OPKs that actually work. Advice needed please

[smogsville]

Have tried the crappy DTD every two days advice. Sodding AF arrived this morning. In agony and sick of this (cycle 4, ttc #2). Had clear ultrasound and got tel consultation with doc on Thurs to get blood tests back (checking progesterone levels to see if I am ovving at all) but in the meantime I would like to know what's good and what's not.

I am at work two days a week and can't guarantee being able to POAS at a particular time in the afternoon as could be out at meeting or with clients so would prefer a FMU solution.

Would love some recommendations please. Willing to spend if I have to to get this show on the road.

Thanks ladies.

Get a clearblue fertility monitor. best thing i ever did i got mine in a bundle for £45 on ebay and sticks cost £24 per month or so for 20 those internet fake sticks are so unreliable i languished for months using them with id never bothered. and its so easy to get into a cycle of looking for lines that aren't there and stressing yourself out like a lot of the women on here do its just not worth the hassle you can also get the clear blue smiley tests which work but not as well as the monitor and they can flood easily and break the unit

Thanks skipping. That's exactly the sort of specific advice I was after. I will just wait to speak to doc next week to make sure nothing super weird has come up in the bloods before making my purchase. Ta v much.

your welcome i know how frustrating those little strips of shite are ive got the docs this week too my monitor has detected my hormones but no yet i've only used it for a few weeks so far and its normal for it to not pick up OV in the first month of using it but i still want to be on the safe side and see the doc good luck

I like your turn of phrase. Have just ranted at mum on the phone. She told me to be patient, I told her that was her asking me to become a different person. Good luck at the doc. I looked up my surgery online and asked for one of the lady docs with kids who got it straightaway and didn't make a fuss about referring me. I am rather dreading the tel call next week with the patronising man doc but would rather get results sooner than wait for nice lady doc to come back from hols.

patient does not come into TTC when you want a baby you want a baby and it can't happen fast enough

Exactly. If dd drives me batty tomorrow I might change my mind!

Hi Smogsville just wanted to add my two penneth and say I completely agree with Skipping on the CBFM front. Last summer DD1 was still born at full term when I was 36 and to say after losing her I was a woman obsessed is an understatement. Saying 'be patient..... It will happen' works for some but not for others. I lashed out on a CBFM and it absolutely saved my sanity, gave me a focus as well as reassurance that hormone levels were changing as they should. Paid £50 on amazon. Took 3 months of using it and am now 25 weeks pregnant with our Rainbow. Worth every penny. Goods luck x

Ruby thanks for your message. I like hearing the same from two people! So sorry to hear about your DD1. I can't even begin to understand how that feels. I wish you all the very best for this pregnancy, look after yourself x

This is really interesting to me, as I'm going to be starting to TTC July. I've got some of those internet cheap OPK but I'm quite happy to spend whatever for a result.

I keep getting mixed reviews for the cheap sticks and clear blue's ovulation kits? For example on Amazon it works for some but not others? As I'll be coming off the pill I'd like to know exactly what's happening with my ovulation but I don't really want to buy a clear blue kit if it's not worth it?

Clearblue does tend it not work so much in first month i know because i've just passed my first month using it. it detected lots of hormones but no ovulation this is normal in the first month and it does work in the 2nd month i went and bought a massive bag of OPKS from ebay for £5 thinking i was clever WRONG i turned into one of those made women seeing signs that didn't exist and crying over them OH threw them out after 2nd month of TTC and then we found the clear blue monitor last month its so much better it tells you what's what and makes you feel so much more in control i bought 2nd hand but if you can afford it they have just brought out a high tech one for £129 that tests pregnancy too or you can buy the normal one for £100

I think what I might do is wait out the first month while using cheap opk sticks, then if that doesn't work use CB. I read you need to have your first AF for it to be accurate which I don't know whether my cycle will kick straight back in or not. Just annoying as I would like to be able to trust in a product you know?

Siarie Because I really was a bit obsessed I actually used the internet cheapies as well.... I was a bit needy! I've got to say I found the internet cheapies were bang on every time. I used them twice a day for the few days leading up to when I was expecting O, at 2pm and 6pm (Don't wee for 4 hours before you use them) and every month I got a strong (you couldn't miss it) positive the night before the CBFM went to "peak". I used the ICs more to occupy me and make me feel better. We found the CBFM better for us because it gives you more days to try and we had been through a lot of stress already so I wanted to "chill things out" a bit. OPKs worked fine but only give you 24-36 hrs to DTD so its a bit like firing a starting pistol....not good combination with grief! Good luck with TTC x