Newbie needs all the recos/tips/tricks

[Sparrow91]

👋🏻 Hi everyone!

I’ve joined the ttc club and figured I should stop lurking and say hi 😂 I have officially stopped taking the pill and am (impatiently) waiting for AF to arrive to start tracking Cycle 1 😁

While I’m waiting, I thought I’d ask for allll the advice on what has been working best for you to help track cycles.. so please share any recos for apps/ best opk tests / methods :)

I’m currently thinking I’d like to track bbt and use opks but feeling a tad overwhelmed with so many options!

I’m 29 and ttc #1.

Hi @Sparrow91! I am on cycle 4 off the pill (TTC cycle 2). I started by tracking my BBT and using OPKs. They are great to do together because the OPKs will tell you when you fertile period has started (they will start getting darker) and your BBT will tell you when you have ovulated (your temperature will rise). I also recommend you download the FF (fertility friend) app. Its really the best for helping you understand when you have ovulated.

It is important to remember to test your OPKs in the afternoon, and to test up to three times a day when your lines start to get darker. And with you BBT its important to take your temperature at the same time every morning; I set an alarm for 6am daily. It genuinely makes a big difference if I take my temperature just half an hour earlier or later! Also, you thermometer needs to be accurate to two decimal places (so 36.37 not just 36.4), the thermometer should only cost £10-15 on Amazon.

My other advice is to relax, have fun and not get too hooked on tracking everything, haha! Easier said than done though! Good luck!

My advice is absolutely do not waste your money on a clear blue fertility monitor (or similar). Just buy the cheap Amazon ovulation sticks. When you take them apart, all they are are a basic OPK stick and an optical reader to tell you if there is a line or not . If the machine can see a line - you can see a line!

The same goes for digital pregnancy tests. All you need are the little Amazon ones and your own eyes!

Yes, I would second this. The cheap (I use Femometer brand) OPKs are perfectly fine!

Thank you @Kay00 @BlusteryShowers

@Kay00 thank you - I was feeling a bit stupid tracking both but actually does make sense to do it from your response. Can you track both in FF? I had downloaded Ovia but would much prefer to go with something that is recommended first hand! God 6am every morning sounds like torture.. maybe I’ll push myself to 7 😂 this wfh life has me lying in till the last minute and starting my laptop up in my dressing gown 🙈

@BlusteryShowers lol I was considering getting the clear blue monitor and so glad I didn’t now 😂 that’s a good point and I guess I can always run out to get an expensive one when/if I get a BFP! I’d prefer to save the money for all the adorable baby things though!

Have taken the plunge and brought some opk from Amazon (one step?) and a fancy bbt (femometer) that connects to my phone as I’ll be too lazy to write things down when I’m half asleep 😂

So excited and already a little too obsessed 🙈

@Sparrow91 great choices! Haha, yes its easy to get obsessed!

I used cheap Amazon sticks, 50 per packet for a fiver and I'd test 3-4 times per day . Also tracked my bbt. Those were my most effective efforts in conceiving my daughter.

Thanks @Kay00 that makes me feel a bit better 😅

@Chanel05 I was planning on testing 2x a day - what times were you testing for 3-4x a day if you don’t mind me asking 😁

When you OPKs start getting darker the I would start testing and Midday, 5pm and 8/9pm.

I'm currently CD 9 and expect to Ov around CD17 so will start testing daily from tomorrow, when my OPKs start getting darker (and I start getting more fertile CM) I will start testing three times a day.

You will start to get into the swing of your natural rhythms, its very interesting!

Thank you for the advice! I’ll be keeping everything crossed (except legs obv! 😂) that we get some BFP soon!

haha!

@Sparrow91 first thing in the morning about 6.30, 11, 4 and 10.