Clearblue Fertility Monitor Support Group Buddies Vol 5!!

Lychees "The stick had two dark lines on it but my CBFM gave me another low"

Do you think your monitor is actually working properly? 2 dark lines shows high LH and low oestrogen. Exactly what I'd expect to see during the LH surge.

Welcome Tina.

I am really sorry to hear about your miscarriage. We're all here to support each other on the bumpy journey trying to conceive, so you are more than welcome to joint in!

hello ladies

I'm new on here, just started using the monitor last month so on my second cycle. I'm 42 and am desperate to have a second baby (my first is now 19!)

I lost a baby last september (very early/chemical?) and am now stressed with worrying I won't be able to conceive a healthy baby because of my age

I had lost of highs and 2 peak days on the monitor first month and was stupidly expecting to conceive but started my period at the weekend :-(

hope i can join your group and I'm so pleased for those of you who are already pregnant :-)

Tina

Boba and Lychees Thanks for hugs. Definitely needed.

Lychees, Boba is right. If your periods are quite regular you are likely to be ovulating. Have they told you what your progesterone levels are?

Have scrolled up and see that your cycle is 30 - 35 days. Is there a chance they are doing the progesterone test too early? What day do you normally peak on and what day have they been doing the bloods on?

Please try not to worry too much. There could be another explanation AND you are all set for IUI tomorrow too, which is really exciting. I am sure your egg is just waiting patiently. Best of luck!!!! FX for you

Suffering I really hope I didn't seem overly negative in my reply to you. I've just re-read it and I am sorry if I did. Best of luck with your GP!

Hi Ladies,

Long time no speak! I have been lurking though to keep up with everyone#s stories.

I'm 28 weeks now, c-section booked for 38 weeks so 10 weeks to go.

Anyway, just wanted to send hugs to all who need them and to say a big congrats to boba xxxxxxxx

Afternoon All. Injection wasn't too bad last night. DH offered to do it if I chickened out but it was painless. However, I expected to get my peak this morning .. and nothing. The stick had two dark lines on it but my CBFM gave me another low[?]. Anyway, I just hope the trigger did something.

Suffering, there has been at least one case here of a lady getting all highs on the cycle she got her BFP on. Also, of short LH surges not detected.

I'm starting to think that my peaks [I have had them every month except for this one] didn't necessarily indicate that I was ovulating .... none of my day 21 results have indicated natural ovulation. And I've been chatting to two other ladies who definitely haven't been ovulating but got LH surges and peaks on the CBFM and regular-ish periods. Really need some PMA for tomorrow. I'm already thinking about a second go at IUI even though we haven't had the first go yet ... what am I like?!?

Hugs to KC ... the post Xmas blues really don't help.

Good luck for your scans, Kitty and Boba.

Hi Ladies

Boba Wishing you all the best for Friday.

I am sort of OK. Have been feeling very very down this month and can't seem to shake it. The post Christmas blues aren't helping either.

Suffering I think a trip to the GP's may be in order too. I've just checked on NHS choices website and it suggests that it should take 3 months to a year for your periods to return after using Depo. As it's been 18 months, it might be worth getting your GP to start the basic blood tests eg progesterone and LH/FSH. Also, it shouldn't take more than 6 months for you periods to return to normal after coming off the pill. Therefore I think you are completely within your rights to ask the GP to investigate.

With respect to CBFM it doesn't always pick up the LH surge. I understand it's accurate in detecting it in about 90% of ovulatory women. However, the NICE guidelines do say that LH urine test kits are more accurate at detecting imminent ovulation than patient home charting is at confirming ovulation has occurred. Presumably, there is more chance of user error when charting. Therefore, I would be inclined to trust the CBFM slightly more than charting.

Agree with kitty wrt choosing a GP. Maybe look for one with an interest in women's health? Lots of GP's do have specialist interests. If you look on NHS choices at the GPs in your practice it will give you their full qualifications, including any specialist diplomas they have done.

DFSRH = Diploma in Family Planning, Sexual and Reproductive Health. A doctor with this will have a better understanding of how the contraceptives you've been using actually work, and what is normal and not. My DH has this qualification and he would definitely start investigations on a woman in your position. The guidelines are six months after coming off the pill, but my DH told me he wouldn't be so strict on this criteria as the pill is immediately reversible and he would definitely expect periods to have returned before the six month point.

