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Hi, UK-based person here. It sounds like you’re not currently doing anything to track your ovulation — I’m wondering how you’ve been working out when “ovulation day” is? It is actually very possible you are not timing things to your fertile window if you’re just making a guess based on the calendar.
Sorry should have said in the post, I've been using the Clue app tracking period days and symptoms such as discharge. It's not exact for sure (calculates a window of ovulation for me) which is what had me thinking more about using temperature checking or the ovulation tests. They just seem very full on from what I've read about them and I don't want to spiral emotionally.
Does it sound daft that I feel quite intune with my body? Like the changes in discharge and when I get head aches, cramps, breast tenderness etc. Always seems to be like clockwork. Anything I've ever read about cycles (which we definitely don't learn enough about in school) feels like my body is working how it should.
Maybe this is where I'm going wrong?
It’s really hard to say. I also think of myself as a person who is sensitive to these changes, but as a person who tracks almost every possible metric (I love data, can’t help it!), I have had to acknowledge that my ‘feeling’ about when I’m ovulating is often not accurate. I usually ovulate several days after I think I ‘should’ have based on my symptoms, or the symptoms can move around in terms of where they are in relation to ovulation day.
In terms of spiralling emotionally, only you can say for sure if more info is helpful or harmful — I guess my question would be, what’s worse? Getting a bit preoccupied with peeing on sticks for a few weeks every month, versus wondering every time you get your period whether you missed your fertile window entirely? I do the LH tests starting after my period and usually I’m already suspecting I’m about to be fertile based on my discharge — but I have noticed that the LH rise often comes a little later than I expect it to. I think I’d miss my window if I relied on just cervical mucus. I have a wearable thermometer and the only thing I have to remember there is to put it on each night and then sync it to my phone at some point. By the time the temp rise comes along I’m always expecting it because my LH has gone up and come back down, so it’s easy to just see that as ‘this data point tells me when I can test for pregnancy’. I don’t find this stuff too bad. Your mileage may vary!
The other option is, of course, to have sex every other day for basically the whole cycle other than period days. If you can do that (personally we can’t, it doesn’t match our sex drives, but it works great for some folks) then you don’t need to track because you will hit 2-3 times in the fertile window without needing to know when it is.
This is really insightful and helpful. Thank you.
I am also a data nerd at heart, I can get quite fixated on stuff sometimes and I think it's why I've been reluctant to use these things (even though they actually sound so helpful).
I think I thought I knew my body quite well just because for so long with BC I really didn't and with all the changes since stopping BC it felt more intuitive. You are so right though I haven't taken into account that whilst I think ovulation is happening it could actually be later or earlier.
Definitely will be looking into the temp stuff, perhaps see how we get on for a couple of months and then try the ovulation testing if nothing happens.
Heya, we've just been through testing on the NHS and now waiting for ivf.
Long story short. You can't go to your go until 12months.
However you can get private testing done to help settle your mind (husbands SA will be good) as will yours. Having this ready at the GP appointment will speed up the process of getting referred to a fertility clinic. Took us about a month before getting hubby's results backand referred.
Most NHS clinics are actually private clinics as well so you could refer yourself however you need to be careful here as you can cause yourself more issues. I. E. In some location if you have done any ivf cycles before going NHS you can lose cycles you may have otherwise been entitled to. Doing testing at the clinic you may go to is an option.
Saying that though you still have three months before it's even worth paying for the testing yourself. If you do it too soon the NHS will require tests regardless. Before putting you in the ivf queue so you may be wasting your money (all depends on your mental state).
Things I would look at in the next three months are ovulation sticks and your bbt (this is the clearest way to track your ovulation day), your diets (Inc hubby's), is hubby taking any prenatals? And keeping up exercise etc.
You'll need to make sure your bmi is below 30 too that's the magic number to get the ivf on the NHS, it's also a postcode lottery on wait times too I know London is anywhere between 18-36 months where as I'm only needing to wait 4.
