Ovulation Kits-pg110744534018

8 Replies
beth - February 3

How well do the ovulation kits work and which are the best. What about using Robitussin also, anyone try this and was successful? Anyone not successful with these methods. I really am desperate.

 

Juli - February 3

Beth..I can only speak from personal experience. After months of charting my BBT and finally catching on to the method I did use the Robitussin. Then I moved on to BBT, Robitussin, (which you have to take like the whole week of "fertile time" & it tastes horrible when you are sick let alone when your not) and the Ovulation Kit. The first month I used all three I became pregnant and am now at 20 weeks. I also had some scar tissue from cervical surgeries and the Robitussin is said to help thin that scar tissue. Try it...why not?? And it worked for me so Good Luck...and I'll send you some "Baby Dust"!!!

 

Kay - February 3

I am sorry if i sound dumb but how do you use Robtissun. And when you chart your BBT when do you start keeping track. thanks

 

Juli - February 3

Kay...not a dumb question at all. It didn't really understand either until I started the "process"! Anyway, you take the Robitussin during the week you think you may be ovulating as directed on the box. If I remember correctly it is 2 Tbls. 3 times a day. But you have to be careful because it has to contain a certain ingrediant. I think I read about it on this site under Trying to get Pregnant, but maybe you can do a general search and find something. As for the BBT, I tried to chart mine all month (but I don't think you have to). You want to watch for the slightest increase and once your temp. has spiked that means that you have already ovulated. I hope this helps and doesn't hinder!!!!!

 

~m~ - February 3

beth, I order test strips from www.babyhopes.com. They are super cheap! 50 tests for $32.50, plus free shipping. They arrive in 3-4 days. I order hpt strips from www.at-home-pregnancy-tests.com. The hpt are cheaper there.... for future reference! :o) They both work well. And the hpt are really sensitive. 20 mIU I think.-------- Juli, thanks for the Robitussin tip. I'm going to read up on that. I've never heard of it. Does it help you be more fertile? Also, about the BBT. My doc has me charting mine, too. Mine was right at 96.8-97.0 every day, and then it went up to like 97.6 one day, then back down and stablized again. A couple days later, it spiked like that again. Have you ever experienced this? Also my ovulation strips showed a surge in conjunction with BOTH spikes. Could I have ovulated twice?

 

Shelly - February 3

Beth-check out this site for details about Robitussin, etc. http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/robitussin.html

 

beth - February 3

thanks everyone. I have never done my temps b/c it seems confusing, i've just a__sumed that if we try every other day after my period up until the next one that it would have to work, but so far (after 8 months) it hasn't. I have been hesitant to rely on the ovulation kits in case they were wrong or flawed in some way. We just do it as much as we can.

 

Juli - February 3

Ok, the site I got the Robitussin info from is babycenter.com/preconception/getting pregnant/index....under Ask the Experts is a question Can taking cough syrup help me conceive? The robitussin doesn't make you more fertile it actually thins your mucus membranes (which makes sense when your sick) and helps the "flow of sperm". ~m~..as for your BBT, I'm not sure but I think that may have just been a flux not necessarily the spike...mine was usually at the time of ovulation around 98.0. It will stay high until you start your period and then there would be a drastic drop. Like if your temp has been 98.0 and then you take it and its back to 96.0 then look for AF to be coming. On the up side if it stays high....your most likely pregnant!!!!

 

