Posted June 8, 2010 at 3:07 PM by Goarka

I purchased the Ovacue Fertility Monitor. It was $250 for the kit with the oral sensor and an optional $100 for the vaginal wand. You take daily readings with the oral sensor (place on tongue), beginning on day 1 of your period, and the reading is detected. Begin using the vaginal sensor on the first day after you stop your period. The calendar on the machine will turn colors, indicating increased fertility. The vaginal wand is to detect when ovulation has occurred. I haven't begun TTC yet, but I did have a vaginal ultrasound that confirmed the Ovacue readings, including ovulation. I also confirmed with First Response Ovulation Detector with the same indications. Can't wait to see how well it works when TTC. I will keep you posted.

Posted May 27, 2010 at 8:31 PM by Coke

With my first child using donor sperm/IUI, I used the Answer OPK. I was not sure what I was looking at but I got pregnant the 2nd month I tried. I agree that it is just not easy to read. I'm going to start trying for #2 next month and this morning I used the Answer OPK and the test line was slightly there...a few hours later...I pulled out the digital smiley face that I was going to start using next month and it smiled...so I agree with using both...the smiley faces are much more expensive...

Posted May 25, 2010 at 11:04 PM by Sandi

I have used two products side by side. I used the midstream tests at http://www.early-pregnancy-tests.com/pacof3ovmidt.html side by side with the Clearblue digital (cheapest at Wallmart or Costco in Canada). When I began to trust the cheap ones more, I would keep some urine aside in a plastic cup, and if I saw any color change on the cheap tests, I'd confirm with the digital OPKs. I would use both kits for the most likely days, but since my range of days to test was long, I didn't have to use the expensive OPKs daily.

What I wish I'd realized sooner is that if the cheap OPKs were starting to change in the morning, it means I will likely have my surge that afternoon or early evening.

What I also learned the hard way: both cheap and expensive OPKs can show false positives (both of them at the same time) a couple of days too early as confirmed with bloodwork. If trying to time IUIs, as much as I hate needles, if I could go back in time,I'd choose monitoring with bloodwork and ultrasound over OPKs.

Good luck to all...

Posted May 25, 2010 at 6:37 PM by Megan

I used the Answer OPK strips where you "go" in a cup and hold the test in the urine for 10 seconds. I used them all month and never had a positive test. I had all the other signs of ovulation (temperature jump,mucus change, cervix softened and moved up, and period on time on 29th day) but no positive OPK test.

I don't know if it's because I didn't really ovulate, or it's because the test didn't pick up my LH surge. I test the same time every day at arond 6 p.m. I do drink a lot of water during the day, so I might have disolved the LH concentration. (Maybe?)

Next month I will try a digital test and see if that helps? Or maybe hold my pee a little longer?

Thanks!
Megan

Posted May 25, 2010 at 1:43 PM by Gille

I'm using the Answer OPK strips and also the Clearblue Easy digital "smily face" tests. I have been using both for the past few days so no surge or positive information yet.

Both are easy to use but the Clearblue test is much easier to interpret. Smiley equals surge. Non smiley equals no surge. Super easy.

The Answer test's control line is not dark enough for me. Today I have a very faint line and compared to the control line, I know that its not a positive but I just wish the control line was a little more pronounced so I could be a bit more sure.

I would recommend Clearblue Easy tests.