TTC Feb 2025

[sjwx]

Hi everyone, I'm on CD 7 (I think.. last month was a very weird cycle for me) and going to start ovulation testing with the easy @ home strips and use the app they have.

I've used the clear blue smiley face tests the past 3 cycles but wanted to try something different this month.. but I'm worried I'm going to read them wrong as the clear blue ones were very straightforward!

If anyone has used these strips, what time of day did you test? I've read not to use the FMU so plan to test at 6pm (due to work) until I get a line and then try and test at 12pm too..

And did you not drink/wee for 2 hours before doing the test? With clear blue I left it 4 hours but struggled!

Would be great to chat to anyone who's also hoping this will be the month🤞🏼

Hi!

I'm CD11, and funnily enough, have a parcel of easy @ home strips downstairs that I bought but may try and hold off using until next month... we'll see. I have a weird feeling it may take a while to get pregnant, so trying not to put too much pressure on myself early doors (its our first cycle of actively trying).

But, I would like to know and figure out where in my cycle I ovulate as I feel completely clueless and seeing as my periods can be fairly irregular, not a clue as to where to even begin to 'time' things. Hoping to learn a lot from others and their experiences... haven't told anyone IRL that we're trying and I think my friends have all fallen pregnant fairly quickly without too many struggles.

Good luck to you for this month! Fingers crossed for some good news.

Fingers crossed for you, it’s good that you’ve got the tests already incase you do decide to use them and get a bit of an idea on things! I have read about BD every other day but that isn’t always practical 😅

I feel the same in that it is going to take a while.. each month my cycles differ and usually I’ll have a shorter one, then a longer one, then a shorter one and so on. That’s usually consistent which is good when tracking periods however makes it difficult to track ovulation which is why the OT have helped me. I also tried going off CM but haven’t found that very reliable.

Since using OT I’ve learnt that I have a short luteal phase (which could be affecting things) so I need to work on lengthening it, and then last month I didn’t detect my LH surge at all and my period was very different to usual.. very confusing when I’ve always had the same type of cycle/flow.

I’m the same as you, no one knows we’re TTC and my friends haven’t struggled either, so I joined these forums to learn more and share experiences 🙂

I’m going to start the OT strips today just so I know I haven’t missed it!

Hi there yeah I'm new to the easy@ home strips but previously I was using MomMed on the Premom app. I do try and hold for 4 hours but like you say it's not always possible

Oooh definitely let us know how you get on with the OT strips - will follow with interest! Ha ha. I really wish our bodies came with a diagnostic summary every month - a print out or mental notification once a month that clearly explains what it's done and why... E.g. Due to heightened levels of stress due to illhealth between Christmas and New Year, the scheduled period in January was delayed by 8 days as ovulation was later. Normal scheduling expected for February. Slight headache on 12 January due to dehydration.

I just want to KNOW rather than just guessing/assuming things all the time!

Are you going to carry on using the Premom app with the easy @ home tests? I’m going to have a proper look at it all later so I understand what I’m doing 😂

Omg if only, that would be amazing 😅 and everyone’s different so what works for one won’t always work for another!

Hi, can i join please? I’ve no children & this is my first time using the easy at home strips. I’m on cd 9 and i used cheap ones last month (was my first time ever tracking it) and they had me ovulate day 10’ish. I think this month might be the same i dunno. I’m so confused as to what the darkest line means. Does it mean you’re ovulating there n then or does it mean you’re gonna ovulate within 24hrs because different people say different things. It’s a minefield. So much luck and hope sent your ways. x

Hi,
Month 5 of TTC our 2nd. I tried to take the relaxed approach but didn’t work so back doing LH test and BBT.
I don’t use the prenom app just go by eye.
I think everyone’s ‘peak’ happens differently some people catch it some don’t, because it can be gradual or fast.

I’m currently ovulating and got my peak yesterday. I tend to take 1 LH test from CD9 then as they’re getting darker from about CD12 I do one in the morning and one in afternoon or before bed. I don’t hold for hours, I’ve found in the past at night i do tend to get my peak more often then not, but this cycle I got it first thing.

