I don't know where to start ?!!!

[MangoPineapple11]

Hello. Hope I don't come across as stupid but I am finding Google very overwhelming.
wanting to start trying in a few months but tracking my cycle now in preparation .
where do I start?

i downloaded an app but don't understand what I'm putting in and when . It had a crap explanation !!!!
I'm 30 and reasonably intelligent but this is a lot of info 😱please help!

also welcome to any other tips for getting started ...

Oh and I am in Australia but usually have availability to the same apps/home tests/vitamins to the uk

Hello! Hope you’re ok it’s daunting isn’t it? There’s so many you can try down the line but I wouldn’t trust just an app alone as they’re very unreliable as all our cycles are unique and ovulate different times! The only way to pinpoint ovulation is by ovulation tests (I use the easy@home strips you can get from Amazon a pack of 20/50/100) and by using a BBT (basal body temperature) thermometer every morning. Ovulation test strips detect LH in your urine and if you get a positive test you normally ovulate between 12-48 hours after this and your temperature will rise after ovulation has happened due to progesterone rise! I like the flo app as you can input BBT and your opks into this and it will adapt your predicted dates based on this! Taking a preconception vitamin now also will help too ☺️ I’ve recently started taking seven seas! Good luck and I hope this helps x

What app are you using? Clue is a good, simple one and should be self-explanatory on how to use (you have to ensure you enable the settings to show you your 'ovulation day' because this feature is not automatically turned on). This is just a guess date based on averages (so when you start using it, it will show ovulation on day 14 by default, if your cycle is 28 days for example). So this is not precise (many of us don't fit average predictions).

If you are quite serious about pregnancy, I would advice you get something like the 'Clearblue Advanced Fertility Monitor'; its easy to set up and pretty accurate in tracking 'high' and 'peak' days and will store 6+ months of data. Whilst the apps are just predictors, the montior is based on using pee sticks so it is as accurate as it gets.

If you dont want to pay the price for the advanced monitor; you could buy a cheaper alternative like the 'Clearblue Advanced Digital Ovulation Test Kit' and use it for 1 - 3 months to understand your ovulation date (it is pee sticks method as well, so as accurate as montior in detectiong 'high' and 'peak'days, but wont store data of consecutive cycles). You could then enter the ovulation test result in your Clue app (for 1 - 3 cycles) and it makes the future Clue app predictions more accurate (because if you enter ovulation test kit results into the app, it will overide the automatic average-based prediction algorithm and use your input instead to predict for future cycles).

Hope this helps; good luck. If you dont get pregnancy naturally within 6 - 12 months, do fertility MOT tests for yourself and male partner (if you are over 30, dont wait 12 months).

I used period tracker app (icon is a pink diary with a flower on it). You put in when your periods start and end and it estimates when you due to ovulate. Then a few days either side of that date DH and I just did it as much as we could (Sorry TMI😂). I did use ovulation sticks but never found them too helpful as they say once they are positive it's kind of too late to try to make baby as you're already ovulating, if that makes sense, and I was never good and telling when I'm close to ovulating based on the darkness of the line on the sticks. Hope that helps !! Oh ps if you really want to speed things up use conceive plus fertility lubricant

Meant to add, also read up on 'Sperm meets egg' plan. Knowing your ovulation day in a cycle is only step 1. The key next step is to be trying at the right time.

Thanks so much you this is super helpful!!!
I have had 2 early miscarriages from unplanned pregnancy before so I am hoping for strong catches
my DP has already had his spent tested due to a random issue found in an unrelated scan where they recommended it. Luckily all was fine there on his side.

I was diagnosed PCOS a few years ago but my periods have been very regular since. And seem to have egg white same time every month. I think I'll go buy some sticks and vitamins then go from there 😀