Is it a boy or a girl?

crimsonmason8 said:Has anyone here actually tried using those little baby microscopes? I guess I'm looking for some real feedback.
I haven't picked it up yet, but I'm planning to. My OB-GYN suggested it as a solid way to track my fertile window, since I barely ovulate and my period skips like a broken record—sometimes I go a month or two without one. 😢
I guess I’d use this as some kind of backup birth control. Pills are a total no-go for me, and honestly, condoms are getting pretty old. This looks like a solid option, maybe.😍
Anyone got any experiences to share? I guess.

I guess relying on fertility tracking for birth control is probably the dumbest move you could make. Maybe.
I guess I just read some study claiming that timing doesn't even matter. Apparently, most women end up pregnant during their least fertile days, or even while they're on their period. Who knows, maybe. 🙂

Stick to condoms or the pill, I guess. Maybe. 🙂

I don't really buy the idea that it’s that unreliable... mostly because I know women who have stuck to the rhythm method—you know, avoiding anything messy and just pulling out—and then using condoms during their fertile window, and they still haven't even conceived... For me, the real headache is trying to pin down my actual fertile days since my cycle is a complete disaster. So, I'm curious about how much you can actually trust this device to track ovulation and if anyone's actually used it...

Honestly, where can I find a better deal on LH ovulation test strips online without sacrificing quality? It’s always a gamble...

http://www.woomb.org/bom/lit/teach/index_hr.html

I wouldn't say it's genius to rely *only* on this method, but it definitely helps you track fertile days when your cycle is all over the place...

Jamie Gray86 said:Tracking fertile windows is the worst way to prevent pregnancy.
I just read a study claiming there's no reliable correlation. Apparently, plenty of women end up pregnant even during their supposed "off" days or during their period. 🙂

Stick to condoms or the pill. 🙂

They didn't get pregnant during "infertile" days; their cycles are just irregular, so their window doesn't align with the norm.
It’s the same for me. My cycle is all over the place, making it impossible to track anything accurately.
🤷
Someone mentioned the Mayo Clinic tests, and if I recall correctly, they are pretty expensive.

I tried one of those things once, and honestly, it felt like such a waste of time—just some tiny little microscope setup where you’re supposed to squint at your own saliva smears to figure out if you're actually ovulating or not... like, is it a chicken or an egg situation? I'm definitely not a lab tech. The photo quality is garbage too, and you’d basically need a PhD in biology just to decipher what any of these messy results are even trying to say.

Way too pricey and totally unreliable.

Save your money, don't bother.

ironscout15 said:It’s not even like they timed things wrong during their fertile window, it's just that their cycles are so messed up they don't actually have a predictable window like most women do...
it's the exact same deal with me, my cycle is completely out of whack and there is zero chance I can figure out when I'm actually ovulating... 🤷
someone mentioned Maybe Baby earlier, and if I remember right, it's pretty pricey

I'm on the same page, using the fertile window method as birth control is basically a disaster waiting to happen when your cycle is totally unpredictable, which is why I'm asking if anyone here has actually used Maybe Baby and what the verdict is?
I checked at the local CVS and it's about $127, which honestly doesn't seem like much compared to the cost of pills, especially since people say those things last you for years...

Also, does the fact that I skip periods mean my fertility is already tanking? Personally, I'm leaning towards yes, but I really don't want to mess with hormones until I absolutely have to... And wouldn't birth control pills just make ovulation issues even worse anyway?🤷

analogscout72 said:where can I find LH ovulation test strips online that are actually cheap and don't suck...

Now I'm actually curious... what even are these strips? Like how much do they run you, and are they even reliable...

crimsonmason8 said:I guess I agree that relying on tracking fertile days is pretty sketchy when your cycle is all over the place, which is why I’m asking if anyone actually uses IUDs and if they're any good.
I checked at CVS and it's about $127, which isn't exactly breaking the bank compared to birth control pills, especially since apparently this thing lasts for years..

Also, does skipping periods mean my fertility is already tanking? I personally think so, but I really don't want to mess with hormones until I absolutely have to.. And pills are out of the question since they might make ovulation even worse, right?🤷

But did you actually talk to your OBGYN about the pill? My cycle was a total mess too—I'd go two months without a period and my hormones were completely shot, so I've been on the pill since I was 17 (I'm 21 now). I tried taking a break last year for about a year, and my cycle went totally haywire again. I didn't even get my period all summer 😢
So, maybe you should try the pill just to get your hormones back on track if that's the issue.

Anyway...

here's an article

Don't read the last paragraph.

Jamie Gray86 said:but did you actually sit down and talk to your OBGYN about birth control? because my cycle was a total disaster too—I’d go months without even seeing a period and my hormones were completely trashed, so I've been on the pill since I was 17... (I'm 21 now). I tried taking a break last year and didn't take anything for a full year, but my cycle just went totally haywire again. I know for a fact I missed my entire period over the summer 😢
so honestly, if your hormones are the issue, maybe you really should look into the pill to get things back on track.

anyway...

here's this article

don't skip the last paragraph.