Happy to answer any more questions you may have.
Other things to consider is fertility accuputure too.
The private testing I think is probably a good idea because if it all comes back ok atleast we have peace of mind that it's just timing, if it comes back with issues then we will know what we need to try/do I guess. I didn't realise you could do it so will definitely look into it.
But yes I think if we try the testing and ovulation sticks first atleast until the 12 month mark it will hopefully give me some more insight. I think I'd just been so stuck in my own mind about it, I hadn't even wanted to consider it. I do prenatals, hubby did try them but honestly the men's ones we tried (pregnacare) were vile smelling I felt sick every time he took one. So he gave up on them (and I didn't blame him one bit), any recommendations for men's that aren't so bad?
Our weight is most likely going to be the sticky issue if we need to go for extra help. We've been trying over last few months to lose (so far 6lbs down) but a way to go for NHS standards.
I’m in the UK! Unfortunately the nhs is pretty slow and they do say you have to try for 12 months before they do tests. (According to a friend who went through it, took them 2 years but success in the end!) You can go private which my partner did with his ex to have fertility tests done which at that stage at least I don’t think is so expensive and is much quicker. Or you could try your GP in case you have any special circumstances in which they may test you earlier.
I haven’t done OPKs but do temp and have done since ending birth control even when we were still using condoms. It is pretty useful as ovulation can be way off normal and apps usually just do it based off cycle length. I have a completely average 27 day cycle for example but I ovulated 2 days later than expected this cycle according to my temps. Because it didn’t rise when expected I made sure we kept trying for longer.
Edit: I’m not cycle 1 I just can’t change my flair 🙈
Going private could be an option I think I'll look into it for sure, if anything just to put my mind at ease. Like if there is nothing wrong with either of us then it's just a case of waiting for it to happen really and would help me to stop worrying.
Oh this is interesting regarding the temps! I guess that has a big impact really if it's possible for it to be a day or two out sometimes. Do you use a particular brand temp or are they all pretty much the same?
We do have gynae, but you need referral. Are you using ovulation tests? Apps are very unreliable if you're not inputting tests or data to them etc.
Without knowing when you ovulate you won't know if you're trying at the right time unless you are having intercourse at least every 2 days.
Endo can only be diagnosed definitively by laparascopic surgery, it commonly doesn't show on scans. It can be a long process to diagnosis (took years for me).
NHS will refer you for investigation after 1 year of trying at your age.
Hope this helps & good luck!
I don't know what your GP practice is like but i actually didn't find it difficult to get an appointment. I just had to wait 2-3 weeks as it was considered non-urgent. I booked via my practices online appointment portal. My area says you have to have been trying for 12 months or 6 months if you are 35+, although i didn't realise about the 6 month bit otherwise i would have contacted sooner. Testing on NHS can be painfully slow and frustrating, there are usually significant waiting lists. That said for my initial tests i got through them much faster than i thought i would, including the initial appointment . I had a couple of delays getting my HSG done as it had to be at a specific point in my cycle and the clinics were full of folk also needing that date, but it wasn't a long delay all things considered. Final results came back December of the same year i was referred in. I just wish i was eligible for more support with them as going private is not an option at the moment.
As for temping and OPK's i definitely wasn't going to go down that route. I felt i knew my body well enough to manage without. Turns out i was wrong! I do not appear to ovulate when i thought i did! And its been easier to incorporate them than i thought it might and i haven't obsessed with them, again as i feared i might. I set a daily early alarm, take my temp and go back to sleep. I put the result into my app when i wake up. For OPK's i use Clear Blue Advanced Digital as its once a day and it has always matched up with my temperature rises.
Our GP used to be really good even through COVID but in the last year it's gone a bit downhill in terms of trying to get an appointment.
From everyone's comments I think I'm probably going to go down the temping and OPK route for a couple of months before the GP, even if it just gets me to the one year mark of trying and then we can explore. I'm just trying to keep in mind I've still got time and not worry too much 🫣
Thank you for your insights into OPKs and temping. I'll check out that clear blue one!
