? Yes. It can do that.

Jimmyjane Afterglow Candle

Jimmyjane Afterglow candle lit

The Jimmyjane Afterglow Candle is a 4.5oz clean-burning candle that burns for up to 32 hours, and is body-safe and paraben-free. It does not contain phthalates, sulfates, petrochemicals, animal products, nor is it tested on animals.

As the candle melts hot oil accumulates, which can be easily dripped into your hand or directly onto the body of your partner with the pour spout molded onto the side of the porcelain container. The hot oil not only feels great during a massage, it also contains ingredients that are really great for your skin, including jojoba, shea butter, vitamin E, soy, and aloe.

Shop Jimmyjane’s award-winning toys at Babeland and get 25% off with promo code JJLUXE at checkout. Sale ends November 30.

This post contains affiliate links. No incentive was provided and opinions are my own.

New Adult Shop on the Scene! Say Hi to Blushing Orchid #ad

This is a sponsored post. Incentive was provided and opinions are my own.

Blushing Orchid

Ever since I first started Woman Tribune, I have always been very passionate about maintaining a space here that celebrates sexual health and wellness. It is my very firmly-held belief that it is crucial to embrace and celebrate our sexuality, especially as women.

Women are routinely shamed, ridiculed, and judged, by society and each other, whenever there is a mere mention of a woman possessing a healthy sexual appetite or feeling entitled to or demanding pleasure. This has got to stop. Sexuality is something to be celebrated and to be proud of, and I won’t stand for anything less. Needless to say, whenever I get the opportunity to do so, I like to bring the focus here to the sexy times because hey, this is important.

Naturally, when Blushing Orchid reached out to me to help promote their new website, I was psyched to bring attention to another online adult resource so fresh that it still has that new website smell.

Blushing Orchid is a new adult shop on the scene. Majority owned and managed by a woman, they are committed to running a space that is safe and discreet. Their website is delightfully easy to navigate and beautiful in its simplicity. Way too many adult websites try to shove everything they have to offer on the main page, making it overcrowded, noisy, and confusing. It’s great to see an adult site put organization and class to work, featuring only what is important on the main page and using their valuable real estate wisely, like with a plethora of unobtrusive searchable categories housing over 2,500 different products.

Most of what you’ll find on Blushing Orchid is what you would expect from any adult site just starting out. They stock a lot of novelty toys a la Doc Johnson and Cal Exotics (and if you know sex toys, this will mean something to you.) While they do have a few Doc Johnson products, I should clarify that I couldn’t find anything from Cal Exotics specifically, but that is the closest brand of comparable quality that I could think of as I browsed through their pages of products.

While there are no big manufacturer names in lights as is typically seen on sites that have a dedicated sex toy enthusiast audience, you can find some Tantus silicone and luxury LELO products, both of which rank very highly on my list of absolute faves.

Blushing Orchid is geared more towards women and couples who are looking for fun, affordable, and low maintenance toys and aids to use together or to go solo. Their selection of toys for couples range from body and massage oils to handheld massagers and even aids for sexy shower time. Sex in the shower without the fear of slipping and getting a concussion? Sign me up!

There is a certain bestselling massively popular erotic trilogy that has a movie coming out in February 2015. Blushing Orchid has an entire section of their website dedicated to those who love the series and want to add a little Grey to their bedrooms. If that’s you, just head on over to Grey-Gasms.

Blushing Orchid

Blushing Orchid offers free shipping on orders over $50 and their shipping is discreet. See something that you need in your life (or more specifically, your bedroom?) Get 15% off your first order at Blushing Orchid with coupon code FIRST15.

