Unsure of cycle...What tools do you use to try and get pregnant?

[ash_paul]

Hey Yall! I'm currently trying for my second baby. This month I have been using the clearblue advance opks. I had a solid peak on Jan 11. I know they say you can ovulate up to 48 hours after getting this? Im hoping this is the case. I DTD up until the Sunday after I saw the peak. However i'm not sure about my cycle. Last month was the first time I actually paid attention I noticed that between November and December I had a 37 day cycle. I'm wondering if this is true or was it just for one month? Maybe stress delayed it? Although I have been using an ovulation calendar this month and it lined up with my ovulation kit on about when I would ovulate.

I know a lot of people are using the basal thermometers? How does that work?

Would love to hear about both.

 

[Glitch]

I use 2 different apps and little ovulation stick kits I buy in bulk from Amazon.

My cycle has never been regular though, so all 3 tell me completely different dates

I've never understood the temperature business though. I always thought my temp would depend on whether or not I'd put the heating on that evening

 

[happycupcake]

I use the cheap strip OPKs which have always been reliable for me. They're positive when the test line is as dark or darker than the control line.
With temping this is really useful when used with OPKs as the OPKs give you a heads up to imminent ovulation whereas temping will tell you when you ovulated. It can also give some insight into whether there may be any potential issues. Say for instance if your lp is short then you may need progesterone. Or likewise if your lp isn't short but your temps are struggling to stay elevated.
The thermometer you need has to have four numbers on it rather than three and can be ordered cheap from somewhere like Amazon. I find vaginal temping more reliable than oral temping, so each day as soon a I wake I just pop the thermometer in and wait for the bleep then note the reading down into Fertility Friend. I also make a note in the app of any positive OPKs and what cervical mucus is doing and also cervical feel and position as these are all useful signs to pinpoint your fertile week and your most fertile days

 

[Dill]

Ovulation typically occurs 12-24 hours after a positive OPK, but depending on when you catch the surge, and how long your surges last, it can be anywhere from 6-36 hours from your positive OPK.

I use cheapie OPK strips I get off Amazon (Babii brand, about $12 for 50 strips) and they work wonderfully.

I do temp using a basal body thermometer that was also about $12 off Amazon.

FertilityFriend is the best app by far for tracking your BBT, OPK results, cycle length, symptoms, etc. It also has a very comprehensive tutorial to teach you how to track all of your signs, and tools that analyze various aspects of your cycle and pregnancy chances. It's fantastic, and while the basic app is free, it is well worth paying for the upgrade.

 

[happycupcake]

Completely agree with Dill. Fertility Friend is fab. It's usually accurate for me, it doesn't usually pin ovulation at the wrong time. There's been the odd time where with all other signs I have been convinced it happened on a different day but I'd say 99% of the time I agree with when it pins ovulation. It's so handy for tracking everything else too and I agree that paying for the upgrade is worth it. I paid for the year when it was on offer and it only cost me about £25 ish