A thread for anyone TTC with a ClearBlue Fertility Monitor!

[ChandlersFarang]

Morning ladies!! I was hunting around for a recent thread for anyone TTC with a CBFM but couldn't find any - please let me know if one is ongoing that I didn't find!! But otherwise I wanted a place to share experiences with other ladies using this rather interesting gadget. It makes big claims for success!!

About me - I'm TTC baby #1, cycle #3, expecting AF or BFP on 2-12 June.

I'm still having slightly long cycles after stopping the pill - this is my first cycle using the monitor properly, because my last cycle went on for 40 days, and the machine got bored and stopped asking for sticks after 25 days!!

I'm currently on CD09 and had my first day of a high reading today, although I know the machine gives out high readings like they're going out of fashion so not reading much into that! Will be kicking off the SMEP (sperm meets egg plan!) from today though anyway just to be sure.

Would love to hear from you!!

hope this reply appears!!

Sorry to gate crash your thread but wondered if you could answer a question about the monitor.

my friend recommended as it worked for her but do you use it from the first day of AF? Also can you use it first thing in the morning? If i order it i will probably be on CD5 by the time it arrives.

Thanks for reading.

Hi Waffley! You aren't gate crashing one bit - I intended this thread to be about all things CBFM -those wanting to get one are also very welcome!

Good news, you can start the monitor ticking from as late as CD05! The monitor comes with a very clear instruction booklet, which is good.

The only slightly complicated thing is setting the daily testing time frame. So when you set it (between CD1-5) you have to do it exactly in the middle of what you want to be your 6 hour long 'testing window'. You always have to test with your first pee of the day. The easiest way to think of this is - what's the earliest you do your first pee?! I sometimes get up in the night at about 05:00 to go to the loo so that would be the first pee. So I'd want my 6 hour window to start at about 04:45 to be safe. The end of the 6 hours would be 10:45 (highly unlikely my first pee of the day would be later than that!). So I'd set the machine at precisely the 3 hour point - 07:45.

Hope that made sense!! It is annoying that the monitor doesn't give you the option of setting a time in the future/past... But easy enough once you get your head round it. Hopefully it arrives in time for you to set yours by the morning of CD5! X x

You absolutely must set i

Sorry - dunno where that random half sentence came from!

By the way, you can just pee in a pot if you do get up in the night/05:00 and can't be arsed dealing with the machine then (I know I can't, I'd never get back to sleep!!). Just stash the pot somewhere you'll find it at a
More reasonable time within the testing window without knocking it over/someone else finding it first - yes the latter happened to me... Yes my cleaner is still working for me..!!

thanks very much for the reply- totally makes sense. i leave very early in the morning so my first pee would be around 5:am haha.

It appears I am doing exactly what i didn't want to do - get obessed whilst trying to conceive.

I think that happens to the best of us Waffley! I think that if you're a natural organiser/planner, then TTC is just too big a deal to leave to chance.

Looking back over my last ('first' after the pill, so had no idea what was happening) 2 cycles, at the notes I took in the Kindara app (how i felt, what was going on, when we DTD) has really helped me work out, with hindsight, when I probably ovulated. I've noticed from that that I basically missed the optimum shag days in both cycles! Now if I hadn't been 'obsessed' and made those notes, I wouldn't know that now. I might have started getting disheartened and worrying... But the more facts I have the better I feel. The monitor is another thing that helps me feel like I'm in control (when lets be frank - I definitely am not - control has very clearly really been delegated to Mother Nature!!).

Hi everyone
We are ttc no2 and used cbfm to have our ds. After ttc naturally since nov we are back using the cbfm (my periods were going longer than 40 days). Im on cd13 and still on a low ??.
Am pretty sure I may have issues ovulating. Think I do it sporadically.
Just hoping I release an egg soon!

Hi sunshine! Cool that you used the monitor successfully to conceive your DS. How long did it take if u don't mind me asking?

How annoying re the long cycles this time round. Are you still breastfeeding? I heard that has an impact... Will be interesting to see if the CBFM gives you a peak this cycle...

Does anyone else get way too many high readings? Is be interested to know how long you need to use the monitor for to stop getting loads and loads. It says it helps you to pinpoint 6 fertile days using the high reading before a two day peak, but I got about 20 high days last month, and have got another one today on CD9 but not expecting to ovulate for a while (ovulated on CD30 last cycle but am anticipating it being more like CD20-25 this time). It's a bit annoying as you wear yourself out with all the DTDing long before you hit the fertile period!

I used cbfm to conceive both my dc. With ds1 it took 2 cycles, ds2 was first cycle! I've also lent it to a friend who got her bfp on 2nd cycle so I'm a big fan!

Re the lots of high days, I think it only does that for the first cycle while it's getting to know your hormone levels, sure I had lots of high days first cycle but when did get to a second cycle only had a couple before peak days and then 1 after.

Good luck everyone!

Kaymondo - I love the success stories!! Glad it does eventually work out your hormones eventually. I have a feeling that it's going to give me too many high days again this cycle (my second using it, although the last cycle was so long it stopped working before a peak)... But hopefully it will settle down next cycle!! Although hopefully I won't have another cycle for a while

Hello! Can I join you ladies please? Had high hopes this month as dtd on days 12,13,14 and 15 of a 28 day cycle. AF one day late. Been at it since Christmas which I appreciate isn't much in the grand scheme of things but getting fed up now. Despite telling myself I wouldn't, I have caved this morning and ordered a clearblue advanced monitor and sticks. Notice above that you can start using it up to cd5. Am at cd1 now so hoping it arrives in time to start this month. Will report back...!

