(Part 3) Best products from r/TryingForABaby

Yes!

Easy@Home Progesterone (PDG Test) Urine Test Strips Kit -10 Tests, Newly Launched FDA Registered Ovulation Confirmation Test you can get them on Amazon here

They do not give an amount, but rather show if you are above or below 5 ug/ml. (Urine will have less than blood. I read that roughly 5 in urine ~ 10 in blood). It seems like there are a lot of different schools of thought on this. Some think amount of progesterone is a non issue. My doctor did not see a problem with my levels (8.5 on 7DPO via blood test) when I wasn’t ever getting positives on these strips. Others believe you need a level high enough to register these tests positive, in order to confirm ovulation/sustain pregnancy. I personally don’t know what I believe, but I like to use them to give me piece of mind when the test shows there is “enough” progesterone to hopefully sustain a pregnancy. My concern was that my body had a ton of estrogen and not enough progesterone, so getting a positive PDG test after changing my diet was super encouraging for me. This may just be a placebo effect, but eases my mind nonetheless. Oh and a warning: they are expensive, like completely stupidly expensive.

From the Manufacturer:

Progesterone (PdG) Test Strips measure the presence of PdG in urine, which has been shown to directly correlate with the presence of progesterone in blood. A Positive PdG test result may confirm that ovulation has occurred. The cutoff level is 5 ug/ml (Microgram/milliliter) units. 5ug/ml is equal to 5000 ng/ml (Nanogram/milliliter) for conversion purposes.

While LH testing is a reliable way to detect ovulation for many women, due to several factors, ovulation may be irregular and may not occur at the same time each menstrual cycle or may not occur at all. Therefore, PdG urine testing should be performed each menstrual cycle to “double check” if ovulation has occurred to remove any ambiguity or doubt. PdG test also allows TTC women a opportunity to double check ovulation at home before consulting physicians for suspected infertility or subfertility issue. Combining accurate LH and PdG tests makes the natural family planning (NFP) journey much easier.

It is recommended you test for PdG starting 5 days after your positive LH test until you get a positive result.

I have done natural cycle (so timed with OPKs, no monitoring/meds) IUI using frozen donor sperm! In my case, it's because I'm a woman married to a woman.

I started off using the cheaper OPKs that you can get online (a lot of people here use Wondfo, I happened to use Easy@Home). Those are nice because you can buy a ton of them for not much money. A lot of people tend to use them twice a day, and I did at first as well, but I quickly learned that I pretty much can only catch my LH surge between 4-6pm. Most people tend to surge in the late afternoon-early evening, but that's not always the case.

If you aren't comfortable with trying to interpret the cheaper OPKs (determining if the test line is the same color or darker than the control), then I highly recommend the Clearblue Digital OPK (specifically NOT the advanced version - that one will give you a bigger fertile window range which is not important/helpful when timing IUI). When you are having your LH surge, you get a smiley face. Simple but definitely much more expensive.

I definitely recommend supplementing the OPKs with temping. You can use a Mabis or any other basal body thermometer to take your temperature daily first thing in the morning and then put those numbers into a TTC app such as Fertility Friend. It won't tell you when you're ovulating before it happens, but it will tell you after the fact and then you will know if your IUI timing was good or not.

Also, you should check out the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It will give you a lot more information on charting and helping you to pinpoint your ovulation day.

I hope that helps a bit! Please feel free to ask me any other questions 🙂

CW: Previous loss mentioned

Cycle: Trying since April 2017


Ovulation cycle day: 13


Relevant BD/BD method: Husband coins the phrase "Fuck week" method. Sex every night from CD8 to CD16.


Tracking methods and apps used:


First cycle using Ava bracelet. 🙄 I used FF for a long while but over time started to genuinely despise temping. Temp drops would send me into downward spirals in the wee hours of the morning. My husband started to resent FF. My cycles were very regular and since I knew I typically ovulated between CD 12-14 (thanks to FF), we adopted fuck week protocol and stopped with temping some months back. I would encourage anyone starting out to jump right into temping because I regret not starting sooner but would also encourage anyone to stop it if it's making you miserable.


