Tips for tracking fertility

[TheSarahChronicles]

Hello there everyone!

I’m interested in everyone’s tried and tested tips and tricks for tracking fertility!

Currently on cycle no.2 and have had some very faint lines on One Step cheapo ovulation test sticks over the last couple of days but now back to nothing! Supposedly due to be ovulating any day now according to the ap tracker I’m using on my phone ‘Clue’. But feel rather bemused as the two seem to be contracting themselves!

Any advice on what’s worked for you when tracking would be very much appreciated! (And how fast your spike can sneak up on you too).

Trying to work out what on a earth a fertile window actually means and how my body works is confusing stuff

Thanks in advance ❤️ x

Cheapie opks rely on having fairly strong urine - have you been holding it for 3-4 hours before taking a test? One helpful poster suggested using them a couple of times a day, even using FMU if needed, and doing that I got my positive OPK one month.

I’ve found cheapies can get darker and then go light before getting darker and eventually positive.

However next cycle I’m going to add CB dual hormone tests into the mix as I believe they are more sensitive and very clear about whether you’re high or peak or nothing.

As a longtime Clue user I find it next to useless for predicting my ovulation day, unless your cycle is identical length every month. The fertile window is roughly right if you’re roughly similar in length each month, but it calculates it all based on a 28-day cycle and a 14-day LP, which not everyone has, and can’t adapt to what you input as your ovulation day. I might try ovia.

Other than that, checking your CM is pretty accurate - look for EWCM which is a pretty good indicator of impending ovulation.

Thank you @chevrechevre for your reply! I'm finding this whole process so confusing! Your advice has been so helpful! I've downloaded Ovia to give a whirl, had some mind boggling results from the OPK's and I'm trying to hold off weeping and not drink enormous amounts of water - but I'm not the best at this 😂 fingers crossed it's doesn't require me to master my cycle 100% before conceiving or I may be waiting a very long time! 😂 thank you again xx