# Anyone using the Clear Blue fertility monitor?



## sweetcheeks2009

Hello
I was just wondering if anyone is using the clear blue fertility monitor?  I'm using it for the 3rd cycle but have not reached peak fertility yet    Please feel free to let me know your thoughts, good and bad    I'm   i will eventually reach peak fertility

Babydust to you all

xxxx


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## Faithope

Hiya *sweetcheeks*

I used the Clearblue Fertility Monitor last year for about 6/7months. I got peaks on the first 5 months, then after that I didn't get any, only Highs. I knew my body was trying to ovulate because I always feel it  but maybe on those occasions i didn't ovulate. I was diagnosed with PCO this month, I have read that the monitor is useless if you have PCOS but as I have PCO I'm not sure if it counts for that too? To be brutally honest with you, at first it was an amazing piece of equipment to have but after not getting a peak-I was a mad stress head, my DH was completely turned off by it and his enjoyment disappeared, he said the amount of 'come' to produced got less because he said he felt like he had to perform. Even our consultant said that they cause more problems than they are worth and to just BMS every other day rather than timing it. Our bodies are amazing things and can tell when we are stressed 

Since I put mine away I have ovulated regularly 

This is just my opinion, it works great for many, just not me


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## Crossed4Luck

Hey ladies, I am!!!

As you can prob see from my signature, me and hubby had ICSI in Jan/Feb, tested earlier this month and it was a BFN, we were gutted, now we have used out ONLY free go on NHS we have to self fund next time, hoping to go again Sep/Oct so in the mean time bought a monitor and thought what the hell, not likly to happen, but certianly worth a try!! 

Anyway so far I had 2 > Low days, 11 > High days (which was frustrtating as we were BD'ing EVERY day, aghhhh, anyway today I got my first PEAK, yeyyyy, so more BD tonight, how you all getting on?? Was starting to panic after day 18 and NO peak, was morried I wasnt ov'in!!! 

Nice to meet you x


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## Faithope

*crossedforluck* Good luck with it and just remember that even with the peak, it doesn't mean that you are definatley going to ovulate-it just tells us that the hormones are rising to try and release an egg.  it works for you xx


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## sweetcheeks2009

Hi
Im only on CD9 so my monitor is still reading low fertility.  Im   that i will peak this month but i don't think it will happen.  If you don't mind me asking how long to you hold the stick in stream? xx


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## keyno1

Hi Ladies
I'm also using the clearblue fertility monitor. On my first go i had 10 lows , 1 high and 2 peaks (peak wasn't till day 1 , and this month i have had 10 highs and 2 peaks (peak wasn't till day 20).
Faithope as you can see by my signature i also have PCO , but i decided to give it ago anyway and after the reviews that i had read on amazon of ladies actual conceiving who have pcos . 
Sweetcheecks i would normally hold the stick in stream for 3-5 seconds first thing in the morning. XXXX


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## Crossed4Luck

So ladies had my 1st peak yesterday and today so been babydancing both days  

......anyway as it was/is the my first cycle I was using OPK's alongside, OPK peaked the day before it peak on fert monitor, also yesterday and today OPK back to neg, however fert monitor said peak again today.....I guess at least it was all around the same time eh lol xx


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## sweetcheeks2009

Hi Keyno1 - Thanks, i hold for about 3 seconds aswell so at least i know im doing it correctly xx

Sounds like it works for alot of people so im thinking if im not getting any Peak days im not ovulating.  Will just have to keep trying and hanging on in there xx


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## Crossed4Luck

sweetcheeks2009 - Have you tried using OPKs alongside to check fert mon working? I used OPK's and it picked it up the day before the fert mon did! x


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## Faithope

Hi ladies, I had a 7DPO progesterone blood test done when using the monitor, that month I only had highs but my results showed I had ovulated, it wasn't very high but did show ovulation. I also want to pass a tip on-I used to pee into a shot glass and then dip my stick for 10 seconds rather than trying to catch my pee on the end as one side is shiny and won't absorb the urine..