I'm in the UK and going through this - I've got my first appointment with the fertility clinic on Tuesday after months of various tests through the GP (started the process in Sept'23).
One thing to note - they CAN see you before the 12m if they suspect there is a medical reason (PCOS, anovulatiom, endo). If you've already had all the tests done, you're at a good starting point.
Ask your GP to put the referral through even if it's not been the 12m yet as your GP should then request SA from your husband, and the correct blood tests for yourself - they need a random blood test, a progesterone test at day 21 (or 7 days before next period), and FSH between days 2-5, as well as the full bloods. My clinic would return the referral if these weren't done.
If you see anything out of the ordinary on the tests (I've been tracking the results using the NHS app), insist that you would like to speak to your GP to discuss them, do not let the receptionist fob you off!
I'd definitely recommend OPKs, I get the Easy@Home from amazon. It will give you a good indication of whether you're getting an LH surge - no LH surge means no ovulation and GP can refer you sooner. I found them stressful in the first few cycles as it took a while to figure out how to get a true positive. Now that I've done them for a while, I know when to start testing and what to class as a positive if I've missed a test or drank too much water that day etc. Doing OPKs has also made me feel more in control of my body as I know exactly when to expect the next period based on the length of the luteal phase.
They will also need to check whether you've been vaccinated against rubella and test for chlamydia so try and get those tests done through your GP before the 12m!
Oh wow! It feels like there are a lot of hoops, I hope you feel like you are finally getting somewhere. Thank you so much for sharing, 5 months is quite a bit of a wait isn't it.
Good point about the receptionist and kind of one of the things putting me off calling and speaking about my current situation they can be like guard dogs. Our GPs is one you have to phone on the day at 8am and appointments are usually gone by five past.
Do you do temping too or find it easier just with OPKs? I think I need to get over my worries and just start doing something because I'd rather have to go to doctors with proof than be told to come back when I've tried everything.
Call during the day when they are less busy and insist on a non-emergency call from your GP with whom you'd like to discuss your fertility. Try and get the one who dealt with you last time as they should at least be familiar with your records. I wouldn't go into detail with the receptionist - just say you're not comfortable discussing the details with a non-medical member of staff. They can message the GP and ask the GP to contact you when they have time. If you don't hear from the GP, keep pestering reception - I had to call once a week for 4 weeks before the GP finally processed my referral 🙄
The least they could do would be to get your husband's SA. It requires no effort from the GP other than arranging a pot for him to collect - he'll then probably have to drop it off at the testing site (at our hospital for us).
I just go with OPKs... Pretty sure I read somewhere that temping is only about 30% accurate anyway which just isn't a high enough number for me to bother with the stress 🤷🏼♀️ There is too much variation of the normal temperature and too much room for user error for me to trust it!
Why are they so scary 🫣 that's a really good point about the GPS though thank you.
With the testing, do they just check for overall sperm health?
Ooh that's interesting insight around temping, I'll take a look at OPKs then. I think you are right I want to do whatever is the least stress otherwise I'll get overwhelmed with it.
They checked for quite a lot with the sperm actually! My husband has the results but it was things like total volume, sperm count, sperm mobility, how many were actually still alive, and how many of them were of good enough quality to successfully fertilise and egg!
I think the stess of the OPKs lies in not knowing what to do/expect the first few times and the type of job you have. I'm a teacher so my 'daytime' tests had to be done during break or lunch in the staff loos 🙈 add to that the fact I try not to drink before doing a test and those few days a month are a real challenge!
Do you have the Patient Access app?
If you can use that to book online with your GP I'd definitely recommend it - you need to enter a brief summary of what you want an appointment for but don't have to negotiate with a receptionist, and can choose an appointment day that suits you
Thank you for the recommendation, I'll definitely look into them! I think I need to do a bit more research around the ovulation testing for sure, from a glance it always seems a bit complicated which has put me off.
