Newbie77

Right ladies, I know some of you are very well up on which are the best / most sensitive to use as far as ebay cheapies. I just went onto ebay and was slightly bamboozled by the choice. I have no idea what I am doing, this is a whole new world to me !!! Quite keen on seeing if I am ovulating without spending a fortune - any advice on which sticks are best would be appreciated, thanks in advance x.

rachelle1975

Well you could buy them from the baby mad store on ebay - she does a deal with thermometer and early HPTs and OPKs?

I know you don't want to spend money but you could always buy the CB OPK with the smiley face just to see - it's so nice get a smiley face in the morning! God i'm easily pleased!

Newbie77

As I'm new to all this ttc I don't really understand the difference between it all. Ok so the clearblue is a digital readout which shows a smilie face - is that right? Do you need to keep buying any replacements for it? Sorry know this is a dump question, just don't know how it works. I got a free pack of cheapie OP sticks with my preseed which I have been using, but I am finding it a bit confusing! Maybe it's just me being dumb! Cheers.

rachelle1975

Don't worry chick - hopefully you'll get your BFP and remain nice and new to it all!!

Okay i used the CB OPKs with the smiley face - it has instructions inside and comes with 7 sticks. I'm on a 27/28 day cycle so i start testing with first morning urine from CD11 and keep going until i get a smiley face (which is very cool). I get it about day 14. So after day 14 i count day 15 as 1 day past ovulation (DPO).

The CB one is about £23 - i only used 4 sticks so had 3 left - i bought it again the next month and had 3 left again so by the third month i didn't need to buy it!

The ones off of ebay like babymad etc. are thin strips that you can test at any time of day but it tends to be early afternoon that is more preferable and you do it when you haven't pee'd for 4 hours. collect your urine in a clean container and then dip it in for i think 3 seconds - instructions are on the pack - lay it flat and it gives you a reading.

I like the CB ones purely because you don't have to guage colour lines and stuff - you either are ovulating or you aren't!

How's that? hope it helped chick x

Newbie77

Ahhh, think that clears up the mystery! It is on offer at Boots at the moment with 20% off ~ £18 (online just peeked) so may buy one and see what results I get. PS. Can you keep the digital predictor and just buy new sticks or do you have to buy the whole thing every time you use them up? Think you're saying you have to keep buying the whole thing but don't necessarily use all the sticks each time...

Rachelle you pointed me in the direction of Zita Wests book (the day B&B went down - lost those posts) thanks it has helped get me up to speed. Honestly until you start ttc you have no idea how complicated a science it all is, you spend half of your life trying not to get pregnant so assume it will happen when you want it to - I know that is very niave, but think it is what is kinda programmed into us!

Thanks again for the OPK lesson xxx.

shalagirl

I used cheapies off the internet last month and did think they worked ok.
I collected a sample usually in the evening (tried to cut out my tea drinking) around 9pm. Left my sample sitting for about half an hour to come to room temp, carried out the test and then read the results 10 minutes later. For a few days in the run up to ovulation I got a faint line as well as the test line but then when I did ovualate I got a v positive dark line just like the control line which is what is meant to happen. They were called Unitest says on it certified for HCG and LH test (what ever that means!) and cost about £5-6 for 20 - i think!

Newbie77

Think I will carry on with my internet freebies (that came with the preseed) then this month and see if there is any difference in lines, won't harm to use them up and buy afresh, considering the CB too for next month, thanks x.