RB - February 3

Ladies, I have information for you! If you are using or are planning to use Robitussin in trying to conceive, read this (it was copied from www.geocities.com). It will inform you of the potential side effects and help you to be able to make an informed decision. If you are using Robitussin or similar cough syrup in trying to achieve pregnancy, or have inadequate cervical mucus that hinders your fertility this info is for you. What you need to take is Robitussin that contains Guaifenesin; it improves cervical mucus. Note that the ingredient implicated, Guaifenesin, is in some but not all cough syrups. At first most people wonder what on earth a cough syrup has to do with fertility, but the logic is easily found in the fact that it is an expectorant and is being used to loosen and thin mucus - just in a different place than the lungs! The name Robitussin is a common brand of cough syrup in the United States. It is used on the fertility boards and newsgroups in the same manner as saying Band-Aid for an adhesive strip used to cover a cut. Any expectorant that contains guaifenesin as the only active ingredient is fine to use. What kind of Robitussin is used to improve cervical mucus? One should buy the plain kind with no letters after it. The only active ingredient is guaifenesin, and it contains 100 mg per teaspoon. It is very important to avoid the versions that contain decongestants as those may dry up cervical mucus. Do I need to use the brand Robitussin? No. Robitussin is the most common brand name, at least in the U.S., that carries a guaifenesin-only expectorant, but there are other brands and generics available. As long as the only active ingredient is guaifenesin, you can use any variety you find. For those with diabetes or otherwise concerned about sugar intake, there is the brand Diabetic Tussin available. What is the recommended dose of guaifenesin? The recommended dose for improving cervical mucus, based on a 1982 article in Fertility and Sterility, is two teaspoons (200 mg) taken orally three times per day. If mucus still appears thick and doesn't have good spinnbarkeit (ability to stretch), one can take as much as four teaspoons (400 mg) four times per day (the maximum dose on this over the counter medication). Each dose should be taken with a full gla__s of water, and attention should be given to drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day -- one needs water to produce mucus. What cycle days should one take guaifenesin? Just as the dose can vary a bit, so can the days. The article linked above had patients starting the guaifenesin on cycle day 5 - five days after the start of menses. This seems rather early as mucus is not an issue until about five days before ovulation - based on the fact that sperm can only live five days at best, and most pregnancies are the result of intercourse in the five days leading up to ovulation. Because of this information, it is now more common for doctors to suggest starting guaifenesin about five days before expected ovulation and continuing through ovulation day (six days total, for those with regular cycles). For those with irregular cycles, one should start taking guaifenesin about five days before the earliest day ovulation might be expected. For those taking Clomid (clomiphene citrate, Serophene) in a 5-day protocol, one can probably wait until the day after the last Clomid pill before starting the expectorant. Is guaifenesin available in pill form? Yes, but in most cases a prescription is needed. In the U.S., one can get a 600 mg time released caplet as the generic Guaifenesin CR, or brands Humibid LA, and Fenesin. This is often less expensive than the liquid. How does one diagnose cervical factor/hostile mucus? Many women try taking guaifenesin after noting little or no egg white (stretchy) cervical mucus while charting their fertility signals, but clinically it is diagnosed when a doctor checks mucus one or two days before ovulation in what is usually referred to as a post-coital test. The doctor does a v____al exam and takes a sample of mucus to immediately a___lyze under a microscope to check for live sperm and for a ferning pattern. It is also checked for signs of infection. Quality mucus will be stretchy, fern, lack cellularity, and have live sperm swimming in it. Why do so many women take guaifenesin while on Clomid? Clomid (clomiphene citrate, Serophene) can cause hostile mucus in 30 percent or more of women using it. Higher doses tend to be more a__sociated with less cervical fluid and a thinner uterine lining, than the 50 mg dose. Will guaifenesin help if there is little or no mucus present? Guaifenesin doesn't actually create mucus, it only thins what is already there. One would need to look into why there is no mucus (infection, not really ovulating). Will taking guaifenesin cause any problems if it isn't needed? Probably not. Since fertile mucus can be watery, there is probably no harm in taking guaifenesin and thinning it out. What are some other possible ways to improve cervical mucus? Drinking plenty of water should always be considered in addition to any other therapies one might try. Estrogen is sometimes given to help mucus production, though doctors have mixed opinions of its benefit, especially when used with Clomid (and some suggest using Tamoxifen instead of Clomid). Injectable gonadotropins used for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation often have a positive effect on cervical mucus as well. Some home/natural remedies include eating salty foods such as popcorn (mucus is very salty), taking evening primrose oil, avoiding dairy products (they can thicken mucus), eating lots of baby carrots, and also avoiding antihistamines, including high doses of vitamin C. Does guaifenesin do anything for male factor infertility? It is possible that men with thick s____n may benefit from guaifenesin in the same manner it helps with cervical mucus in women. The suggested doses on the newsgroups and fertility boards range from two teaspoons twice per day to four teaspoons four times per day. By the way, for those of you who are not living in the US ( in other words if you stay in a country where the product Robitussin is not available) you can also use a different product: Benylin for Chest Coughs - Non-Drowsy. This also contains Guaifenesin. I stay in South Africa and this is what I've used, and it works! I really hope this helps you all!

 

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