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## sweetcheeks2009

Hi Crossed4luck - What are OPK's? xx

Faithope - Its funny you should that because when i first used the monitor i use to pee in a pot then dip the stick in for 15 seconds, when i did this i got high fertility days, the following cycle i peed on the stick and it always read low fertility and it made me wonder whether i should refer back peeing in a pot   xx


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## Crossed4Luck

Ovulation Prediction Kit, Pee sticks! hun x


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## Crossed4Luck

Oh and ladies did you notice that that sticks are absorbant on one side only? I never noticed at the start then made sure I pee'd on the right side, not sure if that will affect if your pee'ing on them? x


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## Faithope

*crossed4luck* my previous post has a tip about the shiny side of the stick  It is non absorbant on the shiny side so best to pee in a pot first


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## Crossed4Luck

Oh yeah just read thats, how slow am I, I must have missed that post, lol  x


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## keyno1

Hello Ladies
I didn't know that only one side was was absorbant , i used a couple and thought they were faulty as no lines were showing in the little windows and it didn't look like it had absorbed my urine   . Good tip that faithope i will pee in a pot next time . Lots of      
to every one. XXXX


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## Faithope

Glad to be of help   good luck with the monitor   xx


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## sweetcheeks2009

Hi
Thanks, but whats the difference between OPK sticks and the pee sticks that i use in my monitor? Hope im not sounding thick   lol.
Also when i pee on the stick the one line is always there and very dark blue but the other is sometimes not there or very light.  Im on CD10 today and this morning the second line was there but very faint.  Hope you don't mind me asking all these questions   xxx


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## Crossed4Luck

Nothing really at all, except you are not surposed to be able to read the stick that go in the monitor by eye (althought as mist of you know, you actually can) the OPK show if your ovulating or not, however the reason I mentioed try the POK stick's too is that it was my 1st month with the monitor and they say it can take a few cycles to get to know you, so I used them just incase the monitor didnt detect my surge, and oddly the OPK picked it up the DAY BEFORE my monitor did!....I know the monitor works on E levels and the LH surge, where are OPK its just the LH surge, so maybe monitor didnt peak as sisnt detect enough of a rise in both hormones??!? I just used them purely as a bad up to make sure the monitor working until it 'knew' my cycle, now I know it can find a peak I prob wont bother next time (I didnt want to miss out on lots of BD around Ov), does that make sence at all?? x


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## sweetcheeks2009

Hi Crossed4luck - I see what you mean now and yes it all makes sense, thankyou.  The reason i got the monitor because i was using the OPK sticks but it was costing me £40 a month and the monitor sticks are only £20 a month.  Is that how much you pay for them?  I was at one point thinking im going to use both but i can't afford it every month  
What CD are you on at the moment?  Im on CD10.  Do you know what the 2nd line is for on the monitor stick?  I always get a dark line but the 2nd line is sometimes not there but today its appeared but very faint, monitor read low fertility.  Hope you get peak this month   xx


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## Crossed4Luck

sweetcheeks2009 - Try the line below for help. I'm on CD 21 at the mo, I peaked on the 1st time using it on CD19 and CD20 (yesterday and day before), so quite last into cycle considering I'm normally 28/29 days!

This is really useful, this tell's you all about which line is which no the pee sticks....
http://www.peeonastick.com/opkfaq.html#14

x


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## sweetcheeks2009

Hi - Thanks for the website, very useful    My cycles are always 40+ so im guessing thats why my monitor doesn't pick up my high days xx


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## sweetcheeks2009

Faithope, Crossed4Luck, Keyno1

Looks like i spoke to soon, this morning my monitor read high for the first time in ages!    But this morning i peed in a pot instead, all the other times i have used under my stream    Do you think this could be the reason why today it has read high or do you think everything is working normal?  I have read the booklet and it doesn't say you can't use your stream one day then pee in a pot the next so I'm guessing its OK but i would love to know your opinions if you don't mind as you ladies are much more experienced   xxx


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## Faithope

*Sweetcheeks*  for the High on the monitor  My personal opinion is that peeing in a pot is much better than catching it in the stream as it absorbs better, hence a clearer reading  mixing how you do the stick is not going to muck up the monitor but I would say that as you have a High from pee in the pot, I would stick to peeing in a pot in future


