Every other day?

[Ellajames]

Hi! I was just wondering about every other day is a good method when TTC. Not swaying anymore, just want to get pregnant and don't want to deal with the dress of opks as I definitely think they are driving me too crazy. So, was thinking of trying every 3-4 days until I expect my fertile window to start and then every other day? So for example...cd 5, 9, 13, 15, 17, 19, and then every 3-4 after that. Does that seem like good chances of conception. I know smep is best odds of conception but husband has a different schedule all the time and often works 24 hours straight and I hate staring at the opks to see what's positive or not. I hope it's ok to ask a non sway question, I just know some of you, especially atomic really know your stuff, so I figure you would definitely know what you're talking about :)

[atomic sagebrush]

Yes of course you can always ask a non sway question.

Have you tried every 3 days and every 2 days before this???

It's totally fine if it's time to pull the trigger. Like you say SMEP is better odds of conception and I always like you guys to be in with the best chance of conception when it's time to just get pregnant, but if you can't stand another go round with the OPK that is fine.

[Ellajames]

I got pregnant with my recent mc pregnancy doing every 3 days the first try. I tend to be an overthinker and I just don't think the opks are helping me as I over analyze it (also think I may have had a batch or fake wondfos which I'm now reading are super sensitive), and then making sure dh is home and not working 24s so we can have all those attempts also gets stressful. We did try smep and it didn't happen, but now since I had the fake wondfos I wonder if I started the attempts too early and by the time we got closer to O date maybe dh got depleted from the first couple of attempts?

So you would suggest smep as best odds of conception if doing opks right? Or the boy frequency that you suggest here?

And what would you suggest as best odds of conception when not doing opks?

Thanks for answering my question!

[atomic sagebrush]

SMEP is best odds of conception bar none. The reason I don't have blue swayers do SMEP is because a lot of the blue swayers' husbands have a lower sex drive and kind of run out of steam when they try to do SMEP (plus a lot of them want to continue with timing methods which don't work with SMEP). SMEP is better odds of conception than blue sway pattern.

Every other day or every 2 days would get you in with good attempts. Whichever works for you.

[Ellajames]

Thank you! How do you feel about the clearblue digital opks (If I decided to try te opk route one more time)?

[atomic sagebrush]

I don't like them. I think they confuse people to no end (and cost too much). Wondfo or Babi brand OPK have gotten good results.

[Butterfly Spirit]

Thank you! How do you feel about the clearblue digital opks (If I decided to try te opk route one more time)?

No no and no. LOL I buy Babi pregnancy tests and One step Ovulation tests from this seller! eBay (http://www.ebay.com/usr/opps688) In the beginning, I purchased the kit that comes with 80 One Step Tests and 20 One Step Pregnancy Tests.. found out I was pregnant and the dollar store test told me faster than the One Step Test did! For my next pregnancy for my DD I bought only the Babi ones and have been VERY pleased!! You will know DAYS before the clear blue digital will tell you or any of the other store brands. Too much money!
So to make this clear Either One Step or Babi tests are Great for ovulation tests.. ONLY do Babi for pregnancy tests! Good luck!

[Ellajames]

Thank you! Also, my midwife suggested vitex when I asked her about any herbs that could help with conception. She told me that if I do take it to take it the whole cycle and continue taking through the first trimester. I read here that people say it can mess up cycles and not to take it while pregnant. So, Would taking vitex cd 1-14 help with conception? She said it helps with the hormones related to ovulation and helps to lower prolactin. What do you think, I'm not sure how I feel about it.

[atomic sagebrush]

I see SO many natural type experts telling people to do that and I. don't. get. it. I have seen nothing but trouble with people taking it that way, not just on this site but other people I know of from other fertility sites who were told to take it for months on end and never got pregnant. I think it's never a good idea to take an herb during pregnancy without any quality of info about if it's even safe (JMO) It used to be used as a birth control method. I use it because it lowers hormone levels and if a person was having fertility issues due to PCO (which is basically an excess of hormones) it could work for them, but I don't think that is what is happening with you and it would be like throwing gasoline on a fire for you.

[maidentomother]

I'd avoid Vitex in your situation. Personally, I think BD every other day ALL cycle long is ideal for conception, if you can do that. If not, EOD for as long as possible around O and every 3-4 days the rest of the time is still pretty good. And I wouldn't OPK as I find it stressful, but that could be just me. If you do OPK, Wondfo brand from Amazon via Formosa Medical are the best OPKs by far. I'm not a fan of Babi or CB digitals, neither are the right sensitivity or as reliable.

[Ellajames]

No vitex even during the first 2 weeks of my cycle?

[atomic sagebrush]

Vitex is not something I ADD to help people get pregnant. Vitex is something I DROP. I have had many people taking it only the 2 weeks who did not get pregnant till they dropped it (and this was true for me myself actually, I got pg with my daughter the month after I dropped the vitex after 6 months TTC while taking it.)

The only exception is people who have PCOS and whose cycles have become really long and irregular. Some of them may benefit from vitex. But I don't think that's what is going on with you.

[True Blue]

I don't like them. I think they confuse people to no end (and cost too much). Wondfo or Babi brand OPK have gotten good results.

Oops an accidental dislike while scrolling on my phone, sorry!!

[atomic sagebrush]

I think most dislikes are total accidents LOL

[Ellajames]

Yes my cycles are not long/irregular and my LP is a good length. I wonder why people recommended it being it can cause so many issues. Thanks again for your responses.

[atomic sagebrush]

I do too. I can only assume they don't see the cause and effect results somehow (because their clients were probably having trouble getting pg to start with) and assume that their clients aren't getting pregnant for some other reason. :think:

[atomic sagebrush]

...or because they see so many with PCOS who can be helped by the vitex and they don't realize it's affecting different groups differently???