Celebrate International Women’s Day with LELO — Enter to Win a LELO Soraya [Closed]

LELO International Womens Day

International Women’s Day is this Friday, March 8th; a day of celebration of women and the diligent, courageous work countless women have done throughout history, and are still doing today, throughout the world to ensure basic rights and equality in all aspects of life. But this day is not merely a day of recognition and celebration; it is a movement. It is a call-to-action for all women, everywhere, to recognize what has been accomplished throughout history and the real choices they have today because of the work of our foremothers, and to also see what is left to do, and to have the vigilance to take action going forward in history.

A Little History on International Women’s Day

As of today, International Women’s Day is an official holiday in many countries, including Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Russia, and Vietnam, just to name a few. Although this day is not officially recognized or celebrated here in the US (although March is designated as Women’s History Month), I do personally celebrate it. I have come to think of International Women’s Day as my sort of Mother’s Day. I do not celebrate Mother’s Day, not having biological children and having grown up without a mother; in fact, for most of my life, I had a very hard time getting through Mother’s Day. But International Women’s Day is different.

International Women’s Day is a celebration of women, of equality, and of moving forward; past patriarchy and into greater equality in global legislation and more visibility of women as role models in every aspect of our lives. Because I am invested in the admirable work being done by women everywhere to achieve true equality, and because I am dedicated in helping to work towards that goal, I celebrate International Women’s Day. I celebrate by calling my grandmother and my aunt, to wish them a happy International Women’s Day, and to thank them for being unwavering pillars of knowledge, strength, and support for me in my life. It is because of them that I am who I am today; that I know so well the trials that women have faced and overcome throughout history that have resulted in me having the rights I enjoy today.

To learn more about International Women’s Day, visit the official website.

LELO Soraya Luxury Vibrator Giveaway

LELO, the world’s leading designer brand for intimate lifestyle products, and one of my personal favorite brands ever (seriously, I have loved every single LELO product I have ever met), is helping us celebrate International Women’s Day all week long!

A brand committed to empowering women around the world to celebrate all of the wonderful achievements in women’s rights and equality, have so generously offered up one of their most popular products for us to give away to one lucky Woman Tribune reader–the LELO Soraya.

LELO Soraya

The LELO Soraya is an absolutely beautiful dual-action vibrator that delivers multiple pleasures in a sleek and seductive package. With an ABS core and wrapped in body-safe silicone, it is fully waterproof, rechargeable, and allows full control of vibration intensity and features 8 unique vibration modes with two pleasure points for combined internal and external stimulation.

This giveaway will end on International Women’s Day, March 8th and is open worldwide, ages 18+. To enter use the Rafflecopter form below.

For a second chance to win a LELO Soraya vibe, head over to the LELO Facebook page and enter their International Women’s Day giveaway as well!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

No compensation was received for this publication, though a thank you gift was provided for hosting this giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Luvmybox Review — a Monthly Subscription Service for Sexy Times

I received a Luvmybox for review. No other compensation was received, and opinions are my own.

Luvmybox

With their immense popularity, monthly subscription services — boxes of goodies spanning every imaginable interest and obsession delivered to your door every month — have only continued to grow and expand. There are currently more monthly subscription services out there than anyone could ever hope to keep track of, and if you think a topic isn’t being represented, just wait, because it is only a matter of time. Case in point: products for getting down in the bedroom. Filling this void is Luvmybox.

After seeing that they had begun following us on Twitter, we immediately looked into them after noticing how awesome their name is. Seriously. Luvmybox is the perfect name for a sex-positive company who has made it their mission to put together flirty, romantic, and just plain fun boxes of sexy goodies and discreetly ship them to the doorsteps of their subscribers every month. It’s safe to say that our hopes were pretty high after checking out their website and reaching out to them on Twitter about a possible partnership. Luckily they agreed, and here we are.

The January 2013 box arrived in mid-February, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Each month’s box has a distinct theme, and this one was everything you need for a sexy massage at home. Very timely for Valentine’s Day indeed.

A total of four different products were included in this box. Let’s start on a high note with the Jimmyjane Afterglow candle.