DRCOG = Diploma Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists - again a GP with this additional qualification may be a lot more sympathetic as they'd have done quite a lot of obs and gynae during their training. The GP I'm under has this and she's been very good and sympathetic.

I'd also try to pick a "younger" GP as well. Fertility is a contemporary area in medicine and a lot of older GPs would have gone through medical school 30 years ago when it was in its infancy and fertility would have hardly been on the syllabus.

Hi suffering

On the cycle which lasted 40 days, how many sticks did the monitor ask for, and on what days? If you ovulated it is likely it wasa around day 26 of your cycle (apparently no matter how long your cycle in the majority of cycles ovulation occurs 14 days prior to the next starating) so maybe the monitor missed it.

I cant help you on the missing peak thing (other than the above - maybe you werent 'sticking' by 26?) but as far as the highs go i think everyone gets it. i think the trouble is with the high detection is that oestrogen rises gradually during the first part of your cycle and eventually triggers ovulation; i think its about the monitor taking time to 'know' when that threshold oestrogen level is that triggers the LH surge...in short the 'high' days are fairly meaningless until you're a seasoned customer.

I would suggest going to the GP on this - make sure you choose a sympathetic and intelligent one (total waste of time going to one of those old dears that are about to be put out to pasture they are always skeptical about things like the CBFM and dont actually get that its based on scientifically sound principles).

Good luck and let us know how you are doing

Liz xxx

Hi,

Usually lurking on this board but not always posting.

Looking for a wee bit of advice as I am becoming increasingly worried about my cycles.

If I can be irritating and give a little commentary of my last 3 cycles to explain.

1. Not using CBFM yet. Used Fertility Friend and temping, had a temp shift, so likely ovulated. Cycle 28 days.

1. Began using CBFM, had about ten days at high, never a peak. Bizarre cycle lasted about 40 days ?!?! Was thinking its ok monitor needs to get to know me.

1. Current cycle using monitor, now on day 20, been high 7 days! Again looks like I'm not getting a peak.

I'm worried because Im not getting a peak, before using the monitor I tried opks never detected a surge.

Am clinging to the hope that maybe my LH surge is a short one?

Should I be overly concerned?

Also as a bit of background (sorry to be going on - but a high level of neurosis is developing about this!)

Came off the depo injection - 18 months (the time it says to be worst case scenario of wearing off)

Came of the pill - 8 months ago.

Any suggestions? Honesty being good as is anything that might make me feel better :)

Thank You for reading this!

Hey ladies

Sorry havent been on for a while, work's busy and I've been reading but not posting.

Everything seems to be going ok so far! i'll be having a scan next weds 9around 6+4 i think) will let you know how it goes

hows everyone else?

knackered cow - Thanks so much for that reply, that definately sheds new light for me on how CBFM works.

Boba - thanks, I will try to persuade my tired DH

Hi arabella Yes, it's worth a go.

See here

It states: Overall, CPFM peak fertility was detected in 135 of the 149 ovulatory cycles. In these 135 cycles, ovulation never occurred before the CPFM peak fertility. In 91.1% of the cycles ovulation occurred during the 2 days of CPFM peak fertility, and in 97.0% of the cycles during the 2 days of peak fertility plus the 1 following day of high fertility (Table I). In most cycles ovulation was confirmed by ultrasonography on the second day of peak fertility (76.3%).

I hear you Lychess , I really do. XXX

Hello everyone, can I ask if there is any point SWI the day after your 2 peak days? We did SWI on those 2 days but now on day 18 it says 'high fertility'. I suppose I thought the day after the 2 peak days would be after ovulation had occurred and therefore wouldn't be a good day to try?

What do you think?
TIA

That's great news Storm so pleased for you .

Congrats Boba .

Storm that's brilliant news. Pregnancy is a very special time, so I hope you enjoy it and all goes well for you!

Lychees I know where you're coming from. Everyone on here has had problems getting pg so its fantastic to hear about pregnancies on this thread.

But, I know a couple of people who so easily seem to have easy pregnancies that they announced theirs just after taking their test (I would never dare do that), they were THAT confident. I'm pleased for them, but it still makes me jealous.

I'm just waiting for all the announcements this year of second pregnancies from all my friends from NCT other baby groups that I've been going to for the past year. I have to be happy for them and really I am. But I'm really sad that, at my age, my time seems to be up. I sometimes wish that I had tried to enjoy my pregnancy more, rather than spend most of moaning about all the aches and pains and how knackered I was. Only now do I realise what a precious time it was that I'll probably never have again.