As for the Ava, I had an abandoned HSA account from an old job with a few hundred bucks and (for whatever reason) it's too big of a pain to merge it with my current HSA so I've been running it down. Ava is kind of neat but I assure you, you do not need this thing. It's overpriced for what it does, imo.


Symptom spotting:

Nipples were mildly tingly but they were last cycle too so I didn't put much stock into it. Bloated and gassy before BFP but still did not register until after the fact.


Day of positive test(s): 14 DPO (CD 27)


I'm away on business travel this week and next. I got my BFP in a hotel bathroom alone on Wednesday morning. Thanks to the huge bathroom mirror, I got to see the big smile on my face. 😊


BFP stands for big faint positive in my case because the line was there but no where near as dark as the control. I brought a few cheapie ClinicalGuard tests from Amazon with me on this trip. I took another test CD16 (Friday) and it was still faint as the first. Que deep panic setting in. Turns out there's a number of reviews on Amazon warning not to use these for line progression purposes. I have a FRER at home I can take when I get back. Debating if I should get a Clearblue Digital while I'm down here to show hubs when he picks me up from the airport later this week. 🤔 🤷


I had a miscarriage at 6 wks this year in April and had a very faint line on a FRER at DPO 16 then. Nothing like prior miscarriage to rob the joy of a positive pregnancy test. (This is why the faint line has me so terrified.)


I did get a fucking grip after I read this article so panic averted for now. A faint positive is still a positive. The line on a home pregnancy test isn't going to tell you if you will carry to term. It's just pregnant: true/false. Embracing the "today, I am pregnant" mentality and cherishing the bloat, gas, and increasingly sore boobs.


Supplements and medications:

NatureMade Prenatal Multi+DHA

NatureMade CoQ10 100 mg

NatureMade D3 25 mcg (1000 IU)

Now Fish Oil DHA 500/EPA 250


Husband was also taking the same only swap the prenatal with a Men's One-a-Day vitamin. We've been on this regimen for a while now. Hubs also takes Adderall.


Birth control history, if relevant:


Two back to back Mirenas, last one removed April 2017. Had not had my period for many years until ttc. Forgot how much it sucked. It took about 3 months to normalize after removal.


Typical cycle length: 27 days


Health conditions/medical tests: Sedentary and stressful office job. Otherwise healthy.


Link to chart: Ava chart

I switched to "pregnancy monitoring mode" or whatever and now I can't see what the chart looked like before that. :/ It said that I ovulated on CD 13 (Sept 26). OF COURSE, the one night I forgot to wear was a fairly critical data day CD 12.

Note that the temp rise is not very clear post ovulation. (Not as clear as I was used to on FF.)


Link to lineporn: Squinty Arrow added for husband's benefit.


Other (advice, magic secrets, freaking out, miscellaneous):


I have been stressed out to the max with my job this cycle. So much for "just relax and it will happen". 😂 That being said, I have gone through a weird attitude adjustment over the past few cycles. Hard to describe. I stopped being so negative and also stopped being overly anxious about making things perfect. I drank coffee throughout this cycle and into ttw. I tried to get up from my desk and walk everyday. I didn't consider myself out immediately just because something wasn't optimal. I read somewhere on Pinterest, "You don't need perfection to get pregnant" and it really stuck with me. In the end, conception happens on the microscopic level and how you feel about it isn't going to impact much. So you might as just go with the flow. My husband helped me see this. He really helped lift me out of my funk.


I fly home on Thursday and wouldn't you know it, hubs and I have our first appt with an RE on Friday morning. (Nuts to think I made this appointment in August.) If everything stays good by Monday (Tuesday the latest), I'm going to call to cancel or reschedule a month out and see how it goes.


