Cycle 3 using CBFM - confused!

[PinkDragonfly]

Hi girls!

As the title says, this is our 3rd cycle using the clearblue fertility monitor and our 7th cycle ttc.

I know it takes a cycle or two for the monitor to get to know your cycles, but it's got me a bit worried this cycle! Hoping that someone who has used it for longer will be able to reassure me!

The first cycle, it started asking me for sticks on day 6 and I started getting highs on day 13 and eventually got my peak on day 21 and 22.

The second cycle, it started asking me for sticks on day 9 and I got highs straight away and then got my peaks on day 19 and 20.

But this cycle, it started asking for sticks on day 10 and now I'm cd16 and still getting lows! I'm worried that my ovulation is going to be even later than usual or not at all!

Does anyone know how many "highs" you should get before it shows a peak? I guess it's different for everyone, but I'm holding on to the hope that it's just got used to my cycles and my hormone levels and so is reducing the number of highs I get before my peak, because I'm pretty sure i wasn't fertile on day 9 last cycle, when I didn't ovulate until day 20, even though I got a high on the monitor on that day!

 

[PinkDragonfly]

Anyone? Cd17 and another low reading on the monitor

 

[PinkDragonfly]

No one at all? Cd18, still low on the monitor

 

[Sunny.X]

Hi hun..

I started using the CBFM this cycle!
Got asked for sticks on CD6, got my first high on CD13, and got my peak on CD14 & CD15 then CD16 high (didn't ask for stick) and then today (CD17, didn't ask for stick) low.

So, I only had one high before I got my peak. The monitor will be still getting used to you as you've previously just said. The monitor will be reducing the amount of HIGHS before you get your peak. I wouldn't worry, hun!

 

[PinkDragonfly]

Thank you for your reply, sunny. I hope you're right!

Hubby and I are trying not to worry about it. We're having sex every other day in the hope that whenever I ovulate, we'll have done enough to make the most of our chances. It's hard though

 

[Sunny.X]

Don't worry it will come, just bear with it. Xx

 

[beaglemom]

I am on the 2nd cycle using the monitor. I didn't keep up with when it started asking for tests but I wouldn't worry. This cycle I had 2 highs before the peak. Last cycle it was only one high before the peak but I think I got some highs after the peak. Another thing is I think it is basically an OPK test (you can see the lines). The instructions say it reads estrogen & LH. But you test once a day. People who use OPKs usually test AM & PM. So your levels may be varying during the day. I hope I am making sense. Something else you may want to try is buying the cheapo OPKs online & testing with those 2 times a day while still using the monitor. But I don't think it is necessary. Just try having regular sex & kicking it up a notch when the monitor tells you to.

 

[PinkDragonfly]

Well, I'm cd19 today and still getting a low reading on the monitor, but I did a cheap opk and I think it looks positive?

https://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af167/Pinkdragonfly1984/image_zpsf18d8da5.jpg

I'm a bit useless when it comes to opks because I've never managd to catch my surge with them - I usually get no second line at all. The control line isn't very uniform on this test, so maybe it's faulty and I should disregard it?

If I ovulate, I'll know anyway because I'm charting my bbt this cycle too, but I can't help worrying when I've had so many "highs" during my last two cycles and now none at all. I guess there's still tomorrow! Although, with an opk like that, I would have expected a "high" this morning?

 

[Sunny.X]

I use the OPKS and the monitor too, and this month my OPKS have been way out of sync with my monitor. I'm on lows now after previously having my peaks, but tested with an OPK today and was positive. I don't think OPK are too reliable(the digital ones are good though), I'd be going off my monitor. X

 

[Briss]

CBFM is usually spot on and I trust it completely (it's much more reliable than OPK in my experience) but it can sometimes miss your LH surge. It happened to me a couple of times but usually there is some kind of problem that makes it miss it. Last time I had laparoscopy which threw my cycle completely and CBFM could not give me PEAk for two following cycles. I do not usually get more than 3-4 HIGHs before a PEAK so if I get 5-6 HIGHs I do OPK to double check. This cycle I got 7 HIGHs but got a + OPK on my 6th HIGH. still no temp shift so I know I have not ovulated yet. I never O after CD14 so if I get another HIGH tomorrow I will stop testing until the next cycle.

I'd recommend BD cos you got positive OPK and see if CBFM can give you PEAk in the next couple of days.

Also just a tip once you get your PEAK stop testing as it will automatically give you second PEAK followed by HIGH (saves you some sticks).

 

[PinkDragonfly]

Thanks girls

We've been having sex every other day this week, so we should have things covered

I got another positive opk with my fmu this morning and my monitor went straight to peak today, with no highs at all! No idea why that would be but at least it looks like I am going to ovulate! I'm temping as well, so I'll know one way or the other.

Makes me a bit nervous about using the cbfm though! The whole point of it is that it's supposed to identify more fertile days than opks, but that certainly hasn't been the case for me this cycle!

 

[Sunny.X]

Yay.. That's great! Fingers crossed for you!