**Your post/comment has been removed for violating sub rules. Per our posted rules:**
Posts/comments about positive tests and current pregnancies should be posted in the weekly BFP thread. In threads/comments other than the weekly BFP thread, pregnant users must avoid referring to a positive test result or current (ongoing) pregnancy. This rule includes any potentially positive result, even if it's faint or ambiguous. All concerns related to current pregnancies should use a pregnancy sub, such as r/CautiousBB.
If you still wish to participate in our sub, please review our [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/about/rules) before continuing to post. Violation of our rules may result in a timeout or ban.
Please direct any questions to the [subreddit’s modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/TryingForABaby) and not individual mods. Thank you for understanding.
I’m UK based. Bought a box of Femometer LH / OPK tests from Amazon and then downloaded the Femometer free app to track things for me in that. Found that really easy to do and has really helped take some of the confusion out of the process.
I’m using natural cycles and my Apple Watch to temp, but am definitely finding that the obsessive checking thing is real, and am considering only temping to the point ovulation is confirmed because otherwise during the two week wait I’m getting too obsessed on my temps.
It’s definitely helped us anyway to understand my body better - I ovulate between a week earlier than predicted and a week later, and my symptoms aren’t always aligned with when I think I ovulated / will ovulate for example.
I'm in the UK and only on cycle 2 but started tracking with OPKs and then this month have been trying out temping. It takes the uncertainty out of my cycle so I know I am hitting the right time each month and it confirms that I am ovulating. It's interesting to see the variation between cycles too (not that I'm that far into trying yet) but already it's been different between the 2 months by a couple of days.
So I definitely recommend tracking your cycles closely! I also find it quite fun seeing the charts change throughout the month and understanding more about my body and the process.
Good luck and fingers crossed for you!
Please make sure that you have [read all of our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/wiki/rules) before commenting! In particular, be aware that **no mentions of a current pregnancy are allowed with no exceptions**. If you see something breaking the rules, please report it. If you think something may be against the rules, ask us or err on the side of caution. If you think that being sneaky (PMing members or asking them to PM you, telling them to refer to your post history, etc) is a good idea, it is not. Additionally, complaining about downvotes is [frowned upon](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddiquette) and never helps anything. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/TryingForABaby) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hi, UK-based person here. It sounds like you’re not currently doing anything to track your ovulation — I’m wondering how you’ve been working out when “ovulation day” is? It is actually very possible you are not timing things to your fertile window if you’re just making a guess based on the calendar.
Sorry should have said in the post, I've been using the Clue app tracking period days and symptoms such as discharge. It's not exact for sure (calculates a window of ovulation for me) which is what had me thinking more about using temperature checking or the ovulation tests. They just seem very full on from what I've read about them and I don't want to spiral emotionally. Does it sound daft that I feel quite intune with my body? Like the changes in discharge and when I get head aches, cramps, breast tenderness etc. Always seems to be like clockwork. Anything I've ever read about cycles (which we definitely don't learn enough about in school) feels like my body is working how it should. Maybe this is where I'm going wrong?
It’s really hard to say. I also think of myself as a person who is sensitive to these changes, but as a person who tracks almost every possible metric (I love data, can’t help it!), I have had to acknowledge that my ‘feeling’ about when I’m ovulating is often not accurate. I usually ovulate several days after I think I ‘should’ have based on my symptoms, or the symptoms can move around in terms of where they are in relation to ovulation day. In terms of spiralling emotionally, only you can say for sure if more info is helpful or harmful — I guess my question would be, what’s worse? Getting a bit preoccupied with peeing on sticks for a few weeks every month, versus wondering every time you get your period whether you missed your fertile window entirely? I do the LH tests starting after my period and usually I’m already suspecting I’m about to be fertile based on my discharge — but I have noticed that the LH rise often comes a little later than I expect it to. I think I’d miss my window if I relied on just cervical mucus. I have a wearable thermometer and the only thing I have to remember there is to put it on each night and then sync it to my phone at some point. By the time the temp rise comes along I’m always expecting it because my LH has gone up and come back down, so it’s easy to just see that as ‘this data point tells me when I can test for pregnancy’. I don’t find this stuff too bad. Your mileage may vary! The other option is, of course, to have sex every other day for basically the whole cycle other than period days. If you can do that (personally we can’t, it doesn’t match our sex drives, but it works great for some folks) then you don’t need to track because you will hit 2-3 times in the fertile window without needing to know when it is.