Did anyone watch One Born Every Minute last night? Was that woman screaming for real do you think?

Thanks for the good luck wishes and PMA, ladies. Still haven't had my peak so I will have to give myself the trigger injection tonight [scary] for IUI on Thursday afternoon.

Storm pg announcements here don't bother me ... I know what difficult/emotional journeys people have had here. In RL, it almost seems as though other people get pg just thinking about it, it might not be the case at all [people don;t discuss these things in RL, its like admitting failure] but that's my perception and that's what gets me down.

Good luck to everyone on the 2ww.

Hi Ladies

Today's stats:

In School
wantbaby TTC#1, Cycle #11, CBFM cycle 6, age 38, UCL 30, CD54
Twowoulddo TTC#2, Cycle #6, CBFM cycle 1?, Aged 31, UCL 31, CD49
Rosieposey TTC#5, Cycle #12, CBFM Cycle 6, age 38, UCL 29-35, CD41
Ses TTC#2, cycle #6, CBFM cycle 8, age 37, UCL 28-30, CD34
Missyraines TTC#1, Cycle #14, CBFM Cycle 9, age 33, UCL 32, CD30
CrazyAlien TTC#1, Cycle #6 CBFM Cycle 2 age 28 UCL 31-35??! CD22
Lychees TTC#2, Cycle #15, CBFM cycle 11, Aged 36, UCL 30-35, CD19
PinkCustard TTC#2, Cycle #13, CBFM Cycle 8, age 34, UCL 30-32, CD18
Arabella36 TTC#2, Cycle #1, CBFM Cycle 4, Age34, UCL29, CD18
Keziah TTC#1, Cycle #29, CBFM Cycle 17, age 35, ucl 28-31, CD17
ZebedeetheZebra TTC#2, age 43, UCL TMI!, CD15
KnackeredCow TTC#1, Cycle #16, CBFM Cycle 5, age 31, UCL 29, CD15
Roastie TTC#1, Cycle #23, CBFM Cycle 2, age 32, UCL 29, CD9
Littlefan TTC#1, Cycle 11, CBFM cycle 4 , age 32, UCL 32-38, CD8
Fr00tbat TTC#1, Cycle 7, CBFM Cycle 3, age 32, UCL 30-38 (av 34), CD7
Clockspotter TTC#2, Cycle #6, CBFM Cycle 1, age 38, UCL 29-31, CD5

Graduates
Emmylou30 BFP 22/10/10
MissLolita BFP 30/10/20
Notnearly BFP 6/11/10
StormBird BFP 10/11/10
AnytimeNow BFP 20/11/10
IloveKittyElise BFP 30/12/10
Boba BFP 07/01/11

Essence I picked Italian because I have two Italian friends and I always feel ashamed that I can't speak any of the language

Fr00tbat Sorry to see that AF got you

Keziah I agree that a month off can be good sometimes. I had an enforced month off in November and it wasn't as devastating when AF arrived as months when I know we've SWI in my fertile period

Lychees Good luck for Thursday, unless you have peaked already???

Storm Fantabulous news . So pleased you got the all clear.

MissyRaines Welcome back! Good to see you again.

Pink *Hanging up my knickers for the 2ww^ [grin}

Kitty I really hope everything is still going well for you. I am thinking of you.

Boba Are you still peeing on sticks morning, noon and night? It must be such an amazing feeling to see the test line appear. Hopefully the rest of us will follow suit this year. FX

Thanks ladies,

Keziah I am currently 13+5 weeks.

Pink and Lychees I have every confidence that your time will come, I'm sorry you are finding other peoples PG announcements hard (people like me probably don't help) but I remember that feeling and I can sympathise. You'll get there.....and when you do we'll all be jumping for joy for you. Keep your chins up xxx

storm - that's great news :) Hope the rest of your pregnancy is now smooth and worry free!

Pink - I know how you feel. It seems like everywhere I turn at the moment, someone else is pg. I've even got to the stage where I'm mentally preparing myself for someone else in our NCT group to be pg next instead of me. Typing that, it seems so pathetic!

Lychees - I've noticed that when I've been ill, ov is delayed. Fingers crossed, the timings all fall into place for you!

Keziah - month off seems like a good plan. Long-term ttc, does put a strain on the strongest of relationships and it's important we remember the importance of our relationships too in the middle of the ttc rollercoaster!

IloveKitty - how's things? Hope you're doing ok and not worrying too much!

Boba - I'm still for you!