Trying Something New

The last two month have been a tough and discouraging. This past month I knew deep down that I wasn't pregnant but I honestly tried to wish away the menstrual pains and pop up break outs. My husband and I missed our peek window of opportunity to "baby dance" but for some reason I still held on to hope. It all came crashing down when I had that first red wipe (and even then I tried to convince myself it was spotting.)

After nine months of failed attempts I was finding myself becoming more and more discouraged. I started to drown myself in self diagnosis information and hopeless thoughts. Reading articles on symptoms, watching ttc vlogs, and whispering negative thoughts to myself. I currently do not have a medical diagnosis for infertility.

Its crazy what your mind does when your are trying to conceive.

My pity party quickly ended when I felt peace wash over me. "Beth, I will give you the desires of your heart. Find delight in me and wait patiently." ( Referenced Psalms 37: 4) I know God has great plans for us. I am waiting with Him doing my best to remember to seek him in times of praise and pain.

I prayed about what our next step should be and asked God to lead me in what direction to turn as we try to grow our family. I felt like now was time to try something new in our ttc journey. I don't know why this was such a hard decision. I guess part of me felt like I was less of a woman if I had to have assistance getting pregnant. For the past nine months my husband and I have tried to conceive 100% naturally. Other than a combination of ovulation tracking apps (Glow,Femometer and Premom ) that helps me identify my peek days, we have relied on our own biological means to get pregnant. My husband and I have discussed IUI and IVF in general terms but we have not reached this point in our fertility plan. We felt like there were a few at home, less expensive means to promoting conception before we require medical interventions.

I actively researched new methods to try for the month of April. Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPK) are an easily accessible and cost efficient way to determine when your in your fertility prime.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, ovulation predictor kits are 99% accurate when predicting a surge in LH levels.

The test strips measure a hormone called Luteinizing. This hormone controls the reproductive system and controls the production of estrogen. The key is to have intercourse before or during your peeked levels for optimal egg fertilization. Low levels of this hormone can cause infertility and result in poor ovulation function. Unfortunately, this method is not ideal for everyone. False positive peeks are possible if individuals have PCOS.

OPK range in prices from simple test strips for $8 to touch screen monitors for $150. After reading several reviews I felt that the Easy@Home Premom Ovulation Predictor Kit was the best bang for my buck and there was a coordinating app that might be useful. Because my cycle is typically 30 days in long, I began using the strips on the 14th day of my cycle, as recommended in the instruction manual of the OPK. The test strips are designed to measure the hormone level peek 12-24 hours prior to ovulation. Having intercourse on peek days allows sperm to be present during the egg release.

Recommended Testing Times for OPK

Can I just share that there is nothing like catching your urine in a complimentary plastic cup from your favorite pizza place as you anticipate sticking a little paper wand in the warm liquid. You can imagine the awkward face my husband makes when he chooses this moment to pass though the bathroom in order to hang something in our closet. We'll never eat at Hideaway Pizza again without thinking about pee in those purple cups.

Reading my test strip results was easy once I discovered that Femometer would do it for me! The Premom app that is associated with the test strips does have a place to store pictures of each test, but unfortunately you have to analyze the levels yourself when recording each strip. Being a beginner in the OPK world, the Femometer app provides storage of test results and indicates low, high or peek levels of Luteinizing in your urine. As the week went on, I could clearly see a gradual darkening of the test line as I approached my expected ovulation date. My LH levels where on the rise! Another encouraging fact is that sperm can live for up to 5 days in an ideal environment. This means that having intercourse 2-3 days prior to your peek could result in pregnancy.

Many women report that ovulation prediction kits cause added stress and anxiety but I found that it made me more confident in our fertility strategy. I think it is important to do what is best for each couple. My goal is to use this as a tool and make sure that it does not turn into an obsession.

Today I prayed that our efforts are will soon result in a beautiful reveal. May we remember that our Lord God is the Creator of life, the Healer of our hurts, and the One who knits blessings in our wombs. Remind us Lord, that you provide us with tools and knowledge, but ultimately You are our only Hope.

~With God all things are possible. Mathew 19:26