Advice needed on Ovulation tests

Marshviewcrew

Hi all,

Can anyone give me advice on what ovulation test/kit/ moniter to go with? We are going with IUI. My periods are rather regular but i want to be CERTAIN that we arrange the IUI on the right day. The clearblue monitor looks pretty cool. I like that it records all the history, but it seems like it might be more suited towards couple that are having a baby the old fashion way. Any thought/ advice?

ty

hopefulchar

clearblue easy digital. You will get a smiley face when it is positive. SO easy and always correct!

Marshviewcrew

Cool ty : )
the 7 strips or the 20 test strips?

aask

I use the 20 strips so that I have some left over for the next cycle just in case. Like you, my cycle's pretty regular and historically, ovulate on the same days. I start using the strips on day 11 just because I have a general idea of when I'm going to ovulate (this was after months of charting my cycle). Good luck!!!

hopefulchar

its much cheaper to buy the set of 20. And then you have leftovers for next month.

Marshviewcrew

so the next month just buy a test with 7?

Marshviewcrew

Just got my test in the mail, dont i feel silly. The test reader isn't disposable : ). Now i get it. ty for the advice

KJtrips+

The only way to be CERTAIN you are doing your IUI on the correct day is to be monitored by ultrasound and get a trigger shot. I wasted 5 IUI's using OPK's, IMO they are not accurate enough. I do have normal cycles and ovulate on my own, our only issue was male factor...but timing cost us many failed IUI's. I will never again use OPK's instead of ultrasound and trigger shot. Good luck!

Marshviewcrew

Wow it has been a long time since I have checked in on here. I haven't considered using an ultrasound or trigger shot yet. I have only had 1 IUI since September. My Dr. isn't in the hospital on weekends : ( and it seems I am a weekend warrior in the Ovulation dept. Tell me more about the ultrasound and the trigger shot pls : )

Marshviewcrew

Are the ultrasound/trigger shots recommended for any woman getting a IUI. I had a HGS preformed and everything looked great. We are using the IUI with frozen sperm due to the fact that my husband had a vasectomy.
I have ignored the chitter chat about the ultrasound/ trigger shot b/c i thought it was for women with fertility issues. Is this something i should give some thought to?

hopefulchar

All I can tell you is I have no known fertility problems and I just got my 8th negative this week. I have had every test under the sun run and I have been pregnant before. I have had 3 unmediated cycles monitored by opk and 5 cycles with 50 mg of Clomid. Two of those cycles I had a ultrasound to check the number of follies. The other 3 were only with opk. I have never had a trigger shot or the amount of monitoring that many women on here have. I have always thought my timing was off. This last cycle is proof positive of that. If my opk was correct I would have gotten my period on Thursday or Friday. It just started an hour ago so clearly those stupid sticks weren't enought for me. Not saying that every person is the same just wanting to share my experience and knowledge. I feel like the trigger shot is a big reason I have not gotten a positive. Frozen sperm had a short lifespan and it is very important to nail the timing.

I don't want to see anybody else go thru my heartache. I now know the importance of a trigger shot. I encourage you all to do research on what is best for you, ask questions to your doctor so that you are getting personalized care and know that your are your best and only advocate.

God speed

Marshviewcrew

Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble getting prego. My doctor has nvr before mentioned any of this stuff to me, so i will be armed with many questions on Monday's phone call I hate to waste precious time and money if there may be a better way. My biggest trouble is the no office visits on weekends. It is KILLING me. I just got a positive surge from my opk tonight at 5:30...so that counts this month out....AGAIN! I take it you are going to insist on the trigger shot this next cycle hopefulchar? Please share the results!

moewhit

KJtrips+ wrote:

The only way to be CERTAIN you are doing your IUI on the correct day is to be monitored by ultrasound and get a trigger shot. I wasted 5 IUI's using OPK's, IMO they are not accurate enough. I do have normal cycles and ovulate on my own, our only issue was male factor...but timing cost us many failed IUI's. I will never again use OPK's instead of ultrasound and trigger shot. Good luck!

I agree with KJtrips. Don't even waste your time or money on those OPK's. You can miss your surge and it's better to time things with u/s and trigger shot.

Also, speaking from the perspective of someone that ALWAYS ends up having to trigger and have atleast one of two piggy back IUI's over the weekend, consider finding a fertility center that has weekend hours. There is no way to have your cycles "follow" a Monday-Friday "schedule". The stress of that alone would be a deal-breaker for me. A prime example is last week, based on my response to the meds, I was scheduled for bloodwork and ultrasound on Thanksgiving morning! So just before we all sat down for dinner, I received the call with my results and instructions to trigger Thanksgiving night and schedule my IUI's on Black Friday and Saturday (yes most businesses were closed). I was truly thankful for the office being open even for a few hours for patient's like me. Because I would have flipped out and zapped out on everyone nearby, if after taking these very expensive injectables and having the sperm express shipped, that now I would be told "SORRY" you have to wait until next month because we aren't open. REALLY??!! Must be my hormones because I'm getting worked up just thinking about that scenario :oops: We don't want to set ourselves up for failure with all of the other variables that we have no control over. I hope that your cycles coincide with your doctor's hours and please keep us posted on your progress.