Jimmyjane Afterglow candle

We have been fans of Jimmyjane for years now, having worked with them on reviews for some of their luxury vibrators, most recently the Form 4. This is their first massage product we’ve gotten our hands on, which was pretty exciting right off the bat.

Jimmyjane Afterglow candle closeup

Part beautiful candle sitting inside an elegant porcelain container and part massage oil, this candle has a beautifully intoxicating dark vanilla scent. It is an aphrodisiac scent that makes you close your eyes and inhale deeply. If they sold body wash in this scent, it would sell in bulk.

Jimmyjane Afterglow candle lit

The 4.5oz clean-burning candle burns for up to 32 hours, and is body-safe and paraben-free. It does not contain phthalates, sulfates, petrochemicals, animal products, nor is it tested on animals.

As the candle melts hot oil accumulates, which can be easily dripped into your hand or directly onto the body of your partner with the pour spout molded onto the side of the porcelain container. The hot oil not only feels great during a massage, it also contains ingredients that are really great for your skin, including jojoba, shea butter, vitamin E, soy, and aloe.

acrylic massager

Once the oil from the Jimmyjane Afterglow candle has been massaged into your partner’s skin, you can change up sensations with the acrylic massager. While the balls on each side of the massager are made of very hard acrylic, when moved over the skin, they feel like wheels gliding over your body, meant to put your body at ease. My fiance loves these things. He always picks one up when he sees bins of them on sale, which is often enough that we have several of these things around the house.

O'My strawberry cheesecake flavored lubricant

Because a sexy massage hardly ever ends there, this Luvmybox also came with O’My strawberry cheesecake flavored lubricant.

O'My strawberry cheesecake flavored lubricant bottle

A shiny new bottle of lube would have been appreciated under normal circumstances, but not when those circumstances include heavy scents and scary chemicals. When it comes to great lube, you want to make sure to stay away from glycerin and parabens, always.

O'My strawberry cheesecake flavored lubricant ingredients

Scented, flavored, and packed full of glycerin, if we had even tried this lube, a UTI from hell wouldn’t be far behind. For more information about staying clear of lubricants containing glycerin and parabens, you can get more info here.

When looking through the past boxes from Luvmybox, I noticed that in the very first box they sent out, they included a bottle of Sliquid Naturals H20 lubricant, touting the fact that it is glycerin- and paraben-free. Obviously Luvmybox knows of the importance of using lube that does not contain glycerin or parabens, so why they would choose to include the glycerin-packed O’My flavored lubricant just four boxes later is beyond me.

Masque

The last product included in the January 2013 Luvmybox is Masque Sexual Flavors in chocolate and strawberry. These are paper-thin, orally-dissolvable, flavored gel strips that, and I quote, “enhance the romantic experience of fellatio by adding flavor, while simultaneously neutralizing the taste that some dislike.”

I am actually highly offended by Masque Sexual Flavors, and I will tell you why.

A product with the sole purpose of covering up the taste of semen to make you want to give a great blowjob is really insulting to the person you are performing fellatio on. Can you imagine the outrage that would ensue if the tables were reversed? If people suddenly started to flock to a product that promised to cover up a woman’s natural taste in order to make someone want to perform cunnilingus? I would certainly be offended — right after I wondered if there was something wrong with me and the rest of my gender that a product could come out and appeal to so many people with the same reservations about performing an intimate act. Frankly, if someone were going down on me and popped something into their mouth that was meant to cover up the natural taste of my body, that would be the last time they would be invited into my bed. Period.

It is products like these and the conversations that surround them that give people the idea that the natural state of their bodies are something to be ashamed of. I, for one, will have no part of that, and I will strive to make sure that I never give my fiance the idea that he has something to be ashamed of when it comes to his body and the way it works.

