anyone who's new to the Clearblue fertility monitor?

[iloveberries]

Hello - after a while of TTC with nothing but a chemical pregnancy I have purchased myself a shiny new CBFM in the hope it will make things a bit less stressful. I was an advocate of just having SWI everyother day but in reality that it quite a lot for me and DH and the poor thing works very long hours so not always possible.

I'm starting this thread for anyone else who's started TTC using the CBFM in the hope we can give eachother a little support etc.....

I'm on day 5 today so think i have to start POAS tomorrow......

Anyone out there who wants to join the journey?!!

hey crystal - i have had lots of stomach twinges similar to my pregnancy with DS - but i'm sure it will turn out to be nothing..... my hair is falling out everywhere which i didn't realise was a sign till i read it on another thread....

I guess in a week we'll know but either way this month has been a LOT less stressful thanks to CBFM (oh god i sound like some hideous AD!!!!)

crystal you might be lucky - i don't think you should have symptoms now anyway so fingers crossed :)

hope you've all had great weekends xxx

Still no peak for me, and my temps have been all over the place, DD was ill in the week and so had vertually no sleep one night and it's not been right since. Must remember that I could still ov at any point in the next 10 days so I'm trying to hope that we've not missed it again - as lack of sleep has disrupted out every other day routine.

I have been examining the sticks to see the lines, as I assume that one of them is just like a normal OPK? and I've had very feint lines apart from 3 days ago when I had a line, but not as dark as the test line. I wondered if that was my LH surge, maybe. Has anyone else looked at the sticks??

Hi ladies! How is everyone doing?

Mooley, thank you for the reassurance. I knew that, I think, but I'm very confused as to what's going on, when I'm ovulating, how long my LP is, etc. I'm hopeful that by using the monitor with charting, I'll figure it out. It's my first month doing both, so it's all new to me. I think my LP is 11 days, but that's based on guessing at ovulation date last month, from using OPKs.

Chocchip - is this the same Choccip as Justshaggy? I've been reading the CBFM threads (volumes 1 on!) as I find everyone's journey so inspiring, and your posts are always so informative and helpful

Hetty - while OPK measures LH only, and compares it to a control line, on the CBFM one line measures estrogen and one line measures LH (same as OPK). At the start of the cycle, estrogen line is dark, and the LH line is nonexistent (in my case anyway). As your cycle progresses, estrogen starts to drop off (line gets fainter) and LH picks up (a faint line is visible) - and that's when I got my first high. Then, as LH surges, the LH line gets darker and thicker, which for me meant a peak. I hope that helps.

crystal from what I've read, no signs can be quite normal, and early signs might start 7-10 DP), but for many women, there are no signs at all until 6 weeks! So there's hope.

secret sparkle - how annoying! hope they arrive soon.

Hope everyone is doing well, baby dust to all.

Pupcake - no not me I'm afraid!

Crystal - I had no signs of pregnancy until about 9 weeks last time so don't worry you still might be lucky

Hello everyone! Joining this thread because I'm a big nerdy pants and having bought CBFM ahead of starting TTC#1 in January. Ordered it off Amazon last night and going to give it a trial go on December's cycle before getting into the swing of SWI.

Scientist DH approved of CBFM after reviewing its patents and associated scientific journal papers haha and wished he had thought of it first.

Hoping everyone gets accurate readings on their CBFMs and BFPs all round ASAP!

Secretsparkle - I paid extra to get mine delivered next day by Amazon and then AF was 5 days late. Gah!

Zara - glad your husband agrees. Mine balked at the price to start with then decided it was ok because he likes gadgets!

Hi all, so just wanted to check best practice on the CBFM, is it the best plan to just SWI ED once you get a high reading in the hope you will then get a peak reading and just keep going until it goes back down to low?!? or maybe EOD when high and the ED when peak?

Hi all!

chocchip - I hope this means the other chocchip got prego and that's why she's no longer here. Hope your time is soon!

zara I rationalize spending the $$ on things like CBFM and preseed because fertility treatments would be costlier

Maisie I think as long as DH's sperm count is normal, it's advised to SWI ED once you get a "high" - the more SWI, the more sperm will be there. If sperm count is low, than EOD until there's peak, then ED or still EOD. I think it also depends on the individual - for some people ED is too much, too exhausting etc. This is especially true if you get a million highs before you peak (or get no peak, just many highs). Hope that helps.

Hope everyone is doing well. Currently 1-2 DPO (not sure yet) and hoping, hoping hoping!

Oh I hope so pupcake then hopefully the luck will rub off on me! Got my first high today- eeek! - DH typically away tonight though, will just have to make up for it tomorrow.

Hello ladies!

chocchip I hope so! I'm sure you have plenty of time to SWI this cycle, no worries!

Hope everyone else is doing well. I am back to "low" today, after 2 highs, 2 peaks and one more high. CBFM seems to be working well for me this first cycle using it. Fingers crossed it happens this month! Really hoping I did indeed already ovulate - love DH, but could use a break from SWI! Think I'm DPO 2 today. Ugh the dreaded 2WW wait!

