Pregnancy Advice - Sandy,OR

They worked great for me. I have two beautiful daughters!! We tried for months the first time with no results and the first month I used an OPK I got pregnant.

I was off the pill for 2 years and had been seriously trying to get pregnant for 11 months. Finally decided to try an ovulation test kit. The first month we got pregnant! I would say they work great! I couldn't have done it without it.

Hi Nancysue,

I used these ovulation test strips with my second. I got pregnant much easier than with my first. I actually had so many strips left over, I was able to sell the rest on CL
http://www.early-pregnancy-tests.com/pacof3ovtess.html
Much less expensive to buy in bulk than to buy the 3 strips in a package for $15 or whatever it is at the drugstore!

I also highly recommend Taking Charge of Your Fertility too, it helps you understand some of the physical signs of ovulation.

Best of luck to you and your family as you prepare to welcome another little one!

i used ovulation tests for my pregnancies. i just ordered the cheap ones off of ebay. they work! :) i tried the temperature tracking etc, but for me, that was a joke. way too difficult to see any sort of trend. good luck!

the ones at target are not that expensive, but they also have them at the dollar store. they definitely worked for me and my days of ovulation were different than those on the charts. so i definitely recommend.

Oh, yes they work! I really like the monitor that you use over a long period of time because it collects your data and is the most precise. I never used it for getting pregnant though but as my birth control. I think it works great both ways and I never liked to take the hormones. Good Luck!

Ditto on Taking Charge of Your Fertility - great book - and helps just as much as a kit - actually those are what worked rather than an ovulation kit - the important thing about it is to make sure when you cycle is - it will surprise you - once you get the hang of charting your temperature it is piece of cake.

I highly recommend learning to chart your cycles. I used the book "Taking Charge of your Fertility" (tcoyf.com)to conceive my second who was born just 3 months ago. I had low progesterone levels and never would have known had I just been using ovulation kits as I ovulate very regularly.

I bought my TCOYF book from Borders but i have also seen them on Amazon, or you may be able to check it out from your local library.

Good luck!

I highly reccomend Taking charge of your fertility book, You can get it at used book stores for about 11 dollars, way cheaper and I think a ton more accurate, I read the book in one day. So easy to chart and well it works well. Plus there is nothing better then knowing the day you are going to get your period for sure, that is my most favorite part!!

Looks like we are on the same page here, kids the same ages and thinking about another as well. I have used the kits for all 6 pregnancy's they work. One thing to note is that most often with these cheaper tests they say that the line should be as dark as the other but know that if you show a line at all you are or just have ovulated most likely. Go for it when you have any line appear. Other women have mentioned having different levels of hormones and that is what causes this variation to appear. If you know your cycle in general you can even tell your ovulating by the slight pain/twitch and or the oil slick feeling you get when wipeing after urination. Good luck!

Yes, they work. However, I found it just as easy to monitor my temps with a basal thermometer and do the mucus test. I was always right on the money.

Best of luck to you!

Yes, but it is easy to find the info online without spending money. The body has it's natural cycle (follows the moon cycle) and has very specific days and periods where you are almost guaranteed to get pregnant - yes I know it is harder for some...but for instance the three days before and the three days after are the most fertile...other times too...I have not had to follow this, as I got pregnant using the patch! But I have done a lot of research on this as I wanted to use it for a natural birth control - not so effective when you are in the mood and it is not time! Good luck on the info that you find.

I think the ovulation kits work, but they are expensive. I'd recommend both charting daily temperature (which has to be done in a religious way, at the same time within a few minutes every morning before getting out of bed) and doing the ovulation kit. The reason is that I found I spent a bunch of money on the more reliable kits, but you only get 7, so if you miss your ovulation day, you don't know and have to go another month. I was ovulating on days 29-31 of my 31 day cycle, but testing at the conventional mid-cycle time. Also my doctor said sometimes with the kits, you have to test twice a day to make sure you catch it, as the spike can show in a 12 hour period.

I also used a 30 day strips kit, which is messier, but I can't remember if I caught it or not. For me the key was the temperature charting. I also used progesterone cream to get a more conventional cycle/lunar phase. I think it was a key to getting and staying pregnant.

Best wishes, I wish I could have 3!

I use a book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility," by Toni Weschler, MPH. This book teaches you more than you will ever want to know about your fertility and cycles and it was spot on. I conceived very quickly and the second time around for #2, it took only once (hubby a little disappointed). I know many who have had success following the advice and charting using this book.

Good luck to you,
D.

they do work, i bought the cheap ones at target...i can't remember the $$ but they had like 7 tests and they weren't crazy expensive.
p.s. love the last part of your post....thanks but no thanks!
good luck!!!

I'm not sure about those ovulation detectors, but here's something to try. If you get squeemish, though, maybe you should skip this. I'm assuming that just women are reading it, and I'll try to be as, um, delicate as I can.

