ovulation monitor (fertility issues?)

hi everyone. my hubby and i have been trying to get pregnant for about 6 months, so far with no luck. i know we may be jumping the gun a bit, but we bought a clearplan easy fertility monitor to try and figure out when i might be fertile.this will be my first cycle to use it.
i am a bit paranoid that i might have trouble conceiving, because i have at various times, been diagnosed with fibroids, endometriosis, and ovarian cysts. additionally, some of my family members have had some fertility issues.nontheless, the last gyno i went to said i shouldn't have any problems. i know it can take years (mom said it took her 2 years to get preggie with me), but i'm ready to get this show on the road, so to speak.

anyway, has anyone else used a fertility monitor? did ya end up getting pregnant?

any words of wisdom anyone?

(besides stand on my head afterwards, or tell my hubby to masturbate....yes people have actually told me these things in all seriousness...lol)

 

Have you ever considered adoption? It's not always as expensive as you might think, and not all kids up for adoption have physical/emotional problems which is a common belief. By the year 2010, there will be up to 40 million orphans in Africa alone--and not all of them have AIDS. I can't say anything about fertility problems, but I just did a research paper on adoption and I'm a really BIG advicator of it. I just personally LOVE the idea of helping a life that's already here instead of creating my own. Anyway, if you have any questions on adoption, feel free to PM me.

 

Excellent idea to buy this to monitor.

I always had totally regular cycles and could pin point it down to an hour of starting to menstruate but my cycle ran at ovulation at 20 days .......but my menstrual cycle ran as per the norm......If I had of just used a rhythm method to try to time ovulation to conceive it would not of worked....

Mind you might of had a lot of fun for a little bit....lol

Good luck and shall look for a post from you that you have conceived in the near future and are expecting your baby!

 

thanks for the replies.

strawberry- i have thought about adoption, and if i were to find out that i would not be able to conceive, i would certainly explore that avenue. you mentioned orphaned kids in africa...international adoption has always been interesting to me, but isn't the cost staggering for a regular family?

heat- thanks for the encouragement. we tried the ovulation stick things where you get seven days worth of sticks to pee on, and i never came back as ovulating, which leads me to believe my timing must have been way off. i also bought this screwy contraption that was supposed to detect fertility by way of examining your spit under a tiny microscope. it was hysterical. every day it looked different, but it never looked like the picture of "fertile" spit. my hubby and i went back and forth on that one, between laughing our ass off, and arguing over whether my spit looked fertile.
with this monitor, you test at least 10 and up to 20 days a month, so surely i'll figure it out.

i'll certainly keep everyone posted on the er...developments.

 

Have lots of sex. I can get pregnant just looking at a baby!

 

that's been the suggestion from pretty much everyone i know, but so far it doesn't seem to be enough.

btw, how many kids do you have? 27? lol j/k

 

I have two. I'm VERY careful!! (now)

 

Have you ever heard of a book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler? This book and the methods it details are not for the squeamish. But it is a great way to really "take charge of your fertility"! My husband and I are going to start trying to conceive in about 2 months, and I have been using this book to prevent pregnancy. Once we get past the next couple of months, we are going to use the book to get pregnant.

Here is how it works: You purchase a basal body thermometer. You take your temp every morning before even getting out of bed. Record your temp daily. You also have to check your cervical fluid each day. Fertile fluid has an "egg white" consistency and is usually only present during a few days of your cycle. Finally, you can check your cervical position to verify that the results of your temp and fluid tests are correct.

What all this does is give you an idea of when you ovulate. Your temp usually rises a very small amount at ovulation. You cannot rely on your temp alone to tell you when to have sex, because by the time you notice a temp difference, you have already ovulated and the egg is on its way out the door. But you can notice a pattern of what day in your cycle you usually ovulate by using this method for a few months. In addition, by checking your cervical fluid daily, this tells you when you ARE fertile. And of course, your cervical position will tell you if the sperm have an opening to get through. During your fertile days, your cervix is open to allow the sperm access to the egg.

The book I mentioned earlier really goes into great detail on how to go about using this natural method of family planning. It gives you the sheet you need to track your temps, fluid, and cervical position. I highly recommend it to all women. Not only does it help you to conceive or not conceive, it gets you in touch with your body. I find it empowering and amazing that our bodies work the way they do. It also helps to diagnose and identify problems early on. I can actually have an intelligent conversation with my OB/GYN about my cycles.

I also have had experience with ovarian cysts. I have a disorder called PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) which usually comes with Insulin Resistance. I have been put on Glucophage for those conditions, and it has helped a great deal. I have lost 40 pounds and I actually ovulate now instead of making cysts out of my eggs! It's a miracle! LOL. Anyways, I have rambled on long enough here. You can get the book for $17 off of Amazon.com. Good luck to you, and I hope your dreams come true soon!!!

 

Excellent information Jess! Please take her advice, knowing how your body workds is the best thing to do in your situation. The tests can be very helpful, but it is also less expensive to first learn when and how you ovulate, otherwise you are wasting tests on weeks when you are not ovulating.

My blessings are with you for fertility!

Maggie

 

Have you checked out mothering.com? The Trying To Conceive forum is great! Lots of support and great advice. If you haven't been there yet, I highly recommend it! Good Luck!

Kathy

 

thanks for all the suggestions, and well wishes. i haven't been to mothering.com, but i will check it out.jess, i will try to find the book you recommended. i knew sort of about the basal temp thing, but not enough to actually do it. i'll look around for the book.
you guys are great.

 

Hippygirl:

Here's some more info on African adoptions. They aren't as expensive as you might think--and just think of the difference you could make!!

http://www.africanadoptions.org/policies.htm#fees

Pax,
Kate