Ovulation Kits

[Sassymk]

Hey ladies

DP and I have been trying to conceive for six months now, my second his first. I have been to the doctors and told them it has been 12 months (a fibber I know but I just wanted to rule everything out). Anyhoo I'm going for my day 21 blood test Friday and DP is having a semen analysis next month.

My cycles have been varying between 29 and 34 days (grr!) so this month we are going to start with the ovulation testing kits. Was just wondering how people have found these? Any to recommend/stay away from? Also, the cheaper options would be preferable :o)

Oh, aaand, how do people find measuring their temp? Sounds daft but have been thinking of doing that also but don't have a clue where to start!

Many thanks in advance for any words of wisdom :D

I used the clearblue digital ov tests. They are expensive but you don't have to interpret them - they just give you a straight year or no (well smiley face or not). They worked fine for me but some people find they never get a positive or lots of them (the latter is common with PCOS because that messes with your LH levels, which is what the tests detect).

If you want to know how to temp, sign up with fertility friend and buy a BBT thermometer (cheap on amazon and ebay). FF will email you a chartiing course over the next couple of weeks. It only takes a few minutes to read each day's lesson and you have a manageable amount of info to take in that way.

Taking Charge Of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler is brilliant if you want to understand your body.

Temping's easy once you've got the hang of it. You take your temp while still in bed every morning and record it on a chart (I made my own but the fertilityfriend website is oft recommended on here). It actually shows when you're ovulating, due to a significant temperature shift and along with keeping an eye on other signs like cervical mucus, you can get to know your body quite well and anticipate when you're fertile.

Ovulation kits I didn't bother with. They are ££ and don't show ovulation, just hormonal surges but other people love them and get cheap sticks from amazon and ebay I think.

I think at 6 months with no known fertility issues, there's a danger of making it more complex than it needs to be. It's normal and expected for it to take up to a year to get pregnant and tbh you're better off enjoying the process than obsessing about it. I know how hard that is though when you really want to get on with it.

I used the ov sticks but mainly cos I luuurrrve pissing on sticks. It has become a hobby of mine over the last year and a half. I have alternated between the super pricey CBFM and the super cheapies off the internet. And tried a few other brands too.
If you want to do sticks (I wouldn't bother if you are in first six months of trying, just have sex at least 3 times a week) then at least the cheap ones will not bankrupt you and you can do two a day if you feel like it when ov is approaching.

However, I do not, under any circumstances, let MrK know the outcome of ovulation testing. Don't want sex to become a chore as ttc can take a loooong time and keeping it fun might keep you sane. I just make a point of finding excuses to prance around the house scantily clad on the day of a positive ov test.