Scared to use ovulation strips

[Luckylola12]

Hi all, so ive had the worst night sleep as all ive been thinking about is if i can conceive. This has probably got worse as i constantly google things! Heres the facts.....
Age, 27
Came off pill august 2018 after being on pill for 10 years (microgicon)
1st af 1st december
2nd af 9th jan
3rd af 17th feb
4th af 30th march
So as you can see my cycles are long and google says this could mean you dont ovulate!
Im so scared as i really want kids and would be devestated if i cant. Any similar success stories? Am i being stupid?

Step away from Google :)

Your cycles are fairly regular, every 40 days or so – which is better news than coming entirely at random. Just gives you fewer chances per year than someone who has 28-day cycles.

Do you look for signs of ovulation, eg increased discharge, rampant horniness, increase in energy levels? Particularly around 2 weeks before your period.

I would say you are having consistent cycles so you are ovulating. It takes a while for your periods to settle after being on contraception for so long. Mine varied from 29-39 days. Before they settled at 31/32 days.

It may be worth doing ovulation tests but you could spend a lot if you are ensure as to when you are supposed to be ovulating. They are quite difficult to read too.
As PP said, look for increased CM and your sex drive levels. Failing that, you could always try the BBT tracking route. Super easy and was spot on with me.

We did have fertility issues - but due to low sperm count (teenage measles)

Like you, in the early days of ttc I was petrified of the ovulation kit. Even tho my cycles were coming every month, between 26-28 days, and I had all the signs ie egg white CM I was convinced as the months wore on and there was no BFP that I was not ovulating. Once we were referred for fertility treatment I had several Day 21 blood tests that confirmed I was indeed ovulating

Even after testing and low sperm count was confirmed, I ask about me not ovulation due to inconsistent home OPK tests. The consultant just brushed me off and said OPK are notorious amongst medical professionals for inaccuracies.

In hindsight I wish I hadn’t wasted the money.

Also four month off the pill is not that long.

Best of wishes on your journey x x

Lucky, I am in a really similar position to you. Im also 27, was on Microgynon since I was 17 and came off in Dec 2018. I've had a 39 day cycle and then a 37 day one and I am 100% ovulating as im tracking using BBT and OPKs.

Do both if you feel the need for the security of knowing like I do. We will get our babies, I am positive.

@burritofan thankyou! I havent looked for any other signs of ovulating as it all confuses me! But i will look into it a lot more now thanks!

@snowflake9 i do need to start the bbt tracking thankyou for your help!

@blondiecub0109 thankyou for sharing your story! Do you mind if i ask if you have had sucess?

@92AP wow we are on the same track then! I really need to try tracking bbt, what have you used to help? Also good luck to you too =)

Yes - third time lucky (2nd frozen embryo after a fresh that was a cluster and a MC with the second) a DS born 6 weeks ago. And one embryo in the freezer still.

HOWEVER - you are younger than I was (I was 33) you’ve not been trying as long AND it a big step up from where you are now to IVF. Please just keep trying but do speak to your GP if you need reassurance -0 they might get you a Day21 blood test to ease your mind.

Hi @luckylola12

No useful advice but just wanted to say I am in the same boat (cam off the pill Aug 2018 and having few periods with 35-40 day cycle). I am tracking BBT and I do find it easy - not showing any good temp increases for me yet though but fingers crossed! I have tried OPKs but I read that if you have a short LH surge you might need to do them twice a day during fertile periods which just seems anxiety inducing especially because I have no clear picture of when my (possibly) fertile period is!

Good luck!

Thankyou and congratulations =)

@seventytwoseventythree thanks fot sharing your story! I will deffo try to track my bbt. Out of interest where did you buy a thermonitor from?

I bought mine on eBay and downloaded the fertility friend app. If you have any questions please do ask me! I also started taking pregnancy multivitamins the month before I conceived. Just asdas own xx

Not everyone's idea of fun, but your cervix will change position at texture throughout your menstrual cycle--forwards, down and soft when about to ovulate in my case. That and being rampantly horny are my tell tale signs.

@snowflake9 i dont have an ebay account is there a amazon one similar? I have some clearblue ovulation tests which i will use aswell =)

This looks like mine. I think I paid similar too

www.amazon.co.uk/BabyMad%C2%AE-Basal-Thermometer-Ovulation-Tests/dp/B014L9UVHC?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=bd56ef92-8166-528b-a5c9-8fa815560cda&pf_rd_r=C7PY64WTYBD1RK2T15G9&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-6&pf_rd_t=30901&ref_=Oct_CATRatedC_2826718031_3&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&pf_rd_i=2826718031

Keep it by your bed and set an alarm and before you get out of bed stick it under your tongue and record the temperature.

The FF App will determine when you ovulate, it can only tell you when you have ovulated though, not when you are about too. I noticed a huge drop in my temp the day I would ovulate and then a spike after.

X

That one youve linked is similar to mine. I use Natural Cycles app as it has a really good graph and good predictions but you do pay for it. Theres plenty of free apps like Ovia and Clue that are good too. I keep it on top of my phone every night so when my alarm goes off I stick it straight in my mouth as im turning the alarm off. I lay till it beeps (normally about 30 seconds) then get up and add it into the app. Temp should be between 36C and 37C ish all the time but lower end first half of your cycle, then it should for dip a day or two before ypu ovulate before rising quite a lot towards 37C once the ovulation has taken place. It will stay high the rest of your cycle and if your pregnant wont decrease. It will decrease a day or so before your period if youve not concieved that month.

I find it really easy and its a surefire way to know youve ovulated.

Fingers crossed!

Ladies sorry yo jump on this but what vitamins and things should I be taking whilst trying to conceive? Xx

Mummyjojo, absolutely folic acic, probably iron too. Me and dp have started on pregnacare this month as i've been recomended it twice by two mates who say they both got caught the first month they started with it but its no different from a normal multivit and extra folic acid really.

Just take folic acid + vitamin D, ideally in a generic prenatal that covers all bases to keep you healthy while the foetus, which acts like a parasite (albeit a beloved one!), nicks all your good health.

Everything else – black cohosh, ubiqionol, red clover, whatever – is just Holland & Barrett snake oil preying on the fears we ALL have that we'll be the % of women who can't conceive. Honestly you can drive yourself nuts and bankrupt yourself with supplements but folic acid, vitamin D and lots of shagging is the first thing to try (for at least a year before anything else).

I used ovulation strips (cheap ones off the internet) as I have endometriosis and my cycles were all over the place, anything from 23 to 40 days.

I now know that I ovulate and my period starts exactly 14 days later but that ovulation can take place at any time so I used to start dip testing from day 8 onwards at the exact same time every day.

It worked and I had a baby who is now 13!

Morrisons own and Asda own pregnancy multivitamins are a fraction of the cost and have the exact same things in them as pregnacare.

@snowflake9 thankyou! I have ordered that one =) also thanks for the tips on vitamins! The branded ones are so expensive!

Thanks @92AP =) i will follow your advice for sure! Fingers crossed =)

@gillianusedtolivehere thanks for sharing your story! I look forward to trying out everything i have learnt =)