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!!

[Bohemond]

I got a BFP two days ago after using the monitor since Jan (at my advanced age I needed all the help I could get!). I have learned a few things which may help you ladies:

• peeing in a cup and then dipping the stick for 15 secs stops you 'flooding' the stick; I lost my first months work by doing this
  

• buy packs of 20 sticks. If you buy 10s you may end up using two packs for early cycles. If you buy 20s you may get to use one pack for three cycles as it starts asking you to test less once it gets to know you
  

• mine still gives me 5-6 days of high fertility before ovulation so make sure you don't overdo it and run out of interest/energy by the time you get to the right time!

[flyingchick1]

May I join too please? Currently cycle 3 Ttc DC2 . On CD 9 today, unfortunately my CBFM arrived on cd6 so will be unable to use this month but will be raring to go next month!

Good luck to all you ladies

[ChandlersFarang]

Thanks Bohemond for your tips, and massive congrats on your BFP!! would you say the monitor made a big difference for you?

I wasted so many sticks last cycle as it went on for 40 days - and never got a peak!! So have bought an absolute ton of sticks now ((hang the financial consequences..!!)).

Welcome flyingchick!! Sorry you just missed out on getting it going this cycle... Bloody inflexible thing isn't it?!

[hedwiggity]

Urgh AF is really annoying this month !! came on the 15th instead of the 16th and she has stopped this morning not sure if it will start up again which it sometimes does for another day or so but why this month did AF choose to screw around :( so annoying. i programmed my monitor at 9am this morning for CD3 now just going to leave it and wait for the stick symbol if i don't get one i'll just leave it until CD1 next month hopefully 16th as normal and use it then i really wanted to use it this month though

[supergreenuk]

I have 2 children now and both were conceived using the timings of this machine. Pricy but totally worth it. Turns out I ovulate around day 17.

[hedwiggity]

yaay supergreenuk another positive story to keep me at it :) did you find your AF was on time each month and what days/times did you programme your monitor and test :)

[guineapig1]

I'm also loving the positive stories. My monitor arrived yesterday so set it up this morning and on cd4. So first test stick on Tuesday. I have warned DH to expect a busy month

[hedwiggity]

hey guineapig1 so it takes two CD to ask for a test ? didnt know that lol im same as you i got mine yesterday and programmed it today wondering how long it would take to ask for a test what page of the instructions is it on ?

[guineapig1]

I just followed the instructions on pg 9 of the manual to set up the monitor and enter the first cycle. I entered AF as starting at 12.00 noon on Thursday which is pretty accurate and it initially told me I was day 3. To my mind though I am definitely day 4 (and this is way too much info, I never spot, just go into AF in full flood iykwim!), so I cheated bit and reprogrammed it to say that AF started at 10.30 am on Thursday and the monitor changed to day 4 which I was happier with, don't ask me why as there is no logical explanation... Anyhow, it then told me I was in day 4 and not to forget to test on day 6. From the instructions I think I am still supposed to switch it on tomorrow morning though not sure why.

[hedwiggity]

do you have the advanced monitor mine just shows a stick and the level indicator on the side and the CD3 it is on now lol it said in the booklet to program at 9am and i can test from 6am to 12pm by doing this im at a loss lol gonna go get my booklet and read page to page it told me to read pages 10-11-12 havent read the others

[guineapig1]

Yes, the clearblue advanced. Agree the booklet isn't particularly clear. There should be a FAQ section!

[hedwiggity]

ah im jealous now lol but i dont think id be able to work an advanced one lol

[ChandlersFarang]

What exactly is the difference between the advance and the normal monitor? I think I have the normal one... I don't remember there being two options when I bought it from Amazon though!

[ChandlersFarang]

How many of us are using the advance version of the monitor? Just googled it and they seem quite different, the advance one looks like a little computer with a touch screen showing graphs of hormone levels, etc. I'm a bit annoyed as I don't remember there being two options when I bought mine from Amazon! I've got the normal one but now wondering whether the advance one would be better. It says you can test for pregnancy on that one as well which is pretty cool. On the other hand I'm such an easy target for buying anything TTC related, I should probably stay off Amazon for a while!! Ha ha.