I would have been due in December with the baby we lost earlier this year. Hopefully I will be far enough along to make an announcement at the family Christmas party instead. 🤞


Sending my love and best wishes to everyone reading and congrats to the other BFP posters this week! There was a long time when these threads were too hard for me to read so also sending my love to those in that place too. ❤️❤️❤️

Edit: Looks like I am heading back to that place too... 😭

My husband and I usually only have sex a couple times a month (when not TTC), so I definitely understand. Fortunately, we've both been super on board, but last month he was too "tired" (er, hungover) to try the day after my ovulation stick was a BFP, and, of course, it didn't work, so, I totally get that the lack of motivation to have sex can be frustrating.

Anyway, I'm terrible with the psychology stuff, but I do have a few practical/logistics ideas that might help...

Temping is a LOT of effort. Don't pressure her into doing that if she's not really into it. Almost as good is the pee sticks: https://www.amazon.com/ClinicalGuard®-Ovulation-Test-Strips-Individually-Sealed/dp/B009G497KK
The only problem is that you can actually ovulate 24-48 hours after a positive LH, but you don't know exactly when. Also, the results can be a little trickier to interpret in the first month (is that a dark positive line, or only a kind of dark negative line?), but as long as you're having sex within that window, and slightly before, you're fine. Save the ovulation sticks from the month before as a reference guide. People's pee and LH levels are different, and you really have to interpret the shade of the line based on experience here. Of course, that can be true with temping as well.

Something that sounds absolutely bonkers at first, but might actually be right for you, is ejaculating into a soft cup and having her insert it: https://www.amazon.com/Instead-Softcups-Feminine-Protection-Count/dp/B000X29GY6 No actual sex involved, most of the pressure is on you, and the odds of conception might actually be higher than doing it in the old fashioned way ;) They're a little on the expensive side (I mean... just over a dollar... not that expensive compared to a baby!) but (and I'm not supposed to say this, but...) they are reusable if you clean them well!

Also, it's obvious that lube can make a world of difference when a lady's not particularly in the mood. Make sure you're using a sperm safe lubricant, like Pre-Seed https://www.amazon.com/Pre-Seed-Personal-Lubricant-1-4-Oz/dp/B004382GWK

I know, I sound like a shill for Amazon right now, but I buy all my stuff from them :)

Good luck!

Dan Savage says on his podcast to “fuck first.” Definitely wise advice but we are being really specific with our timing, so it made sense to have dinner first...tonight we will keep it much lighter!

Make sure you get the tablets with guaifenesin only. I got the extended release (12 hour) version. I’ve been taking them twice a day, but once a day will have an impact as well. I started taking them a couple of days before my expected O and I will continue through O day (today) and the day after. I noticed a difference in CM texture pretty much immediately! I bought them on Amazon (link) but there are generic versions as well. Best of luck this cycle!!

There is an entire chapter devoted to CoQ10 in the book It Starts with the Egg. I'm not typing out an entire chapter and honestly I'm too lazy to take pictures of every page and upload to imgur. I will however give you a brief TL;DR.

The TL;DR looks something like this: CoQ10 is found in every cell in the body and plays a role in making energy in the body as well as recyclying vitamin E, an antioxidant. There is a theory that part of why older eggs are lower quality is because of declines in the function of the mitochondria in the egg. The egg doesn't have enough energy to properly during key points in cell replication and it leads to some errors. CoQ10 is thought to help give the mitochondria the boost they need to provide enough energy for proper division/replication thereby reducing the number of errors.

Here is a quote from the book:

>Research has shown that human embryos with poorly functioning mitochondria are more likely to have disrupted chromosomal processing machinery and chaotic chromosome distribution. Other research shows that if you intentionally damage mitochondria in mouse eggs, the ATP level goes down, and the machinery that separates chromosomes disassembles and malfunctions. As discused earlier in the chapter, errors in the number of chromosome copies are the single greatest cause of failure of embryos to survive the first week, implantation failures, and early pregnancy loss.

