Should I get the Fertility Monitor?

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-18-2003
Should I get the Fertility Monitor?
3
Fri, 10-03-2003 - 4:49pm
Hey Everyone, I'm moving onto cycle 7. I'm just wondering if I should break down and buy the Fertility Monitor from Clear Plan/Clear Blue/Whoever? Has anyone had success with it? Or is it a big waste?

Thanks!

Em

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-02-2003
Fri, 10-03-2003 - 4:54pm
Hi Em,

I have the same question as you...

My RE told me "don't waste your money" and to just rely on temps but...I am considering it also, just to take the guessing out..I try to rationalize the cost by comparing what I

spend on other things, etc. I think it would be a great peace of mind to know that you are "absolutely" on top of things.. If AF comes Tues (as expected) I'm putting one on the VISA!!!!

michelle
Visitor (not verified)
anonymous user
Fri, 10-03-2003 - 5:10pm
Hi Em,

I have the clear plan fert. monitor. This is my 2nd month using it and I LOVE it. I got mine off ebay for $125.00, I refused to pay the $200 the website and stores wanted. If you bid it right on ebay you can get the monitor and test strips for about $150.00 I would say, I just bought the monitor and paid full price for the testing sticks ($50 ouch!) but I guess it will be worth it..hoping. I did not have luck my first month but it did give me my 2 peak fert. days late in my cycle, I have a 34-40 day cycles so I wasn't Oing (if I did O) until cd 20 or so but due to the fact I did not think I was Oing every single month (skipped af all together in July this year, so questioned if I even Oed) so my doc said I could go on clomid to induce O if I was not doing it on my own, didn't want to waste any time so I jummped all over it. I just finished my 1st cycle of clomid 100mg yesterday and within 5-8 days I should O around cd 14-16 a more normal O time rather than cd 20 for me with my longer cycles. So far it's great, I had no side effects and took them before bed time. You can use clomid with your monitor the only thing sometimes it will give you a lot of high fert. days before you peak and the high fert. days might not all be accurate due to the clomid but my doc and the other girls said (who also have one) that the peak days you get are for real and it the monitor did detect your LH Surge and to bd like crazy especially those 2 peak days.

So to answer your q, after ttc for 7 mo. I would invest in one, it eliminates the OPK's and you don't have to test every time the monitor asks you to pee on the stick, if you know your not fertile just coming af and on cd 6 for your first cycle it will ask you to test, we all know just coming off af "most" are not fertile so you're going to pee on the stick and get low fert. reading, until the next month when the monitor realizes what length your cycles are it will ask you to test later. Like me last month (first month using it) it asked me to test on cd 6 well I know I was low fert., I just finished af and then due to my long cycles I didn't get my first high fert. days until like cd 16 (most people O by this time...so annoying) so then finally on cd 19 & 20, I got those two peak fert. days and knew I'd O either the same day late or the next morning.

This time around since the clomid, I am on cd 9 and my monitor asked me to test today (note: cd 9 this time, not cd 6 due to my longer cycles) and it was high fert. already at cd 9 (at this point in my cycle last month it was low fert. until cd 16) so the clomid has really "stepped up" my O process. I think my early next week I'll get my peak. While I am on the clomid, I will have a normal 28 day cycle, but only on the clomid and hopefully I won't need a 2nd round of it. I'll be Oing next week so I pray this is our month. Sorry so long...got carried away I guess :-)

Feel free to ask anything else I might not of answered re: the monitor.

Julie (29), DH (30)

ttc #1

c 2

cd 9

cc 1

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-18-2003
Sat, 10-04-2003 - 10:02pm
Thanks Julie!

You've got me sold.... I will go out and buy the darn thing!

Love Em

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-11-2003
Sun, 10-05-2003 - 10:27am
I'm also going to break down and buy one too. My OBGYN told me to come back to her in the spring if I wasn't pg by then. I figured that if I temp until then as well as you the fertility monitor, then I have solid evidence that I have done everything I can do. I just don't want to go in and have her say something like...buy and OPK. Plus, if we can conceive faster with buying one, then less stress for me!