Glad it seems to have worked for you this month pupcake, hopefully that's a good sign for a bfp in the making!

Don't think I've been so lucky. The past 3 months I've ovulated on cd19 twice and cd21 once but i got my first high yesturday on cd7 which seems unlikely. Its remained high today but i suspect once you get a high it automatically says high until you get a peak or you use 20 sticks? I've been keeping the sticks to compare (i know, gross, DH is less than impressed with old peesticks lined up in the bathroom) and it does look like the oestrogen line was very slightly lighter cd7 compared to cd6 but its back to being darker today.

Hopefully it will learn my cycle or there may be a miracle and i'll ovulate on cd14 like a 'normal' person.

My CBFM says day 20 today when it should say day 21!! it was day 20 yesterday, will it catch up with itself or should I ring the support line do you think?
Thanks everyone, still no signs just bad belly but think I've got a bug that's going round!!

hi crystal i would ring the support line... they're really good. For some reason i only had 17 sticks in my pack of 20 and called up to see what to do and they sent me a whole new pack.

pupcake glad you got your peak.

I think this month is a no go for me :( POAS this morning (5 days before Af but with a first response test) and got a BFN. pretty sad about it :(

BUT - there is always next month and i did find it less stressful last month with CBFM so that's a positive

Hi iloveberries I think it's not always right that far in advance from what I've read. I know how you feel, I can never wait until AF and use the first response test always negative :-( makes you feel really sad afterwards, you'll pick yourself up again and we have another chance in November! Well I do, not sure on your cycles but we're the same sort of AF times! chin up xx

thanks crystal - lovely of you to reply :)
i don't think i will ov again till dec but that's ok, i will just hit the this weekend!

it does make you feel sad doesn't it.... I really thought we'd cracked it this month.

Nice to be sharing this with you folks xx

Hello all!

iloveberries I wouldn't get too upset yet - it's still so early. From what I've read, it's very rare to get a BFP before 12-14 DPO, and some ladies don't get a BFP until 18 DPO! So hang in there, and wait a few days before repeating the test. I think this early there is only a 10% chance or so of the test picking up a BFP, so don't despair quite yet.

crystal I would call the line and I would also try turning it on a gain later today to see if if the day moves ahead. That happend to a lady on another thread.

floordrobe I know it's early, but cycles can vary month to month, and I would BD every other day for now, just to make sure you don't miss an opportunity, as sometimes the monitor can miss your peak all together. I'm a bit obsessive and I also do OPKs along with CBFM and checking temps and CM, so if I think I might be getting close to surge and CBFM is still reading no, I do an OPK in the afternoon.

As for me, definitely ovulated per FF - 3rd day of higher temps. Yay! And we b'ded on all the important days for FX. Still a tad concerned over my 11 day luteal phase and considering taking B6. Anyone else doing that?

Also, CBFM is stil asking me for more sticks (we are going to 20 ladies and gents - actually, hopefully just ladies!) even though I'm low, low, low. And I know I ovulated based on temps - so do I keep testing, or can I stop? I bought a box of 30 sticks, and have about 14 left. Can I just hang on to them for next cycle - if there is a next cycle? Will it mess up the CBFM as it's my first month and "getting to know me?"

Thanks!

hey pupcake Thanks for the sweet message, you made me feel better which is nice but it does kind of set you up again doesn't it! i will test again on fri as have a do on fri and hen on sat and if it is a BFN i'm not going to waste the chance to drink as i don't go out much now we have DS! To be fair with DS I didn't get my BFP till day 31 so i should know better than to test on day 27.... My temps have also started to dip back down again though which is the other thing making me feel it will be another BFN...

RE extra sticks pupcake i bought a pack of 20 which only had 17 in and called the helpline (i was already on CD 24 before i realised) and the lady told me that if i'd seen highs, 2peaks, a high then lows then i needn't worry about not having anymore sticks to test with.... and it was my first month too. If i were you i would use 2 more and then call it quits for the month.... but this is not what the box tells you to do so don't just take my word for it!!

Hi ilove - havent got my CBFM yet scared to order! just couldnt resist writing on here!

come on count - come join the club!!!!

Hello, mind if I join you ?

Bought a CBFM last month but it arrived too late in cycle to use. AF started yesterday so I can get cracking on it (when I remember to use it!) Will start tomorrow as I completely forgot to POAS this morning.

Any tips/advice for a newbie? :)

hey loulou

Tips:

1. Set your 6 hour window carefully!
2. If you wake and need the loo within the 6 hour window you can pee in a cup and test it when you get up (as long as it's in the 6 hour window)
3. I leave my CBFM, sticks and a cup out each night so i don't have to scramble around in the dark and so i don't forget!

Nice to have you on this thread :)

oh, and i found the helpline very helpful if i ever have any questions!

Thanks, v helpful. I think I'll have to leave the testing kit out as I've failed completely to remember the past two days.

So if I tried to test at 7.30am every morning does the six hour window mean I could test three hrs before and three hrs after?