Struggling to conceive, using clear blue ovulation tests and need advice

[ReBeCcA-90]

Good morning, I have been using clear blue 4 day ovulation tests and this morning I got my 6th day in a row of a flashing smiley face. Would someone normally go this long with estrogen rising but no LH surge?

It seems like on the chart on the box that someone my typically get maybe 3 days of estrogen and then their LH surge. So I’m wondering if this maybe why I’m struggling to conceive.

I appreciate that all bodies are different so that some women may get a LH Surge only a few days after a rise in estrogen and I’m hoping that some women will take longer.

So I’m curious to find out if anyone has experienced this either using the tests or not.

Kind regards Rebecca

[Jess1981]

I actually stopped using these type of clear blue as it would take a lot of flashy smile faces before I get my peak, I got very frustrated with them. So I switched to the digital clear blue that only shows lh surge, I learnt that I didn't ovulate on day 14- I would see a lh surge on day 15 most months ( this month I saw the surge a day later) my cycles are 28 days. also with the plain digital you can test anytime of day as long as you have held urine in for 4 hours! Which I know is hard to do. When I got closer to day 15 I would test 2 times a day. Experts say you see a Lh surge between 8am - 8pm and 2 pm is the best time to test; first urine doesn't always show the surge - I've tried first urine for convenience but it didn't show till later morning. Obviously every women will be different. It is tough struggling infertility- I struggled for 7 years before conceiving our first daughter Francesca ( due to a huge delay in diagnosis of my endometriosis) We are 5 weeks pregnant following a chemical pregnancy last month and losing our second daughter Amelia at 20 weeks pregnant last November. There is a infertility forum which can connect you to other ladies TTC; I found speaking to others really helped me made me feel less alone all our friends and family were popping out babies left right and centre. It was so very tough. Regarding the clear blue keep testing unless you get 10 flashy faces. Maybe switch to digital ones. I love them as there is no line to guess at makes it fool proof!!! Good luck with it I hope you get your LH surge very soon and get a positive test Xx

[ReBeCcA-90 in reply to Jess1981]

That’s spooky I was only thinking this morning that after these 10 have gone I will switch to the other type as 4.5 years ago I used them and got pregnant first time of using them.

It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who has found this with these 4 day tests.

That’s interesting about the times, as I have also been using first morning urine which is about 6-7am as I can’t hold on any longer. I will definitely switch to later in the day.

Thank you for all your advice and kind reply to my post.

Best of luck with your current pregnancy xx

[Knittingababy]

Morning...I had this strange month when I got so many flashing faces on the clear blue sticks and I called the customer service team and if turned out my wee was not concentrated enough as I had woken up all those nights...went to loo and when I tested in the morning it was too dilute. So same rule about.dilute wee can affect pregnancy test results similar to this.... It was the one month.. I have used it for years I find it very good but expensive. Lady at customer service did give me a box as a one off as I had used up my supply.....good luck. Check out fertility smart conceive for women and men also as these supplements helped me get pregnant and someone else on the TTC fertility forum. It's not cheap but read the website reviews and see what you think xx

[ReBeCcA-90 in reply to Knittingababy]

Excellent thank you will check them out.

I’m pretty sure my results aren’t because of diluted urine as I hold it all night from 11pm bedtime till 6-7am this is normally when I can’t hold it any longer. Even if I wake at 3-4am busting I will hold it! Silly really but the things we do for babies 😆

I’ve used the other clear blue ones before which tells you if you have had a LH surge, I’ll be using them from now on after I’ve finished this packet which only has two left, this morning was my 7th flashing face smiley fingers crossed for tomorrow now!

Thank you for your advice and response x

[Bubs123]

I had a similar thing. 5 days of nothing followed by 5 days of flashing faces. I’d only bought a pack of 10 so ran out before any LH surge was detected. I track my cycle through natural cycles as well and my ovulation was confirmed 4 days later, so presumably I would have had at least 2 more days of flashing faces had I continued testing and my ovulation would have been 9 days after the first flashing face. I think I’ll just buy normal LH tests going forward. Good luck with the rest of your journey, hope it all works out for you 😊

[ReBeCcA-90 in reply to Bubs123]

It seems like it’s a normal problem with these tests, I’d definitely go back to the ones which tell me yes or no if LH surge detected.

This morning I finally got rid of the flashing face and it does now seem like I have my LH Surge.

Fingers crossed.

Thank you for you response and sharing your experience with these tests! Rebecca

[Poops84]

I found using the ovulation tests made me more anxious when ttc. We had a few months of ttc with 2 early MC. I gave up using the ovulation tests and we just went back to regular intercourse (easier said than done with a 4 year old as well) but we caught after only a couple of cycles and I’m sat here with my 11 week old DS2!

I think just relaxing and enjoying spending time with the husband helped, I was less stressed with it all and our relationship was better as it had gotten very strained when I was getting so obsessed with ovulation!

[ReBeCcA-90 in reply to Poops84]

We have been trying for 3.5 years normally with things not happening. (My cycles are all over the place), if it wasn’t for mine and my husbands ages we would not be worried about testing and finding the day/days. But I feel like time wise we’re up against it.

We have said however that we’d give it a couple of month of trying then we would stop and close that book. We are blessed as we have a 4 year old and he has two adult children.

I’m trying not to get stressed and obsessed with it, what will be will be!

This morning I finally got the smiley face which wasn’t flashing so fingers crossed.

Thank you for sharing your advice and experience

[Poops84 in reply to ReBeCcA-90]

All the very best of luck to you both, everything crossed for you, and like you say what will be will be 😊

[Jess1981 in reply to ReBeCcA-90]

That is wonderful news, I know the relief of seeing the smiling face too well!!! For us ovulation tests were helpful- we knew 1- I was ovulating 2- we were timing on the" best days" it is hard to try regularly with a toddler (!) 3-we knew that we had given the cycles our best chance. I swear they helped us conceive. I also took pre antenatal vitamin and a supplement of royal jelly , bee propolis and bee pollen throughout my cycle. I ate fresh pineapple from ovulation till 9 days as that can help implantation. I ate loads of green vegetables such as broccoli. I also took aspirin from ovulation( as it's something I take throughout pregnancy) I made sure I drank plenty of water a good 8 glasses a day as that can help with blood flow. I also continued running as exercise is good for de stressing and again blood flow. I watched comedy films every night to try to "take my mind off it a bit.." I told myself I could do everything to give it the best chance of happening but really the rest was up to nature s and out of our hands. I tested 12 DPO with clear blue digital and early first response and got a positive which is getting stronger now (!) yeah I test that now 🤣

For some they might cause stress but we found they worked for us especially as I'm 40 November this year! I definitely don't have time on my hands for a sibling for our daughter.

Really hope this is your month Xx

[haileyp85]

I used various ovulation sticks and kept getting positive results that where inaccurate. If you’ve been trying for a while maybe contact your doctor or a clinic. Good luck 🤞