Knowing damn well that I would not be using Masque Sexual Flavors while in the act of performing fellatio, I decided to make my fiance part of the testing process. He opted for the strawberry Masque while I hesitantly put the chocolate gel strip on my tongue. We both had the exact same reaction: these things are absolutely disgusting. They take like a shot of chemicals, and it is gross. A 3-pack of Masque Sexual Flavors costs $9.95, and honestly, you could not pay me $10 to put another one of those strips in my mouth.

Luvmybox card

My experience with Luvmybox is varied. I am so in love with the concept of a monthly subscription service dedicated to products that help you relax and get sexy in the bedroom, but if I paid the $34.95 subscription price to Luvmybox and received this particular box in return, I would have been sorely disappointed. Essentially, I would have paid $34.95 for a candle. A gorgeous candle with a lovely scent and ability to transform into massage oil, yes, but a candle all the same. The acrylic massager was a nice addition, but I can also pick one of those up at any mass retailer for $1. The value of this box just wasn’t there.

Looking through the past boxes from Luvmybox, it seems as if the January 2013 box was the weakest of the bunch, especially considering two of the four products it contained were completely unusable for me. Most of the other boxes seem a bit more intriguing, although one point definitely resonates throughout them all — they all contain at least one product that could pique the interest or excite anyone who received it, surrounded by other products that just aren’t worth your time.

Get Luvmybox

4-5 themed flirty items for sexy time
$34.95 per month + free shipping
Visit Website

6 Ways Sex Affects Your Brain

happy couple in bed

Your brain should be the center of your sex life. Orgasms occur in the brain (and elsewhere), and you want to make sure that you’re getting the most, um, bang for your buck. Consider these six ways that sex affects your brain, and always think (and act) responsibly.

  1. It Makes You Want More

    The major neurochemical that’s affected by sexual activity is dopamine. Dopamine is the control center for survival mechanisms and cravings. It’s also the neurotransmitter whose reuptake is inhibited in the use of cocaine. All this to say, sex is a drug. The more you have, the more you crave. And that’s the chemical truth.

  2. It Makes You Want to Cuddle

    When you have sex, oxytocin is released, pair-bonding you to the person that you’re shagging. Oxytocin is released in higher doses after a female orgasm, while male orgasms release more dopamine–activating the addictive reward brain centers, not the “cuddle hormone.”

  3. During an Orgasm, You Literally Go Insane

    Your brain is affected in numerous ways at the point of climax, with 30 brain centers being activated during the female orgasm. Your nervous system short circuits and your pain centers are numbed just by the act of finishing the deed. Scientists at Rutgers have the studies to prove it–a good old-fashioned orgasm jumbles up the brain so much, it can make you all but paralyzed (seriously) by pleasure.

  4. It Can Make You a Junkie

    Sex addiction is a real thing, just like drugs and alcohol. Anything you do compulsively can turn into an addiction, and having mega amounts of sex can incite junkie-like behavior. Your pleasure centers are affected upon orgasm, and endorphins and dopamine are affected and released. If you get more high than you do randy, make sure that your sexual activity is reinforcing positive and not destructive behavior. Junkies might get laid in scads, but no one wants the issues that come with compulsive copulating.

  5. It Makes You Feel Good

    If you can’t have sex, eat some chocolate. And if you’re not hungry, whet your appetite for love. Sexual activity releases endorphins (just like chocolate!) and adrenaline (just like running!), making you feel great. Who knew that the post-coital glow was chemically founded? After a roll in the hay, enjoy the good that you’ve done for your mind and body.

  6. It Makes You Healthier

    A healthy sex life that’s a positive force in your life can work wonders for your brain chemistry and help level you out. The mark of a balanced sex life is one that lifts you up, not brings you down. Those suffering from mild depression (which often comes with loss of libido) or other mood disorders can help even out their chemistry by engaging in sexual activity–but you’ve got to make sure that it’s a balanced and healthy situation from square one.

This is a guest post by Online Psychology Degree, a website dedicated to finding the best online psychology schools.

Photo by leahsweet/Flickr