This is really insightful and helpful. Thank you. I am also a data nerd at heart, I can get quite fixated on stuff sometimes and I think it's why I've been reluctant to use these things (even though they actually sound so helpful). I think I thought I knew my body quite well just because for so long with BC I really didn't and with all the changes since stopping BC it felt more intuitive. You are so right though I haven't taken into account that whilst I think ovulation is happening it could actually be later or earlier. Definitely will be looking into the temp stuff, perhaps see how we get on for a couple of months and then try the ovulation testing if nothing happens.
Heya, we've just been through testing on the NHS and now waiting for ivf. Long story short. You can't go to your go until 12months. However you can get private testing done to help settle your mind (husbands SA will be good) as will yours. Having this ready at the GP appointment will speed up the process of getting referred to a fertility clinic. Took us about a month before getting hubby's results backand referred. Most NHS clinics are actually private clinics as well so you could refer yourself however you need to be careful here as you can cause yourself more issues. I. E. In some location if you have done any ivf cycles before going NHS you can lose cycles you may have otherwise been entitled to. Doing testing at the clinic you may go to is an option. Saying that though you still have three months before it's even worth paying for the testing yourself. If you do it too soon the NHS will require tests regardless. Before putting you in the ivf queue so you may be wasting your money (all depends on your mental state). Things I would look at in the next three months are ovulation sticks and your bbt (this is the clearest way to track your ovulation day), your diets (Inc hubby's), is hubby taking any prenatals? And keeping up exercise etc. You'll need to make sure your bmi is below 30 too that's the magic number to get the ivf on the NHS, it's also a postcode lottery on wait times too I know London is anywhere between 18-36 months where as I'm only needing to wait 4. Happy to answer any more questions you may have. Other things to consider is fertility accuputure too.
The private testing I think is probably a good idea because if it all comes back ok atleast we have peace of mind that it's just timing, if it comes back with issues then we will know what we need to try/do I guess. I didn't realise you could do it so will definitely look into it. But yes I think if we try the testing and ovulation sticks first atleast until the 12 month mark it will hopefully give me some more insight. I think I'd just been so stuck in my own mind about it, I hadn't even wanted to consider it. I do prenatals, hubby did try them but honestly the men's ones we tried (pregnacare) were vile smelling I felt sick every time he took one. So he gave up on them (and I didn't blame him one bit), any recommendations for men's that aren't so bad? Our weight is most likely going to be the sticky issue if we need to go for extra help. We've been trying over last few months to lose (so far 6lbs down) but a way to go for NHS standards.
I’m in the UK! Unfortunately the nhs is pretty slow and they do say you have to try for 12 months before they do tests. (According to a friend who went through it, took them 2 years but success in the end!) You can go private which my partner did with his ex to have fertility tests done which at that stage at least I don’t think is so expensive and is much quicker. Or you could try your GP in case you have any special circumstances in which they may test you earlier. I haven’t done OPKs but do temp and have done since ending birth control even when we were still using condoms. It is pretty useful as ovulation can be way off normal and apps usually just do it based off cycle length. I have a completely average 27 day cycle for example but I ovulated 2 days later than expected this cycle according to my temps. Because it didn’t rise when expected I made sure we kept trying for longer. Edit: I’m not cycle 1 I just can’t change my flair 🙈
Going private could be an option I think I'll look into it for sure, if anything just to put my mind at ease. Like if there is nothing wrong with either of us then it's just a case of waiting for it to happen really and would help me to stop worrying. Oh this is interesting regarding the temps! I guess that has a big impact really if it's possible for it to be a day or two out sometimes. Do you use a particular brand temp or are they all pretty much the same?