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## keyno1

YEAH WOOHOO Sweetcheecks , so happy for you that you got your peak reading   , i was so happy when i first saw my peak reading. Like faithope said i would pee in a pot from now on , i didn't and didn't realise that only one side of the test stick was absorbant (good job i didn't take them back , i thought they were faulty   )
Heres     that the monitors work for us . Have any of you ladies got treatment planned.
XXX


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## sweetcheeks2009

_Faithope_ I totally agree with you, I'm going to pee in the pot from now on. I'm so thrilled i got a high for a change, I'm just  i get a peak fertility day, never had one yet on my monitor xx

_Keyno1_ Thankyou i didn't get a Peak day i got a high fertility day. Which I'm still happy about but I'm  i do get a peak that would be nice  I didn't realise that either so I'm definitely sticking to peeing in the pot! I have no treatment planned yet, I'm waiting for my hospital appointment which is mid may. What about you? Sending you loads of  Where abouts are you in your cycle? xx


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## Crossed4Luck

keyno1 - Hey, I notice you have had a few failed attempts too, We had ICSi Jan/Feb this year and sadly a BFP at the beginning of this month, as soon as I got my AF after failed attempt I started using the monitor and was actually surprised that it worked fine due to all the drugs etc I took for the IVF/ICSI, had my 1st peak and BD'd like mad, he he, anyway we have our follow up appointment from the failed cycle on April 6th, me and hubby are looking to go again about Sep/Oct this year, as soon as we have save some money towards it. This will be our 1st cycle of self funding the failed attempt was NHS funded. £5.5k is such a lot to save, I think we will save part and the rest will have to go on a loan/credit card (ouch) as sadly we don't make enough. However I'm hoping in the mean time maybe the monitor might pay off, I know our chances are slim - nil, however worth a shot!  x


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## keyno1

Hi sweetcheeks
I got 10 highs this month before i got my peak and last month just got one high and then straight to peak.
I'm saving up at the moment we are going to see Dr G for immune testing as Ive had to failed fresh cycles of icsi and 1 fet . Don't want to do another cycle without further investigation , hopefully we will be cycling again July. My younger sister starts her treatment 8th April , really hope it works for her as its such an emotional rollercoaster and my other younger sister has recently just had a baby girl. Really hope it will be our turn soon .


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## keyno1

Crossed4luck have you considered egg share as it reduces the cost of treatment quite alot. Do you only get one attempt on the NHS ? We are lucky enough to get 3 , so im paying for all immune tests and then we will have one more cycle on NHS . The clearblue fertility monitor gives me hope , never gonna give up our dream of being a mummy and daddy.  XXX


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## Crossed4Luck

keyno1 - Funny you should say that, someone else mentioned egg share, only prob it I was a low responder, only got 8 eggs and 5 where go enough to ICSI so dont know if I would be any good, I could ask the question though!! Yeah in Glos PCT only 1 cycle, sucks, I'm apealing at the mo for another cycle, but not holding my breath!! xx


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## sweetcheeks2009

_Keyno1_ Thats good to know then, i had 10 highs last time but never reached peak so i'll see what happens this month. What are you having immune testing for? Hope all goes ok for you and your sister. Does it run in the family with your sisters? Congratulations to your younger sister  xxx


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## keyno1

Crossed4luck good luck with the PCT . Maybe look into to egg share , i think when when you are cycling with the NHS is the same protocol for everyone. With my first cycle i had the short cycle and only produced 5 eggs were as my 2nd cycle i had the long cycle and got 16 eggs ( we had our first cycle with MFS as st Marys were being refurbished). And i also think i depends on the drugs they give you as again i had different drugs on each cycle. Maybe ask for your records ?  
Sweetcheeks it does say in the CBFM pamflet that on occasion you wont get a peak , I'm   you do this month , the pamflet also says that you can still conceive on your high days  
My sisters partner has the infertility , she is fine and she is only 23 so has youth on her side  . I'm having the immune testing done because each time we cycle i have really good embryos. So i want to start ruling things out before i use my last NHS cycle.
Hello to everybody else  
XXX