(Ignore the black smudges it was the pen! 🙈)

Dark line means the hormone that release the egg is at its highest and about to release the egg. When the line on the left is darker than the right means ovulation tend to happen between 24-48hrs after you get a strong line. I’ve found doing the LH test and BBT I tend to ovulate very soon after my ‘peak’ but everyone is different and there’s no way to tell exactly, I suppose the BBT is meant to confirm it but all I’ll say is, yours are looking very dark yesterday night I imagine your peak would be today so get DTD!! 😂 ovulation is imminent.

Hi, would be nice to join you too please. I’m cycle day 8 so same as you OP. I’m on month 2 of TTC baby number 2.
I only use the cheap one step tests and tests twice a day after roughly a 2 hour hold as my peak happens really quickly. If I only tested once a day I’d risk missing it.

Just to caveat everything I’ve said above. I was reading a few posts and one of the ladies keeps testing after peak till she gets faint line. So I thought I’ll see what it’s like this morning, turns out it’s even more dark! I’d already been the loo so managed a trickle 🙈 just to test and it came up so dark straight away! So I suppose I thought I peaked yesterday when in fact it would be today.
basically I think I’ll keep testing till it’s faint! 😂 I’m DTD every other day any way so hopefully catch it 🤞🏻

Good Luck to everyone this month ✨

Can I join - CD1 today sadly!

@Mama09876 Thanks so much for that. We dtd cd8, cd9 and we’re meeting at lunch today cd10. Do you reckon dtd tomorrow too yea? I told him we’re to do tomorrow and Thursday too so i may as well since he thinks that’s the schedule lol. Also, please can i pick your brain about one more thing, is 0.78 too low? I keep reading about peoples being 1. & another woman over 2. Last month on the cheap ones the line was real dark too but does the score matter that much or is it ok to be happy that the line is dark? Thanks so much. x

@Mama09876

I think they’re defo getting darker! When it comes to the numbers I don’t know as I don’t use the prenom app I just go by eye and it’s clear from them they’re darker and I would say verging on peak. I can’t see how the numbers would matter to be honest, just as long as you can see them darker 🥰 (I might be wrong)

if you can see on my photo that one from this morning the left is darker than the right line so I believe that’s ‘peak’ but even if you don’t catch it you can see yours getting darker so I think dtd today and tomorrow you’ll be covering all basis 🥰 and even Thursday if that scheduled! 😂

I don’t normally test after my peak but I did see on MN someone say they carry on till faded so they know they’ve ovulated which kinda makes sense. I might test again tomorrow see if it’s gone lighter.

@PoppyGirl222

@Mama09876 your photos make it easy to see. I tested before lunch time there now and it’s up to 0.90 so it’s definitely happening. Waiting for him to break for lunch atm 😂. I’m gonna test once a day after Thursday just to see the line getting lighter too. I think i’m gonna stick with the schedule 😂 be a shame to waste it and i’m proud of his commitment and dedication lol he’s pleased with the brownie points. Hopefully we’ll be testing around the same time, you’re similar cd to me? I’m cd 10 today. The tww last month seemed like 4 flip sake i’ve zero patience. x

Hello all, I'm also CD1 today and would love to join.
We have no kids and this is my third cycle (and for a number of reasons will be our last cycle for a while so have all my fingers crossed this one works!).
For the last couple of cycles I've been temping and using clearblue OPKs. I don't trust myself to interpret the strips.
I came off of birth control last October and have had two quite long cycles since (47 and 43 days) so ready to find out what this one has in store for me!

Like others, we aren't telling family and friends and I've found it quite difficult so thought I would try and join others here for this month. Wishing you all a successful one!

Ahh good look @cltw! Hope this one does the trick for you, before you'd otherwise need to take a break.

I'm CD12 today and haven't started using the OPKs I bought so will just save them for next month now. I find the whole thing so fascinating - would love to understand my body a little bit better and be a bit more 'intune' but also know that I'm quite scatty and can imagine my testing schedule will be a bit irregular and all over the place - not the most scientific of tests!