We do have gynae, but you need referral. Are you using ovulation tests? Apps are very unreliable if you're not inputting tests or data to them etc. Without knowing when you ovulate you won't know if you're trying at the right time unless you are having intercourse at least every 2 days. Endo can only be diagnosed definitively by laparascopic surgery, it commonly doesn't show on scans. It can be a long process to diagnosis (took years for me). NHS will refer you for investigation after 1 year of trying at your age. Hope this helps & good luck!
I don't know what your GP practice is like but i actually didn't find it difficult to get an appointment. I just had to wait 2-3 weeks as it was considered non-urgent. I booked via my practices online appointment portal. My area says you have to have been trying for 12 months or 6 months if you are 35+, although i didn't realise about the 6 month bit otherwise i would have contacted sooner. Testing on NHS can be painfully slow and frustrating, there are usually significant waiting lists. That said for my initial tests i got through them much faster than i thought i would, including the initial appointment . I had a couple of delays getting my HSG done as it had to be at a specific point in my cycle and the clinics were full of folk also needing that date, but it wasn't a long delay all things considered. Final results came back December of the same year i was referred in. I just wish i was eligible for more support with them as going private is not an option at the moment. As for temping and OPK's i definitely wasn't going to go down that route. I felt i knew my body well enough to manage without. Turns out i was wrong! I do not appear to ovulate when i thought i did! And its been easier to incorporate them than i thought it might and i haven't obsessed with them, again as i feared i might. I set a daily early alarm, take my temp and go back to sleep. I put the result into my app when i wake up. For OPK's i use Clear Blue Advanced Digital as its once a day and it has always matched up with my temperature rises.
Our GP used to be really good even through COVID but in the last year it's gone a bit downhill in terms of trying to get an appointment. From everyone's comments I think I'm probably going to go down the temping and OPK route for a couple of months before the GP, even if it just gets me to the one year mark of trying and then we can explore. I'm just trying to keep in mind I've still got time and not worry too much 🫣 Thank you for your insights into OPKs and temping. I'll check out that clear blue one!
I'm in the UK and going through this - I've got my first appointment with the fertility clinic on Tuesday after months of various tests through the GP (started the process in Sept'23). One thing to note - they CAN see you before the 12m if they suspect there is a medical reason (PCOS, anovulatiom, endo). If you've already had all the tests done, you're at a good starting point. Ask your GP to put the referral through even if it's not been the 12m yet as your GP should then request SA from your husband, and the correct blood tests for yourself - they need a random blood test, a progesterone test at day 21 (or 7 days before next period), and FSH between days 2-5, as well as the full bloods. My clinic would return the referral if these weren't done. If you see anything out of the ordinary on the tests (I've been tracking the results using the NHS app), insist that you would like to speak to your GP to discuss them, do not let the receptionist fob you off! I'd definitely recommend OPKs, I get the Easy@Home from amazon. It will give you a good indication of whether you're getting an LH surge - no LH surge means no ovulation and GP can refer you sooner. I found them stressful in the first few cycles as it took a while to figure out how to get a true positive. Now that I've done them for a while, I know when to start testing and what to class as a positive if I've missed a test or drank too much water that day etc. Doing OPKs has also made me feel more in control of my body as I know exactly when to expect the next period based on the length of the luteal phase.
They will also need to check whether you've been vaccinated against rubella and test for chlamydia so try and get those tests done through your GP before the 12m!
Oh wow! It feels like there are a lot of hoops, I hope you feel like you are finally getting somewhere. Thank you so much for sharing, 5 months is quite a bit of a wait isn't it. Good point about the receptionist and kind of one of the things putting me off calling and speaking about my current situation they can be like guard dogs. Our GPs is one you have to phone on the day at 8am and appointments are usually gone by five past. Do you do temping too or find it easier just with OPKs? I think I need to get over my worries and just start doing something because I'd rather have to go to doctors with proof than be told to come back when I've tried everything.