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## Crossed4Luck

sweetcheeks2009 - Just wondered how your going with your 'highs' still high? Nay sign of a peak yet? its funny isent it as I always resumed that I woul peak about CD14 and actually I peaked on CD19, so you never know you might just be a late 'peaker' like me!! lol x


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## sweetcheeks2009

Hi Crossed4Luck - Thanks for asking, im on CD13 and i got another high this morning.  I have pains today aswell so not sure what that means.  I really, really wish that i would get a peak but im probably won't!    How are you getting?  And have you heard about your appeal? xx

Keyno1 - Thankyou im   too.  I really hope i can conceive on high days, that would be nice    How are things with you? xx


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## Faithope

*sweetcheeks* if the pain is near your hip area then it sounds like Ovary pain  I get that every month- the monitor would go to peak then hrs later I would get ovary pain...


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## sweetcheeks2009

Hi Faithope - Its more lower than that, like close to my groin.  I also had some pains today similar to period pains so not sure what thats all about.  When i used my monitor this morning it still read high so im not sure if im going to reach a peak     keeps me going though   xx


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## Crossed4Luck

Sweetchecks - I find myself popping by everyday now waiting to see if you've peaked! ........I will come 

Funny someone should mention hip pain, I get BAD hip pain, always on the right hand side after ovulation!! I'm 7dpo today and its still driving me nuts, funny thing is I always notice I get it but never linked it to Ov pain until I read the post, which is good to know I have a reason for it! The hip pain always comes with back pain too, I have a tilted womb so I know that my back pain is from that about ov-time x


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## sweetcheeks2009

Aww thankyou.  No peak this morning, still on high, but all day today i have been having period pains but im only on CD15.  Do you think this could be ovulation pain?  xx


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## Crossed4Luck

Hmmmm maybe you got any opk's to check? x


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## sweetcheeks2009

No i haven't    when i normally get this pain my AF starts 2-3days later so im abit confused why im feeling this on CD15!?   xx


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## sweetcheeks2009

Hi
Another high this morning and the LH line is very very faint so im thinking there's no ovulation this month      
How is everybody?  Hope your all ok xxx


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## sweetcheeks2009

Hello Everyone

I hope your all ok.

Just a quick post to say my CBFM was high again today (2 Bars), CD18.  But i did notice that the LH line looks more visible   which im really chuffed about.  When i look at the stick you can see 2 lines, rather than 1 line and another very very faint line, so im glad to see that something is happening.   xxx


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## sweetcheeks2009

Hi. Can anyone help me please? I've checked my CM this mornin and its a pinky colour. I'm slightly worried. Any ideas why its this colour? I'm on CD19 and CBFB read high again this mornin. I've also got period like pains again xxx


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## Crossed4Luck

Hmmm its an odd one..... 

on CD19 was my first peak so maybe its just a sign that your about to ov? I know of ladies talking about pinky CM meaning implantation, however if your still on high and not peak you cant have ov'd yet, even if you HAD ov'd and CBFM had missed it, the high would have eventually gone back to Low and would be to early for implanation anyway (5-12 days after Ov) so my 'guess' would be ov is on its way soon and maybe for you the pinky Cm is just a sign of that.

On another not, even though I ov'd late this months (CD19) I'm normally a 28/29 day girl, I'm on CD31 and my monitor is not flashing at me to say I'm late and no AF! Did I prego test this morning, we have less than 2% chance of it happening naturaly so I'm under no illusion that a positive would be nothing short of a miricle, well anyway been using internet cheapie and have a 'ghost line' on 2nd line, which I can only just make out in the right light, go me a little be excited so am gonna test again tomrrow, It is prob a fluke to be fair and nothing there but it did make me wonder 'what if' miricles can happen?!? Oh and also forgot to say on Saturday (CD10) I had the tidest couple of drops of fresh blood (only when feeling my cervix) and since then nothing, how strange.........