Loving your schedule @PoppyGirl222! Surely every day can't hurt? I know SMEP recommends every other day from CD8 onwards until you hit your ovulation peak but... my philosophy is it only takes one little swimmer doesn't it? They don't all have to be champions! 😂

Thanks for joining everyone!

@Babydust82 don't know about you but this cycle seems to be going so quick! What times of the day do you test? I was going to start testing twice a day when the line gets a bit darker as right now it’s quite faint. I started using them yesterday and planned to test daily at 6pm after a 4 hour hold

@cltw fingers crossed for you! I haven’t tried temping before but thinking I might give it a go as I've read a lot of people do it

@PoppyGirl222 Looks like it’s defo happening! Yours from lunch looks even more dark! I’m very impressed with to both your dedication! 😂 I’m going for the every other day approach, & hope for the best.
With my 1st we did it the Weds & Sat and I ovulated on the Sat so hoping it’ll work again!

Yeah we’re at the same stage I think, I’m on CD14 today but must ovulate slightly later. Hoping to be in the TWW by the end of the week! Then the madness begins 😂 I do love having company in the TWW makes it much more manageable!!

I ovulate quite late so won’t start testing until Monday next week, with ovulation roughly being 7th/8th Feb. Tend to test mid morning and then late afternoon or evening

I agree! I originally only came off of birth control to see what my body was doing. I've learnt so much I had no idea about 😂

Hi! I think the temping is quite nice to give you piece of mind that you definitely ovulated. Last month my OPKs said I ovulated around CD14 but I never got a temp rise. So I thought I'd try the OPKs again out of curiosity and turns out I did get another peak two weeks later which was then confirmed with a temp rise.
Probably never would have caught my ovulation the second time if I wasn't temping which is quite nice.

@Taysonic yea that’s my thinking too lol and you’re so right it only takes one. I appreciate his enthusiasm and don’t they say happy wife happy life 🤷🏼‍♀️ bless him tho he makes me laugh he literally sings to my tune…..99% of the time so far during this. I’m very lucky that he goes with the flow, for now 😬. Tho he’s getting fascinated with the opk strips lol can’t believe how they go up & down so quick (and a million other questions 🤦🏼‍♀️)

@Mama09876 Its definitely go time lol 💪🏼🥚. I had that dull achey feeling in my side from this evening 4pm ish. I tested tonight and it’s dropped back to .71 so i reckon that’s prob it now. It comes on so quickly. I take it then i ovulate writhing like 24hrs give or take? We dtd at lunch today and pencilled him in for tomorrow evening lol and Thursday too just to cover all bases. That’s alright isn’t it, as well as the last couple of days? Fingers crossed you are lucky this time too. Gosh i’d love to be a mum but if i get all sentimental about it the tww is gonna be worse lol. How old is your little one? It’s only our second month trying so we’ll see. I’m determined to not be as obsessive as i was in the last tww…famous last words lol but i am gonna try and reel myself in a bit. It’ll be good having some company during it this time. I have sneezed about a million times yesterday & today swear i’m getting the cold 🤧 so annoying feel yuk. It better go away so i can keep happily occupied during the next two weeks. No one knows we’re trying so it’s lovely to talk to someone.

I hope we’re all successful. Sooo much luck to all of us ❤️🤞🏼.

@PoppyGirl222 i do find the OPK strips crazy how dark they get so quickly some months! Yeah so I think online it says 24-48 hrs ovulation after peak.
I admire your stammer this week! That should be more than enough 😂 but you just never no.
with my first we only DTD twice, 3 days before ovulation and on ovulation. So taking a similar approach this time.
My little one is 3, feels like the right time now financial more than anything! 😂 id of done it sooner if it wasn’t for nursery fee costs!

TWW can be painful just waiting to test! We had a few months break last year just with other stuff going on and it made me realise how much every single pain or symptom I think I feel i was getting in the months we didn’t try so couldn’t be pregnant! So hopefully going in to this one relaxed. Are you an early tester? I can’t deal with it myself but I do love looking at other peoples.

I am feeling positive now about this month, hopefully this is a lucky group 🤍