The book also says that:

>Based on all the scientific knowledge about the importance of fully functioning mitochondria to egg and embryo quality, it stands to reason that anything we can do to boost mitochondrial function and help eggs produce more energy will improve egg quality and embryo viability. Research suggests that CoQ10 does just that.

The book also recommends supplementing CoQ10 in the form ubiquinol not ubiquinone. And the recommend dosage is between 100-300mg per day, taken with food for increased absorption.

I really like the book as it seems to more or less just be a compilation of the recent research (as of when the book was published in 2014) that is presented in an easier to read/understand format. There are 45 citations in the CoQ10 chapter alone. Granted some of that is citing basic information on what CoQ10 is, it's role in the body and such. Not all of those citations are related to fertility. But still.

ETA: I don't know if you're a member of a warehouse club like Sam's or Costco but I know that CoQ10 is way cheaper at Costco than I've found it pretty much anywhere else. I won't say it was cheap still though. It was still around $30 for 90 200mg capsules. This is about the cheapest I've found on Amazon.

It's not currently available on Amazon, but this is the one I used: http://www.amazon.com/B-D-524560-Digital-Basal-Thermometer/dp/B0000533AY/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1410114783&sr=8-10&keywords=basal+thermometer

It only records to the tenth place, but I think for most people, that's all you would need. I also agree with WinningColors, as long as your thermometer is consistent, it doesn't necessarily need to be accurate. Are you able to detect ovulation on your charts? If not, you might try another thermometer in case that is the problem, but I'm guessing both the Vicks one you had, and your new one will both likely work. Also, not sure if it is relevant for you, but I had to temp vaginally, because I'm definitely a mouth breather (damn you, allergies!). That definitely made my temps more consistent. Anyway, good luck!

I bought preseed online. But I think you can find it in a cvs/rite aid kind of store. Funny thing is I got the veterinary version because it was much cheaper. It actually says formerly known as pre-seed on the tube. Here:http://www.amazon.com/Therio-Gel-Fertility-Lubricant-3-6/dp/B00B0ZICQI#

I think the mucinex made a bigger difference. The mucinex was actually not mucinex brand. I found it in my grocery store - you just want guaifenesin as the active ingredient - nothing else. It was like 60 pills for $3 so definitely worth it.

Oh - and if you got you + today then you are definitely not out - you usually ovulate ~24 hours after your first positive and the egg survives for about 12 hours. So to be safe just BD a lot in the next 2 days.

I love Esther Perel! Her book Mating in Captivity focuses on the same theme. My husband and I listened to the whole book on tape together this summer.

We're also obsessed with her podcast! It's called Where Should We Begin and is just her and a couple in a marriage/couple's counseling session, one couple per episode. It's brilliant and we also devoured them all - my husband likes to vocally root for the couples expressing their feelings like he would root for a sports team. There is one in Season 1 about a couple struggling with fertility issues, called I Can't Give You a Child. Highly recommend all of them!

He Skyped with us directly. I don’t know if he communicates directly with other providers other than receiving direct reports of tests. My wife’s GYN has been very helpful and has performed many of the tests Dr. David ordered without any issue. The tests he orders we were able to find physicians to perform them with us (fertility clinic for me to retest sperm counts, Radiologist for my wife’s Fallopian tube test, her GYN for her neoplasm and special antibody blood test, and a regular lab for the other blood tests).

He is located in NY. He was part of the original group years ago that created the IVF process but he left about 15/20 years ago as he was dissatisfied with the practice’s push towards IVF only instead of trying to discover the underlying causes of a couple’s infertility. He has a book out that my wife found very helpful and then she contacted his office.

