ClearBlue Fertility Monitor

Introduction

In my opinion the Clearblue ferfility monitor provides a non complicated, easy to use solution to successfully conceive. The manufacturer boasts on their literature that it is proven to almost double your chances of conceiving, and if my current pregnancy is anything to go by I can't really argue with that statement.

What makes this stand out from other products?

Most other ovulation tests identify the 2 peak fertility days during your cycle by detecting the surge in Luteinising Hormone (LH) that triggers ovulation. The Clearblue Fertility Monitor is unique as it tracks two hormones to typically identify up to six fertile days. It not only shows you your two peak fertility days, it can also inform you of an extra one to five days of high fertility prior to their peak fertility. Since your partner’s sperm can survive in your body for several days, making love on all of these days greatly increases you chances of conceiving.

Success at a price

The downside about this product is that unless you shop around the product itself is pretty expensive. I paid approx £60 for the item on the internet, but if you go to the high street shops they retail at approx £99. Once you have paid for the item you then need to purchase fertility monitor sticks, the sticks are sold in packets of 20 and cost approx £15.

Easy to use with discipline

The product is easy to use but you do need to be disciplined, on day one of your period you need to set up the monitor. The monitor will then count every day of your cycle and at approx day 6 until approx day 20 (depending on your cycle) it will ask you to urinate on a monitor stick. The fertility monitor stick is very hygenic, once you’ve used the stick you put a lid on the exposed part and then place it into the slot in the monitor. The monitor takes a minute or two to read the stick and then the LCD screen on the monitor will read your fertility status as either low, high or peak. On the days that it asks for a fertility stick you need to use the monitor and fertility stick every morning the first time you go to the toilet as that is when your hormones are at their most detectable. So it is a case of having to remember when you’re half a sleep in the morning to turn on your monitor check whether it needs a sample, and if so to go and do that the first time you use the toilet.

The monitor will show high fertility when it detects an increase in estrogen, which occurs as you approach your peak fertility. The monitor identifies your dates of peak fertility by detecting the surge in LH, which triggers ovulation to occur approx 24-36 hours later. That the day prior to ovulation and the day of ovulation the monitor will show peak fertility. As there is a change that the egg can still abe fertilised after this time you will be shown 1 day of high fertility following your days of peak fertility. In my experience for the following few days the monitor will continue to ask for samples but will show low fertility and it will then eventually stop asking for samples. The monitor will continue to count the days in your cycle and a few days before your period is due it will flash a symbol to indicate that your period is due and you are approaching the end of your cycle. If you are unsuccesful you will need to reset the monitor on the first day of your period.

Good & bad news

The monitor is very clever as it does remember your last cycle. Therefore, depending on when you ovulated in your last cycle it will remember those dates when asking you for samples during your current cycle. However, for those with particularly long cycles the monitor may not be suitable. You cannot mix and match fertility sticks from different packs, you can only sticks which come from the same pack as the instructions state that the monitor is very sensitive. So if you have a particularly long cycle and need to use more than the 20 sticks which come in the standard pack this would pose a problem as you cannot use additional sticks from a new pack. It does state in the advertising that it is only suitable for those with cycles that last between 21 to 42 days.

My success story in brief

My partner and I tried to get pregnant for a few months prior to using the monitor but with no joy. I saw an advert for the monitor and decided to give it a go, I fell pregnant after the second month of using the monitor. So for me personally I’m pretty pleased with the product and would definitely recommend it to a friend. It takes out the guess work of trying to work out when you're ovulating and I also found it helpful to be able to identify the days just prior to ovulation.