I get what you mean, but looking at this article, it's pretty obvious a woman can ovulate any day during her cycle and be fertile then, which I get, but what I'm really wondering is if those pregnancy apps can actually give you a reliable answer on exactly when ovulation happens!!
Plus, my doctor flat out told me to stay away from birth control because it would just mess everything up more, like making ovulation non-existent... I've tried supplements and stuff, and now I'm thinking about doing a short course of vitamins before potentially using one of those tracking devices (if I can find one) to monitor my fertile days, assuming I even have them...😕
This whole mess with irregular periods is driving me insane... especially since I've been dealing with this for a few years now, so I highly doubt it's just going to fix itself...

crimsonmason8 said:I get that, but based on the article, it's pretty obvious she could ovulate any day during her cycle and be fertile then. That part makes sense, I guess. What I’m actually wondering is if a Baby Tracker app can actually give you a reliable answer on exactly which day ovulation happens!!
My doctor basically told me to stay far away from birth control because it just messes everything up—apparently, ovulation becomes a total non-event. I’ve tried the pills before, and honestly, they weren't great. Now I'm thinking about taking one last dose just to get through this, then maybe I'll try using one of those tracking gadgets if I can find one. We'll see if I even have fertile days to track, I guess.😕
This whole irregular period thing is driving me crazy... and since I've been dealing with it for years now, I'm starting to think it's probably not just going to fix itself.

Hey, please stop scaring me and being so depressing. 😢
I've been dealing with irregular periods for eight years now, and honestly, it's still a total mess. My mom keeps trying to convince me that I won't be able to have kids, which is frustrating because I really want at least four. 😢 😢😢😢

Jamie Gray86 said:seriously please stop scaring me and making me feel so depressed...😢
i've been dealing with my period for 8 years now and it’s still totally irregular, just a mess, plus my mom keeps telling me i probably won't be able to have kids even though i really want at least 4😢 😢😢 😢

Don't sweat it!! Honestly, I think you gotta remember what my doctor told me, like, when I actually decide I want to get pregnant, it probably won't just happen naturally without some hormonal help from a specialist or something?? I've had my period for 14 years and it's never been regular unless I was on the pill, but that doesn't even count properly!!
Btw, I just picked up some maybe baby tests and I'm already deep-diving into how they work😍..Hopefully they're actually accurate...

crimsonmason8 said:Don't sweat it!! I guess we should probably consider that—my doctor at the Mayo Clinic mentioned that if I actually want to get pregnant, it might not just happen on its own without some hormonal help?? I've had my period for 14 years now and it’s never been regular, unless I was on the pill, but that doesn't really count!!
Anyway, I picked up some Premom tests and I'm already deep in the research😍..Hopefully they're actually accurate..

Well, good luck with all that then🙂

share your thoughts😉

ironscout15 said:let me know how it goes😉

It’s alright... nothing from ovulation just yet... really hoping this thing is actually accurate...
Every single morning I’m basically just spitting on the glass to try and read it...

I’ve been using this for a year now. I originally bought it to track my cycles because I was worried that my PCOS might be preventing ovulation altogether. It’s an excellent tool, provided you follow the instructions to the letter—that is the most critical part. The test is highly sensitive to the salt levels in your saliva during fertile windows. To get an accurate reading, you need to test first thing in the morning before brushing your teeth or having anything to eat or drink. Alternatively, if you aren't testing immediately upon waking, you have to wait at least three hours after your last meal or drink. Another vital detail: you cannot rush the results. You have to let the saliva on the slide dry completely; you need to wait at least an hour for the crystals to form before checking the outcome. If used correctly, it works perfectly. Honestly, the women complaining about its inaccuracy are likely just misusing it—it’s clear they haven't read the manual properly.

Chloe Robinson80 said:I’ve actually been using this thing for a year now; I picked it up because I was worried my PCOS might be messing with my ovulation cycles... It’s honestly great, but you seriously have to use it right, like, that's the make-or-break part. It’s super sensitive to the salt levels in your saliva during your fertile window, so you gotta do the sample first thing in the morning before brushing your teeth or eating or drinking anything... or if you aren't doing it first thing, you have to wait at least three hours after your last meal or drink. And another big thing—you really need to let that saliva dry on the slide before you even try to look at it, like, give it at least an hour for those crystals to form properly. If you follow the rules, it works perfectly, so any girls whining about it probably just aren't reading the manual correctly...

That’s exactly how I handle mine, I just spit into it first thing in the morning before I even get moving... though I don't usually wait a full hour, I can usually read it in about 20 minutes, which is what the instructions say since it probably just depends on how much saliva you're working with, and if you put down way too much then yeah, you'll definitely have to wait longer for it to dry.

Quick question though: since you’ve got more experience with this, what does ovulation actually look like when it forms that fern pattern they show in the manual all over the lens? All I ever see are just little tiny crystals or dots... and do you use this as a way to prevent pregnancy too?

crimsonmason8 said:That’s exactly my routine. I spit into the device first thing in the morning before doing anything else. I don't bother waiting the full hour, either—I usually just wait about 20 to 40 minutes. According to the instructions, it likely depends on how much saliva you use; if you overdo it, you end up having to wait longer for it to dry properly.

Question: Since you have more experience with this, what exactly does that fern-like ovulation pattern look like—the one shown in the manual on the eyepiece? All I see are tiny little crystals or dots. Do you also use yours as part of your birth control?

The application needs to be precise—not too much, not too little.
If you follow the instructions, the visual cues are clear: during infertile periods, you’ll see nothing but tiny crystals and specks. As you approach your fertile window, those patterns shift into fern-like branches. By the peak of ovulation, those "ferns" will practically take over the entire view through the eyepiece. I wouldn't dream of relying on this microscope as a method of contraception, though. Sperm can survive inside for several days, meaning you could still end up pregnant even if you had intercourse during an infertile window. I know a friend who ended up pregnant three separate times because she relied solely on tracking her fertile days.

Chloe Robinson80 said:A friend of mine ended up pregnant three different times just by trying to track her fertile and non-fertile days...

Look, about your friend—I’m pretty sure someone was finishing inside her, but if you’re actually being careful with the pull-out method and you happen to be on an infertile day, the chances of getting knocked up are slim... it’s honestly not as easy to get pregnant as people make it out to be...