Clear Blue Fertility Monitor - esp after breastfeeding?

[toomuchribbon]

Hello all.

I am about to start TTC #2. My DS is 6 months but for various reasons DH and I would like another soon.

I have stopped breastfeeding and had a period 4 weeks ago but nothing since despite a few cramps.
I have had varying CM, some EWCM (sorry) in the last fortnight.

I am now the excited owner of a new Clear Blue Fertility monitor but am not sure when to start testing - I wonder if anyone is able to advise.

Can I start testing immediately and test every day - but as I really have no idea where I am in my cycle will it be able to compute my test sticks?!

Could I get away with testing every other day for the first month or until period returns, as once it picks up a High day that is followed by further High days or Peak days, from what I understand - and therefore no danger of missing it? I'm not sure I can bear to wait for the first day of my next cycle, as it really could be any time... agh!

I believe that when you have a long or irregular cycle (up to 42 days according to the CB instructions) it asks for more sticks, up to 20 - but what about if you don't know how long your cycle is, like mine?

If anyone's been in a similar situation I'd be grateful for any advice! Many thanks.

Hi not sure I can help exactly but I am also ttc no 2 and using the monitor. I don't think it's worth testing until after you've pressed the m button and it asks you. You will likely need 20 sticks the first time as it's getting to know you. I don't know how it will be if your cycle hasn't settled down since bf but there's quite a lot of info in the instructions and it does get to know you. Let me know how you get on!! Good luck!!

Yes, you need to wait till your period starts. It's the only way the machine works. You also cannot test every other day. THe machine is not flexible that way.

In the first cycle it will ask for the first stick on cd6 and it will continue until you get your peak day or when the cycle becomes too long (can't remember if that's on cd42 or when the 20 sticks are gone).

What you could do is wait till your next period to start the machine, but in the meantime get some other OPKs just for this cycle if you don't want to miss ov time.

I have read that after breastfeeding it takes on average 3 months for your cycles to start again, so you might not start ovulating straight away.