Wishing everyone lots of baby dust! All the best!

Moe!

Anne72

Marshviewcrew wrote:

Sorry to hear you are having so much trouble getting prego. My doctor has nvr before mentioned any of this stuff to me, so i will be armed with many questions on Monday's phone call I hate to waste precious time and money if there may be a better way. My biggest trouble is the no office visits on weekends. It is KILLING me. I just got a positive surge from my opk tonight at 5:30...so that counts this month out....AGAIN! I take it you are going to insist on the trigger shot this next cycle hopefulchar? Please share the results!

No way would I stay with a doctor that wasn't open 7 days a week. I had my first IUI on Easter morning. I often have Sat/Sun appointments and know that I can call any day with issues/questions.

I'm doing IUI #7 this week and if I'd had to have missed months because of limited office hours, I would have freaked out.

KJtrips+

Yes, yes, yes go to an RE, not an OB/GYN. My RE is open 362 days per year. They have all the equipment and knowledge needed to get you pregnant, it is their speciality. Best of luck.

sweetpea

After reading these posts yesterday, I e-mailed my nurse about just getting a trigger shot (my insurance doesn't cover any injectables). She told me that since I had gotten positives on an OPK that I do not need the trigger that it is only for women who can't ovulate. I told her hat I only wanted to take it for the timing and she just left it that I didn't need it. That nurse is quitting next week and I will get a new one, so I will ask after she is gone. Since I have read that frozen sperm only lasts 24 hours, you have to have perfect timing. Also, please let me know if you ladies are getting the IUI or ICI vials. I have had horrible counts with both types, but I think I will go back to the IUI vial.

hopefulchar

Most of the women on here do not have fertility problems we are just lacking sperm Bc if one reason or another. I have no known fertility problems and all my tests are "textbook perfect" says my doctor but I have done 8 iuis with no success. I feel in my heart of hearts it's because of timing. I am starting my first round of injectables with a trigger shot & lots of monitoring via ultrasounds and bloodwork. I can't tell you for sure but I know it has to help with the timing. I will let you know around new years the outcome!

Good luck

ladymacb29

Anne72 wrote:

No way would I stay with a doctor that wasn't open 7 days a week. I had my first IUI on Easter morning.

Ha! My first one was on Thanksgiving!

ladymacb29

sweetpea wrote:

She told me that since I had gotten positives on an OPK that I do not need the trigger that it is only for women who can't ovulate.

She's wrong - I go to one of the leading fertility clinics in the US and we did 4 IUIs without drugs. I have had all the testing and got positives from the OPK, but that didn't work for me - after two rounds of medicated IUIs (with clomid and a trigger shot) we got it right and I have a 10 month old now.

Sometimes the OPK just tells you the wrong day - it's important to get monitored for this reason.

For further information, check out what Shady Grove just said about monitoring/drugs: http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Why- ... tk9xUfssPA

k&b

I am all nervous and upset now after reading this post!
My Dr. is a wonderful Dr., the clinic is rated in the top clinics in the country, and she has a wonderful success rate. She told me that she has seen no statistical difference in her patients, that ovulate normally, between trigger and OPK. (as long as they can actually p/u a reading on the opk)
But now, I am doubting her and worrying this round was a bust...

hopefulchar

Don't stress please. Every woman is different and every doctor has different ways to achieve pregnancy. What is good for some is not good for all. I have told you my story before. I think we're I went wrong was not getting a trigger sooner but not necessarily was it necessary from the beginning. If I could go back I would have only done three with our it. When I switched from unmediated to. Clomid I should have insisted on the addition of a trigger. If you don't mind me asking what state do u live in. Just curious Bc your doc sounds a lot like mine.

sweetpea

After a lot of thinking and researching, I am still going to continue my journey in unmedicated IUI's (mainly because of cost). I am going to try to switch to a more alkaline diet vs. acidic (sperm like an alkaline environment). I am also trying to reduce the stress hormone cortisol by taking ginseng and rolly jelly supplements. I have added a Maca supplement as well. I am charting my BBT and drinking raspberry leaf tea twice a day. I also believe that my estrogen level is too high (moody, breast pains, acne) from my miscarriage in September and the alkaline diet will help that as well. I found an accupressure DVD that I might try because I cannot afford to go to an accupuncturist every week. I think that my main problem through all of this has been stress (family and money issues) and I hope that if I can take get everything inside me balanced, I will be in a better place to finally get and stay pregnant. This is just my budget friendly approach to this journey of faith and resilience. Like I have said earlier, I have become a research scientist!

k&b

Sent you a PM Char...