The book is: Making Babies

His office contact is http://www.drsamidavidmd.com/contact

If you do meet with him, he does require you to send him your prior test results and he will go over them with you. He has a very prescribed program. I suggest starting with the book.

Our fingers are crossed. Now that we have things lining up, we’re hopeful we can get pregnant soon. If it doesn’t happen in the next two cycles, we will need to stimulate my wife’s follicles with a trigger shot, but at least we know what we do now! The unknown is becoming known!

So what's our take on the FRERs on Amazon? It's such a good price, especially with Subscribe and Save, but it almost feels too good to be true.

Should I go with my gut or my wallet?!

I think you're setting up a great strategy! I can relate to every single one of those thoughts/feelings, especially the 'trapped' part, so you're definitely not alone. I call it 'lizard brain' too :)

One book I found very helpful was on how to 'rewire' those anxious thought processes that stem from either the amygdala (aka lizard brain) or the cortex (the more cerebral 'worrying' part of the brain).

https://www.amazon.com/Rewire-Your-Anxious-Brain-Neuroscience/dp/1626251134

i knowwwwwwww. i need some serious funny friends and I feel like the majority of people I meet IRL are so serious. And thats something I could never joke about. I cant even mention Im TTC. Well thats more of a personal thing because people insist on thinking TTC means have sex once = pregnant. Plus, I had an ectopic last time and my husband told people so yeah don't want to deal with that again.

ugh now I know what you mean about the math problems. Ps- loved PEMDAS problems in school, dont ask why because I have no idea. But yeah its a friggen #s game over here. I shit you not this is what I feel like. i'm like let me check my temp, fertility score, okay its CD... Then I have to become full blown scientist and analyze my OPKs.

I havent used preseed this time around and I havent been putting my legs up either which makes me think I absolutely am forgetting something. When I got pregnant with my daughter (successful pregnancy) I used soft cups. Theyre similar to menstrual cups except theyre disposable,. People TTC use them to keep semen in and up close to the cervix for hours. Gonna be honest though I'm 99% sure I didnt use them when I got pregnant with my daughter. I was TTC 11 months (I think) last time and we had used them during that time. Im tempted to just put in my lunette though, not gonna lie. Im the same way though Im like 'its not even close to O...' -__- but then Ill start thinking about maybe O'ing earlier or sperm life and I'm like this. Btw, I was also watching a video on youtube about how to use the clearblue digital ovulation thing which I apparently did not understand before hand. Anyway, in the video its explaining that if you get no smiley it means you have a low fertility score for that day and its like JUST A REMINDER: HAVING SEX ON THESE DAYS IS JUST FOR FUN AND PROBABLY WONT GET YOU PREGNANT. Im like thanksssss dick!


I dont know if youre a fan of game of thrones but if you are then Ill just say that Im fully prepared to almost drown for my chance at the throne.

To echo what sjn123 said, it does not need to read to the hundredth place according to TCOYF. I use one that goes to the tenth place and have never had any uncertainty about when ovulation occurred. The one I use is great, was under $10 and seems plenty accurate. It is here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000533AY/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1#
but currently unavailable on Amazon.


I would say top things to look for:

-Light-up face so you can see the temp reading in the dark

-Beeping so you are sure it is working and know when it is done

-Should not be more than $10 - really it is a thermometer, shouldn't have too many bells and whistles beyond telling your temperature in my opinion.

That makes me so sad, I love my gummies! The regular Zahler brand ones look pretty small and easy to swallow but they also make a mini that might work even better for you!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M4K5825/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Maybe Amazon will give me a referral bonus 🤣

I too have heard bad things about clear blue digital advanced and it is rated poorly, however the original clearblue ovulation test (pink ones) have good reviews :)

http://www.amazon.com/Clearblue-Digital-Ovulation-Test-Count/dp/B002VLYAOI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

The most important thing with the Mucinex is to get the kind that’s ONLY guaifenesin (i.e.: without a decongestant). Here’s a link to the one I take: Mucinex 600mg Extended Release Tablets

DOSE: 1 tablet 1-2x/day, (12hrs apart if 2x).
Keep in mind, all the studies involving guaifenesin have been with 600mg 1x/day so that should be sufficient.

