Thanks to Fertility Planit for sponsoring this post and giving me a Clearblue® Fertility Monitor. While I have received compensation for this post, all opinions are my own.
Starting your #BabyMakingDays and trying to conceive can be confusing. When you only have a few days each month to get pregnant, you want to make the most of it.
My husband and I have been together for seven years and married for five. When we got married, we both knew that we wanted children. My husband already had a son from a previous marriage, but I didn’t have any. I always knew that I wanted children of my own. Whenever I was young I always imagined myself having three daughters.
God has a sense of humor.
I have two sons.
Our first son was the result of careful planning. I used a basal thermometer to take my temperature each morning and charted the temperatures. It took more than six months, but on Easter morning I finally saw those two pink lines!
Our second son was the product of not being too careful one evening after having a few drinks. I wasn’t expecting to have two boys 26 months apart, but I couldn’t imagine life without them.
I still have a dream of having a daughter. I would like to have that pregnancy a little more planned though.
With my first pregnancy I relied on my body temperature as well as using some cheapie internet ovulation test strips. Although these method are effective at tracking fertile days (obviously), I also felt as if there was a lot of room for error. Is the second line on the ovulation test as dark or darker than the first line? Did I take my temperate that the same time each day? There are so many variable that could case a false reading.
This is why I like the Clearblue® Fertility Monitor so much more. Really, its pretty much foolproof. All you have to do is turn on the Clearblue® Fertility Moitor every morning within your Testing Window and before going to the bathroom. The monitor will tell you whether you need to pee on one of the test strips or not.
Here’s the really cool part. Instead of trying to interpret temperature shifts or lines on sticks, the Clearblue® Fertility Monitor actually learns your cycle so that it can best predict your best time to get pregnant.
I also love how small the monitor is. Since it is to be used with first morning urine, I keep it tucked into the medicine cabinet in the master bathroom. It’s also small and discrete enough that even if you don’t have a master bath, you can still store it in the main bathroom and and no one would be the wiser (think children and guests).
I have always been pretty private when it comes to our fertility plans. I prefer to keep the details between my husband and I — unless of course there is good news to share! Waiting to find out if we conceived is stressful enough without having people asking questions. Also, disappointment is easier to take when no one else knows.
I have found that online communities are particularly helpful while you are trying to conceive. You are able to connect with other women who are going through the same situation. They share your frustrations, and a great sounding board for questions and concerns. Actually, there are some women I met online when I was trying to conceive my first son that I still keep in touch with today.
As I said before, trying to conceive can be scary — whether it is your first or your fourth. That’s why it is so important that you not only have the right tools, but also the right support network. Then, just lay back and enjoy the ride. (There may have been a pun intended there!)
To learn more about the Clearblue® Fertility Monitor and how you can increase your chances of getting pregnant, connect with Clearblue® on Facebook, Twitter, and through their website.
