TTCR: Who used a Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor?

[toutsuite]

Did you buy the machine new or is it used? If new what you are seeing is not abnormal...if used did you do a hard reset? Three days of highs isn't uncommon...as the machine learns about you and your cycle the number of highs will decrease. Some people get like ten days of highs when they first start using the machine.

Also you aren't supposed to read the sticks but you kind of can. You can use the opks and sticks to cross reference one another. The stocks can also help tell you whether you have ovulated (though charting is really the only way to definitively confirm.). All this to say I would keep the sticks until you can confirm you o'ed.

[212]

First cycle using it (brand new) I got 5 high days, 2 peak, then another day of high. Every other cycle I got 4 high, 2 peak, 1 high. They always lined up with my opks, except last cycle my opks were a little wonky.

[Brie]

Just going to PIP because it's easier. Sorry if it's huge. First cycle TTC this kid.

[changedname]

I'm on my first month of using it and am on day 3 of highs too. Im only on cd 9 thougj and normally ovulate (pre dd) around cd 14.

I feel like once it gets to know you, you typically have 3 days if highs, a peak then one more high day. I only used it for a couple of cycles last time though.

[212]

This was what cycle 6 looked like for me. According to the manual it's almost perfect, but I was still getting 4 days of high instead of three pre-peak.

[Blue Moon]

Here's my chart from the cycle I got pregnant with DD if you want to lol. Yes, that's 18 days of high and no peak at all. I believe I threw the monitor across the room after day 18 of high. I was pretty shocked at the BFP.

[212]

Jan 16, 2015 20:14:05 GMT -5 Blue Moon said:

Here's my chart from the cycle I got pregnant with DD if you want to lol. Yes, that's 18 days of high and no peak at all. I believe I threw the monitor across the room after day 18 of high. I was pretty shocked at the BFP.

I'd have pulled an Office Space on that sucker. That's CRAZY.

[thebreakfastclub]

I would get 2 highs, 2 peaks and a final high. I might have missed some early highs because I did every other day until I was close to ovulation.

I did not use other OPKs but I temped.

[ewall]

I would get 10+ days of high readings. Like Blue Moon I wanted to smash the damn thing to pieces. It did get my peak days correct (finally). I had/have PCOS so the monitor isn't supposed to be as effective, but I used it anyway. I started wondfo OPKs after I has several days of high readings.

[thebreakfastclub]

I love looking at people's charts.

I am such a dork.

[212]

Jan 16, 2015 21:14:56 GMT -5 thebreakfastclub said:

I love looking at people's charts.

I am such a dork.

Me too. I'm fascinated by them.

So for other chart lovers,

[toutsuite]

Here is a post from getp asking about cbefm I responded to. Sorry in advance for the length. I researched the crap out of the cbefm after my m/c when I was consumed with getting pregnant again asap. It might/might not be useful.

"The CBEFM sticks you aren't "supposed" read although there are tutorials on how you can read them sometimes when you compare the sticks side by side..... If I remember correctly, the two lines for a peak reading will usually be of equal darkness (which is actually fairly light). .....Once you get a peak reading from the CBEFM, it goes into auto mode. Usually (though not always) after your LH surge, when your body successfully O'ed the line on the right (progesterone) will get darker during the luteal phase of your cycle and the line on the left (estrogen) will get lighter during the same phase. The estrogen line (line on left) is usually darker during the follicular phase.

A bunch of my friends have used the machine successfully and I researched how to use it with the intention of using it TTC but ended up not needing to. Be aware that while the machine can pick up on an LH surge .....it doesn't confirm you actually ovulated. You could have several LH surges during your cycle and the machine won't pick up on a second LH surge after the first peak reading. The next LH surge it will pick up on will be the LH surge associated with your next cycle once the machine resets. The only way for you to confirm you O'ed from that LH surge is for you to chart your temps. The sticks can help you confirm O because the darkness of the lines will swap places in which one is dominant (if that makes any sense). Sometimes, your body could gear up to O many times a month but not actually do so which can cause the machine to give you an inaccurate peak reading. Multiple LH surges can be normal, or it can happen if your body is adjusting after a m/c or if you have PCOS where your body may naturally produce more or less of a certain hormone. Also, it can sometimes take the machine a few months to adjust to your cycles and the readings you are getting from the sticks if it is a new machine.

What I would do if I were in your shoes (note: I have absolutely no medical experience) - if you don't mind spending a couple extra bucks this cycle (because those sticks can get stupidly expensive), I would keep using the CBEFM sticks once a day until the line on the right (progesterone) gets darker and the line on the left (estrogen) gets lighter. Also, keep using the machine until it gives you a peak. While it looks like you had a LH surge, the dark estrogen line on the left would make me question whether I actually O'ed from that LH surge or not. I would then stop using the sticks once the line on right (progesterone) started to get darker than the line on the left (and after the machine gave me a peak reading which correlated with the sticks). If you have cheapo Wondfos or whatever, you can use the Wondfos to confirm the "readings" on the CBEFM sticks. Ideally, you will bd the day before, the day of, and the day after you get the peak reading since the whole appeal of the CBEFM machine is to give you more advanced notice of when you will O so you can TI. As noted above, the "ideal" peak reading (not using the machine) is basically when both the estrogren and progesterone lines are of equal darkess (though they are actually pretty light lines if that makes any sense). You may not always get the "ideal" hence why its helpful to double check with cheapo Wondfos when you initially start using the machine until you learn your norm.

Sorry this got so long. I hope it wasn't too confusing and was somewhat helpful!"