WHEN: I start at the beginning of my predicted FW (I use the Flo app to predict), usually CD 7/8 for me, and continue until the end of my FW (2 days past ovulation).

TI: Every other day at beginning of FW until 4 days before predicted ovulation then every day until FW is over.

NOTE: I wasn’t kidding about giving it to my partner too. He takes it 1x/day on the same days as me. Some studies show improvement to sperm motility for men taking guaifenesin soooooo why not lol.

I have this one and I set it to Celsius no problem :)

Edit: My cats got to mine but just knocked the button off the top. I just have to wedge my nail in there and it still works haha If I'm not successful this cycle I'll order another. I've been using it since December and haven't had any problems.

Double Edit: I just saw it's not available, sorry :( Maybe keep an eye out for it. It's also likely that others have the option of both C and F.

I just started reading Mating in Captivity and am digging it so far. Not sure I've cracked the code on keeping romance alive, but the book is giving me some things to think about.

I've heard really good things about this book. Would he be receptive to something like that?

This is the one I want because it goes under couches and my dog hair manages to get under there. It also has a battery you can buy to charge while you're vacuuming so you don't ever have the dreaded run out of battery!!!

https://www.amazon.com/SharkNinja-DuoClean-Cordless-Ultra-Light-Shark/dp/B079K9N1NS/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=shark+ionflex&qid=1566997335

It's at Kohls for 249 right now and with the 40% off it would be amazing. :)

I am going to read Making Babies and do an Amazon review (to link) and host a TFAB book club, where I will facilitate a discussion about it on an agreed upon date in TinyChat. I will be submitting a post today to invite people to join the book club.

A lot of people suggest the Mabis. I use one similar to this one. I actually can't find mine on amazon any more, but it's nearly identical. I like the recall so I can just go right back to sleep after taking my temp, then log it later.

Edit: Found mine!

This one! It only checks count so not conclusive but it's better than nothing.

I got this one and it is awesome. It just took 2 weeks to get here.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRUUFAU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thermometer I use the easy@homeone, and I like it.

OPK and Preg test Wondfo's's is what I use, and was recommended off this board you can get them in combo packs.

Finally Plastic cups

We really like PreSeed even though I seem to have a good amount of CM. I was worried about MFI so we used a home test called SpermCheck. It only checks the quantity and not the quality but it was much easier than getting a SA. The labs in my area require a doctor's referral for SA and I wasn't sure how easily we could get one since we're only on cycle 3 (but 7-8 cycles of analyzing). I'm a bit wary about supplements so wanted to test first before asking DH to take FertilAid.

I had the same experience. NOTHING has good reviews. I just got this one last week:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IRUUFAU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's pretty accurate, reads to .00, has a backlight, stores tons of temps, includes a programmable alarm, and it is super quiet. I had a CVS one previously and it stopped working after only 1.5 cycles.

I have these. They are pricey so I only used one when I was really confused (2 or 3 per cycle). A smiley face is much easier to read than a line.

Instead of buying myself a period consolation gift, I just ordered What He Can Expect When She's Not Expecting for my husband. Although he's a nurse, he really doesn't seem to understand all this TTC business. I'll update later on with his review if he gives me one.

Just to add onto this, while you don't need to lay down for an hour (and shouldn't without peeing), if it would make you feel better you can insert a softcup to keep semen close to your cervix while you go about your day.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000533CC/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?qid=1377022871&sr=8-8&pi=SL75

Like these?

Sorry for the link, I'm on my phone!

