Persona (again, sorry!)

[MUM2ELA]

Hi everyone

I have been reading back all the past threads about Persona but I still can't work out whether it will work for me, as I have a very irregular cycle.

I think someone on a past thread said that Persona 'will learn your cycle' over the first few months. If mine is irregular, will this work?

Also, I think I read that a packet of sticks is about £10. Do you have to test everyday that you may be ov'ing? If so, I rekon I would have to use about 3 packets a month!!

Persona is really only suitable for women who's cycle is every 25-35 days. It does "learn your cycle", but only if it's regular I think! You only need to use 1 packet of test sticks per month (2 on the first month), and the machine tells you when to use them. I've been using Persona for 5 years now and have no problems with it. HTH.

Hiya, it will ask for a test day 6 and assess when you will do your next test. generally it's day 6,9 and then every day until ov. You shouldn't need more than one box after the first month. The first month it's 2 boxes (included in the kit) so persona can judge when you might ov. It says if you have cycles between 23 and 34 days (I think), you should be fine. If you ring them up, they'll send you a brochure telling you all about it! HTHxx

Thanks Kando.

So as my last cycle was 52 days and god knows what this one will be, I guess Persona is no good for me, huh?

Is there any other 'product' out there that will work for me?

BD'ing every other day is killing us!

Mum2ela. I'm just like you in that my cycle are all over the place - one month 35 days the next 56. As you say you can't have sex the whole time.

They say have sex every other day.

Use ovulation predictor stick (OPKs) like pregnancy sticks that you wee on and read the lines. There tell you that you will ovulate in the next 12-48 hours so that when you get at it like rabbits. Clearblue do packs of 7 stick - but it can be very expensive that way since may need more than one pack to cover you - an alternative is to buy in bulk online (50 for £30).

There are other test including saliva microscopes, but I have no experience of using these.

You can take you temp every day to tell you if you are ovulating (see fertility friend (dot) com for further details. NB this doesn't predict when you will ovulate but only if you have and therefore when you can stop bonking!

But the alternative is to relax, lie back and think of england every night!!

I've been using persona as an aid to getting pregnant but you do need to have a regular cycle so it sounds like it would not be the right choice for you.

Pollingfold - where is the best place to buy ov sticks online?

Mum2Ela - also depends on why your cycle is irregular. According to my specialist, if your hormones are up the creek - as mine apparently are - Persona and other ovulation kits won't know what's going on.

Thanks everyone.

Pollingfold - its hard to lie back and think of England (or Wales, in my case . .but it doesn't have the same ring to it . .) when its ME who has to do all the work! Yesterday I printed off the Fertility friend handbook and read it all last night in front of a bog tin of celebrations! Don't think I can do the temping thing as it says you need at least 3 hours continuous sleep before taking your temp. Hard for me, usually have to get up at 4am to tuck DD back in who thinks its daytime!! Then up for the day at 6am.

Willow2 - my cycle was irregular before going on the pill and now I have come off it its back to its ol' irregular self. When on the pill I know to the hour when I am to come on. May be a hormone thing - used to have acne (hence went to Dianette pill to sort it out) so OPK's etc. may not work.