[Bohemond]

Thanks Chandlers I do think the monitor made a difference (mine is a basic one). It turns out that I run like clockwork but it is still good to know exactly when you are ovulating.

Guinea Is the advanced one different to the older one? On mine the point of setting it is not to time the beginning of AF precisely but to set the time of the testing window. For example, if you usually get up at 7am press the m button then - that means the day rolls over at 4am and will allow you to test any time 4am to 10 am. If you set it at 12 you will only be able to test between 9 and 3pm.

Once the machine knows you a bit better it should only give you high fertility on the few days before you ovulate. It gave me high fertility every time I tested (the first time from day 6) so the first few months were a bit tiring! On later cycles it asks you to test progressively later eg from day 9 so you can get away with fewer sticks.

The weird thing about getting a BFP this month is that two days before I ovulated I went to get my eggs checked at a private clinic (£350 for scan and hour with consultant - worth every penny). The doc showed me the enlarged ovulating follicle on the scan which was pretty cool. I do wonder if he had some sort of magic in his probe!

[hedwiggity]

chandler the advanced ones only came out a few months ago i think and they are just the same as the plain white ones i'd rather test with a separate stick for pregnancy seems easier to me

[guineapig1]

I'm not too sure what, if any, the difference is between the two monitors, tbh I didn't realise there were two different ones until I saw it on this thread. Just did the first test this morning - Low! Just wondering now what else to throw at it this month...I have bought a fertility yoga DVD which is very unlike me. Thinking I may give it a go this evening

[Aprilray]

I've got the basic monitor, I did see the advanced one on Amazon but it was more expensive and only had a few reviews (3/5 overall I think as opposed to 4.5/5 for the basic one) so stuck with the basic one.
On the whole I am just like you with buying anything TTC related Chandlers. DH and I started a baby fund but I keep dipping in to it to buy TTC stuff...will be worth it if it works though :-)

[hedwiggity]

Today is CD5 AF has gone but monitor still doesn't want a test yet i wanna test even if i get a Low reading which i will i still wanna test

[ChandlersFarang]

Thanks all for the views on the two monitors - interesting the basic one gets the best reviews!! That's saved me some money then...

hed - it won't ask for a test for a few days, but once it starts you'll be doing one every morning until after the peak/ov, so plenty of POAS action for you to come!!

[ChandlersFarang]

Bohemond - congrats!! I live in Thailand and was thinking about going to a private clinic for a check. Was it interesting? What kind of things do they look at? Awesome coincidence that you're now pregs so quickly!!

April - I've bought the monitor, tons of sticks, tests and OPKs so far... Amazon has taken a pounding from over here!! I was gonna order Softcups and Preseed but have realised I'm only on cycle 3 (and tbh it's the first one when I actually know what's going on inside my body, I missed the last two eggs!) so I really should just give it a bit more time before deploying an enormous arsenal of gadgetry...

Although am gladly buying lots of pink grapefruit juice to help increase the EWCM levels, I loved it anyway and can actually buy it easily in Thailand!!

[hedwiggity]

Oh good lol well amazon delivered my 20 sticks today so i now have 30 im hoarding them already lol it might ask for more than 10 a cycle at first so i want enough to feed it

[guineapig1]

Lovely news Bohemond
Hedge, is it on average 10 sticks per cycle then, once you are up and running and discounting the first cycle?
Did my second test this morning, low again!

[guineapig1]

Sorry hedwiggity, my brain keeps reading your name as hedge!

[hedwiggity]

Just did first test it was low BUT there were two lines on the test a big one and a thin one has anyone else had this !! Low reading but it boosted me for some reason expected BFP is now july to give monitor 1 month to get to know me ooooh so excited