You can get it on Amazon for $6.69 with free shipping. http://www.amazon.com/Therio-Gel-Fertility-Lubricant-3-6/dp/B00B0ZICQI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394253188&sr=8-1&keywords=Therio-gel

*Edit: totally kidding. It redirects you to a different site, but it seems to be the same price. http://www.kvsupply.com/therio-gel-veterinary-fertility-lubricant-3.6-ounce/&refcode=AMZPROAD&CA_6C15C=320011160000024276

Here’s what I’m taking: Zahler Prenatal DHA, Premium Prenatal Vitamins for Mother and Child, Prenatal DHA Supports Brain Development in babies, Certified Kosher (60 Count) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KYBTSQQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DpAeAbJH5D5CA

Last week I got LH strips (Wondfo), and they were 50 strips for $18. The kit with 50 LH plus 20 hcg tests was $21, maybe less. I've seen cheaper strips at 50 for $12 or so.. This is a nice website I guess, but I wouldn't call them deals! (for instance..)

I have my eye on this one MPLUS Digital Basal Thermometer for next cycle if I need it. I didn't know they had accuracy stated in the specs, but after looking, this one says Accuracy ±0.05℉ (±0.05℃). I think what other people said are correct though, I wouldn't worry about accuracy as much as consistency.

If you're in the US you can find them on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Home-Progesterone-Registered-Confirmation/dp/B073K4MR7P

Type of giveaway (OPKs, HPTs, other): Book giveaway

Title: Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility

Willing to ship to (US only? other country? anywhere?): US only

This one SpermCheck Fertility Home Sperm Test https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007N8FWB4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_AacVJXZth2JFN

I wouldn't say wetter. It is thicker than typical lube and is meant to mimic EWCM, which allows sperm to do their business.

As for application, attempt to get it inside you. Some even include applicators.

Someone on TFAB a couple months back found the veterinary version of pre-seed. Same formula, but for $4.00 a bottle instead of $20.

Edited to add: FOUND IT! It's called TherioGel and it's $8 instead of 20.

Tons of water, green tea and the Guaifenesin-only Mucinex during your fertile window.

I've noticed that every single brand of OPKs varies. If you take a peek at /r/TFABlineporn there are some ladies that POAS with various brands and they all give a somewhat different result - Like this.

It could also be possible (and sucky) that the Wondfo is a bad batch. Check the Lot# with the mnfr for reference.

I just purchased Clearblue Digital OPKs for this cycle, so I am hoping that I get a better picture of when I'm more fertile, plus I temp, so that helps narrow my O day down

Edit: I should also mention that you should check to see what the instructions are for each brand; when you should POAS. I think the Clearblues are FMU and the Wondfo are in the afternoon ( following that you have not any liquids for at least 4 hours before POA wondfo stick.)

this is the clearblue i am using: https://www.amazon.com/Clearblue-Digital-Ovulation-Test-Tests/dp/B002VLYAOI

another comment says that you cannot use them as a one-off, i'm not sure if this is the monitor you mentioned? my confusion is mostly stemming from the CB

Alcohol wipes

Just put it in

No, though I only started temping on CD5 of each cycle because by then I have a light flow. It's a personal preference if you want to temp through your period or not.

Yes. The thermometer I have beeps while it's taking your temp and then it beeps 4 times when it's done.

If it's a BBT thermometer, you can use it vaginally.

On one of my cycles, I switched mid cycle to vaginal temping (right before I O'd too). All I did was make daily notes that it was a vaginal temp.

Remember, the individual data isn't really important. It's your chart as a whole. You may find that your temps are a lot more consistent with vaginal temping as less factors affect vaginal temps vs oral temps.

This is what I use.

This is a similar version.

Well, I'm the idiot who made a shrine to my preferred thermometer - the MABIS (I technically ended up with a topcare, but it still works!). Only does one temp, no backlight, but a lot quieter than my cheapie. I barely wake up when I temp.

A lot of other people here like the easy@home, but they are heretics.

ETA: Because I messed up the URL /u/ernieball.