x


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## sweetcheeks2009

Crossed4luck - Wow i do hope it is a miracle and you get a BFP, you never know, sounds promising with your 2nd faint light.  Good luck in the morning and please keep me updated.  Im   for you.  Maybe your drops of blood were implantation?
Sorry im on CD20 not 19 and i only noticed the pinky/red cm when i was feeling my cervix too, but it was on the paper slightly after i wiped.  And because i was worried i kept going back prodding.  I thought i'd better stop incase i make it worse! and i haven't noticed any more since but i did notice after checking my cervix it brought on period like pains again, is that normal?
Thanks for the advice, the only thing that makes me think im not about to ovulate and that it may of already happened is that the LH line on my pee stick has started to disappear and be faint again.
Also is there anyway working out when my AF will arrive?
Keep me posted with your test in the morning and good luck xxx


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## sweetcheeks2009

Hi Crossed4Luck - I was going to reply to you on the other thread but i wasn't sure if i could (because this is the topic for CBFM).  So sorry to hear it didn't work for you this month. Big   to you.  I hope you have more luck on this cycle   How are you keeping?  Hope your well.  What CD are you on today and are you using the monitor this month?
Im now on CD24 and my monitor is still reading high   and my last test is tomorrow morning!  If it reads high again tomorrow morning im not sure what to do really because im abit concerned that i might miss ovulation so i was thinking of buying some opk sticks if this is the case.....xx


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## Crossed4Luck

Hey ladies!! What a blimming lovely day outside today, woop woop for the weekend!!

Yeah I'm gonna stick with the CBFM, so be honest I dont hold out much hope for it happening naturally, saw my consultant on Weds and she ran through the failed ICSI, her comment is that it was just 'bad luck' that it never resulted on preggo and advised us to try another cycle, yeah right would be great IF we had hte money, she adviced us that she would up my dosage and change the drun from Menpour to Gongal F and that it would put the drug price up, basiaclly on next cycle it will cost us 7k!!! OUCH!!

Anyway, while we are saving for the next cycle just gonna strick with CBFM in some hope for a miricle, she told us our chances of conciveing naturally was pretty much non-existant, double ouch.

So today is CD2 on the CBFM (still spotting a bit, only noramlly AF for 2-3days), so here we go again for round two!! ha ha

Hows everyone else doing? xx


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## Crossed4Luck

Ladies,

I've just started up a CBFM cycle buddies on the 'TTC naturally with fertiliy issues section', your welcome to join if you like! x


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## sweetcheeks2009

Hi Crossed4Luck - What a good idea, i've just posted on our cycle buddies thread    Hang on in there because even though the doctor has said, you never know.  They told me that and i managed to conceive naturally and it was a massive shock.  I'd started to live my life thinking its just me and my partner, so please it can happen, chin up hun.

OMG K7, how you going to get the money?  Don't you get 3 trys with the nhs in your area?  Im sorry to hear your news, i know its hard because i have been in your position, don't give up  

Good luck with this cycle but i will post about that in the new thread xx


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## keyno1

Hiya Ladies
Not posted for a while. How are you all ? Well my AF turned up about aweek ago so was feeling quite emotional , but onwards and upwards   . Started again this month with the CBFM , this will be my 3rd month with it (you never know 3rd time lucky).
Sweetcheeks i have read that some months you wont get peak days , i think it is quite normal. How far into your cycle are you now ? 
Crossed4luck i think sometimes the consultants can be quite insensitive , sending you abig   . Why will the ICSI cost you 7K , thats really expensive. Which clinic are you with ?
Never give up hope ladies . I know somebody who had been recently for 2 years been trying to conceive naturally , when she finally went to doctors for tests her DH had really low sperm count and mobility and then just as her name was about to be on the nhs waiting list she conceived naturally.  She always gives me hope. Our time will come and it will be extra special 
X


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## Crossed4Luck

keyno1 - Why dont you join us on the cycle buddies page if your using you CBFM, the more ladies to chat to about our cycles the better!! x

sweetchecks  - Gloucestershire PCT only offer ONE cycle on NHS so now we have to self fund, postcode lottery sucks!!

Oh and as for the cost, we are at BCRM (Bristol), only webpages price of ICSI, drugs and HFEA fee just under £6k, however consultant pointed out by time you pay for an extra scan/appointment oh and the fact we will be using gondal f on a higher does next time the price goes up, might come in just under £7k but its a realistic price to aim for so you dont get stuck without saving enough etc.

x


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