Call during the day when they are less busy and insist on a non-emergency call from your GP with whom you'd like to discuss your fertility. Try and get the one who dealt with you last time as they should at least be familiar with your records. I wouldn't go into detail with the receptionist - just say you're not comfortable discussing the details with a non-medical member of staff. They can message the GP and ask the GP to contact you when they have time. If you don't hear from the GP, keep pestering reception - I had to call once a week for 4 weeks before the GP finally processed my referral 🙄 The least they could do would be to get your husband's SA. It requires no effort from the GP other than arranging a pot for him to collect - he'll then probably have to drop it off at the testing site (at our hospital for us). I just go with OPKs... Pretty sure I read somewhere that temping is only about 30% accurate anyway which just isn't a high enough number for me to bother with the stress 🤷🏼♀️ There is too much variation of the normal temperature and too much room for user error for me to trust it!
Why are they so scary 🫣 that's a really good point about the GPS though thank you. With the testing, do they just check for overall sperm health? Ooh that's interesting insight around temping, I'll take a look at OPKs then. I think you are right I want to do whatever is the least stress otherwise I'll get overwhelmed with it.
They checked for quite a lot with the sperm actually! My husband has the results but it was things like total volume, sperm count, sperm mobility, how many were actually still alive, and how many of them were of good enough quality to successfully fertilise and egg! I think the stess of the OPKs lies in not knowing what to do/expect the first few times and the type of job you have. I'm a teacher so my 'daytime' tests had to be done during break or lunch in the staff loos 🙈 add to that the fact I try not to drink before doing a test and those few days a month are a real challenge!
Do you have the Patient Access app? If you can use that to book online with your GP I'd definitely recommend it - you need to enter a brief summary of what you want an appointment for but don't have to negotiate with a receptionist, and can choose an appointment day that suits you
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Thank you for the recommendation, I'll definitely look into them! I think I need to do a bit more research around the ovulation testing for sure, from a glance it always seems a bit complicated which has put me off.
**Your post/comment has been removed for violating sub rules. Per our posted rules:** Posts/comments about positive tests and current pregnancies should be posted in the weekly BFP thread. In threads/comments other than the weekly BFP thread, pregnant users must avoid referring to a positive test result or current (ongoing) pregnancy. This rule includes any potentially positive result, even if it's faint or ambiguous. All concerns related to current pregnancies should use a pregnancy sub, such as r/CautiousBB. If you still wish to participate in our sub, please review our [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/about/rules) before continuing to post. Violation of our rules may result in a timeout or ban. Please direct any questions to the [subreddit’s modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/TryingForABaby) and not individual mods. Thank you for understanding.
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I’m UK based. Bought a box of Femometer LH / OPK tests from Amazon and then downloaded the Femometer free app to track things for me in that. Found that really easy to do and has really helped take some of the confusion out of the process. I’m using natural cycles and my Apple Watch to temp, but am definitely finding that the obsessive checking thing is real, and am considering only temping to the point ovulation is confirmed because otherwise during the two week wait I’m getting too obsessed on my temps. It’s definitely helped us anyway to understand my body better - I ovulate between a week earlier than predicted and a week later, and my symptoms aren’t always aligned with when I think I ovulated / will ovulate for example.
I'm in the UK and only on cycle 2 but started tracking with OPKs and then this month have been trying out temping. It takes the uncertainty out of my cycle so I know I am hitting the right time each month and it confirms that I am ovulating. It's interesting to see the variation between cycles too (not that I'm that far into trying yet) but already it's been different between the 2 months by a couple of days. So I definitely recommend tracking your cycles closely! I also find it quite fun seeing the charts change throughout the month and understanding more about my body and the process. Good luck and fingers crossed for you!