When you ovulate, your body will produce a certain texture of cervical mucous. I think I'll skip the details, because there are plenty of websites that you can read to explain how it looks, feels, and so on. It will last for a couple of days and can really be a pain (how it feels), but then it changes. This is my birth control method: knowing when I'm fertile by how my mucous looks and feels, and using a condom when it's a certain way. So far, I have gotten pregnant with this method when I tried to, and avoided pregnancy when I didn't want to. I'm 28; not sure how old you are--they say it's harder as you get older. Your kids are about the same ages as mine, so I'm assuming you're probably late 20's. So it should work. But it takes a bit of getting used to to know. Just google "cervical mucous"; the first result gives a very good explanation with all the details that I have spared you here.

Oh, and I like this method because it's free! :)

About three months ago I started doing Fertility Awareness (FA). It's mind blowing. I love it. Turns out your body has subtle signals that when monitored can tell you EXACTLY what your cycle is doing.
It can be used to either get pregnant or to prevent pregnancy. There are several books on the topic. I read the Garden of Fertility by Katie Singer: www.gardenoffertility.com.
I would recommend this over any other tools, ovulation sticks, drugs, etc.
It's empowering for me to know the day that I ovulated. I can see a clear pattern of estrogen phase(fertile)of my cycle and then progesterone phase (not fertile).
I know I sound like an infomercial but I'm so grateful for this knowledge.
Through practicing FA, I discovered that I'm slightly hypothyroid and progesterone defficient. I had asked my doctor and we did blood tests but she said everything showed up normal. But I knew things weren't normal for me. I don't have either of these conditions severely enough to be traced by blood tests. But I certainly had symptoms. I consulted an herbalist and she told me about FA. I'm now addressing the thyroid problem and I feel back to my self again. This is so much better because if I would have waited till it showed up in my blood I'd have a much bigger problem and probably a bigger bottom!
Let me know if you want more information about this: my email address is ____@____.com website is yogiemily.com.
Best of luck to you!
E.

I chart my cycles, which is a highly scientific way to get pregnant (or avoid getting pregnant). Best of all IT'S FREE, unlike the kits. It is not the "rhythm method".

You record your waking/basal temperature every morning at the same time (provided you've slept for 3+ hours), you monitor/record your cervical mucous and vaginal sensation, and if you're so inclined, you can even learn how to observe your uterus to see if the opening is high and tight or low and open.

It's something like 99.9% accurate if done correctly, and my hubby and I have been using it successfully for the 2.5 years that we've been married. We use no barrier methods whatsoever and we don't use any artificial birth control. I have an 18-months-old daughter, and due to medical reasons, I can't have another baby until I get healthy, so we have been using it to put off pregnancy for the last 1.5 years.

I had a friend who was worried about infertility who used this and got pregnant within 4 months.

Our bodies give us very obvious, telltale signs when we are fertile.

Check out the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". It shows how to interpret cervical mucous, shows you how to chart, etc.

I love my fertility monitor, I can do forever without a period. We are pregnant with #3 and all 3 have been with the fertility monitor. Clear Blue...strips are expensive, but it works for us. We got pregnant on the first month with all our boys. We wanted them close and this one tells you if you are ovulating, even when you are breastfeeding.

P.S. I also find the Taking Charge of Your Fertility extremely helpful and just good knowledge for a women to have.

Yes, they work! If your periods are regular, you can determine exactly when you ovulate within a couple months. This would mean you could stop with the ov. kit, and just keep trying a few days before ov. time each month. If you are not regular, use them every month. Another tip is to watch for "egg white" discharge, which signals you are highly fertile. Also, read up on when to try, and how to help both you & your husband become more fertile. This is really important. If I followed the "average" time to try, I would never have gotten preg., but knowing, I got preg twice the first try. Good luck!

I used a lot of natural telltale signs to determine the best ovulation time. It has been a while so bare with me if I dont know the correct terminology. 1)I charted my temperatures for three months to get an idea (the day before the best day you spike, then you drop) 2) I did the Saliva testing. They sell little microscope thingies that you basically spit into and then look at it and if you see fern like patterns, you are ovulating. 3) I charted my period for three months to give me a better sense of ovulation timing 4)Clear Blue test strips. I used these and they were right on.

I was artifically inseminated so it was very important to get it right to keep the cost and the emotional termoil down. I got it on the first try. That was basically a miracle for my age and with just one try, but it is possible. The average is about 3 -6 months of trying for artificial insemination. I dont know if it would be different using the old fashioned way.

I wish you good luck and keep yourself healthy and positive.

I haven't tried them, but have heard from friends that they do work. Another tip from friends that tried for while is to get the pregnancy tests from the dollar store. I hear they're very accurate and only $1, so you can take 3 for 1/3 the price of a regular one!

Nancysue,
Good luck on conceiving number 3! I have used an ovulation detector for both pregancies and they work great for me. I have the clearblue easy ovulation detector ($100 at walgreens plus test strips) It's very accurate and gives you a pretty big window. The challenge is that you need to use it for a few months before you want to conceive, because it takes a while to "learn" your cycle. I have also used the ovulation sticks that you buy in a pack for $30 at the drug store. They worked for me with a clear indication of when ovulation was coming, however they didn't do anything when my co-worker tried them. We did some research and discovered that some women have a lower LH surge than others, and the sticks are set to only read above a certain level. (I hope that makes sense) You probably won't know if they will work for you or not until you try them. They are the cheaper option by far, so I would start there.
I hope this helps.
Good luck.
K.