Hi guineapig!! You can absolutely join us, welcome!

I've been trying since Christmas too (well, I took my last pill just before Xmas eve, and have been coming back to 'normal' whilst trying since).

Fx that the monitor arrives in time
For setting by CD5!! Keep us posted... I'm enjoying using mine, just as I feel like I'm 'doing something'. And at least it's it's something that has a very high success rate!!

I have been using the cbfm for last 2 cycles had sooo many highs but never a peak cheapy opks give me a positive though.. I'm ttc #1 cycle 9 on 7dpo according to cheapy opk cbfm still giving highs! I'd expect af on 25th. Good luck all!

Morning all.

We've been ttc our second for 4 months, after a mc last Sept. at 12weeks. My cycles have got much longer since the mc, and I suspected we might have been dtd at the wrong time,( or rather I hoped that was the case, rather than anything going wrong in there, iyswim!) I'm 41, and wanted to make sure I was ovulating properly too. I even had a progesterone day 21 ( which for me was actually day 27/28) test done at Drs to start to cover all necessary bases!

I bought my cbfm just over a month ago. It actually arrived on the evening of day 5, so I lied to it and told it that day 6 was day 5! (Naughty, but otherwise we wouldn't have been able to use it this month! Call me a rebel!)

It wanted a stick every day from its day 6 to day 26 (my cycle averages 34-36). I didn't get any highs til day 17, then all highs til day 25. I had two lows before it stopped asking. We timed dtd around the middle if the highs and using my cm as a sign too, except we did it for longer after the cm, than we usually would, as the cbfm kept saying high.

Anyhoo, I got my BFP two days ago!

Am digesting the idea with trepidation, trying to remain hopeful but realistic and not too excited about the chances if a successful pregnancy - the consultant I saw after my mc said I have a 50% chance due to my advanced age, but I also have a v large fibroid in there, that might or might not have contributed to us losing our last bubs. So, for now, I am pregnant.

Hope I've not hijacked the thread, but I wanted to share how it worked for me. I'm holding in to my monitor until we have our bubs in our arms, but then I'll happily flog it/pass it on!
I had so few symptoms that I ordered some more sticks on eBay which arrived the day I got my BFP, so they'll be flogged/passed on soon I reckon!

Good luck to everyone. Xx

Im bidding on some fertility monitors on ebay atm one is only 2 mins away from me hope i get it this time need it so bad fingers crossed

i have my monitor now :) do i start testing from CD1 next month ?

Hello everyone!
I have been ttc #1 since January and caved and ordered my CBFM when AF arrived last week, didn't get the monitor and sticks in time to use it this cycle though- boo!
Would love to join you though, I found reading the thread really helpful and it is reassuring to know that I have it in case I don't get my BFP this cycle.

april we can figure out how they work at the same time :) this is going to be an interesting thread

We can hedwiggity :-) I have a bit of a wait though as AF isn't due until around 7 June. So annoyed to be missing out this cycle though will be good to hear about everyone elses experiences.
Is everyone getting their test sticks off Ebay? I bought mine on Amazon and they weren't cheap - worried that from the sounds of it you need more sticks that I anticipated.

Hi ladies I have my monitor and using this month as a kind of trial run so it can get used to my cycles before trying in earnest in June! I came off the pill in March so everything slowly getting back to normal. Will watch this thread with interest!

Joosie - massive congrats on your BFP! and great to hear you think the CBFM played a part too. Maybe I shouldn't be so flippant when I see the high readings - just had so many last cycle that they became the norm!!

This cycle am on CD12 and have had high readings since CD9. Sounds all very normal, but I am not expecting to ovulate until around CD20 (die to my shrewd calculations based on my previous cycles of 98 days and then 40 days... Having read other people's post-pill cycle lengths am estimating a cycle of about 35 this month!!). An very interested to see how this cycle works out and whether the CBFM gives me a peak!!

I think I will also use a couple of OPKs around the time I expect to ovulate if I don't get a peak reading. I've got higher hopes for this month, but just cannot wait for a regular cycle length!! Never going on the pill again, lol... recovering from it has made me so impatient!! ((Ok, I may have been prone to impatience before, but hey..!!)).

Hello to all the other ladies joining the thread!! Very excited to follow all of your experiences over the coming month(s)!!

April - I've been buying mine on Amazon too! I bought loads to try to get sod's law to kick in...

I have my monitor i am on CD3 today due off on CD5 cant wait for tomorrow for it to ask for a test it has asked for a time though ?? Should it it just asked for my CD which i put as 3 can i just test first pee of the day

I meant to say it hasn't asked for a time lol iphone

Hey hed - great it arrived! you just need to set the 'm' button in the middle of the 6 hour window you want to set. It doesn't ask for a time, it will automatically use the time when you press 'm'. So choose well!! Lol. My earlier post talks about it in a bit lore detail if you scroll up.

I got monumentally pissed last night which is very unusual for me these days!! Was wondering whether it would affect my reading because I'm pretty sure I peed pure alcohol this morning but it still gave me a high reading! Thank god I've not ovulated yet..!!!

((By the way I live in Thailand at the moment which is why it looks like I'm always posting in the middle of the night! ))