The OvuSense Fertility Blog

Take a read of the most common factors that affect ovulation and your fertility..................

Age

It is a well-known fact that the older you are the more difficult it is to conceive. The average age of the menopause and the end of a woman’s reproductive life is around 52 years of age. However even a decade or so before she may experience fertility problems, as her cycles become less regular and the quality of her eggs decline. Tragically, some women experience a premature menopause as early as their 30’s or 40’s.

There is no definitive age when fertility starts to decline and every woman is different, however it’s important for women of any age who are struggling to conceive to get advice sooner rather than later.

Hereditary factors

Women will generally experience the menopause around the same time that their mother did. So, ask your mother how old she was when she went through the menopause. This will give you a good idea of when it may happen for you so you can make decisions on when to start a family or to seek help if time is running out.

Smoking

Everyone knows that you shouldn’t smoke when you are pregnant, but few women realise the impact that smoking can have on your fertility. The shocking facts are that smoking ages your ovaries by 10 years and smoking can adversely affect the ease in which the egg travels down the fallopian tubes to meet the sperm.

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If you have been trying to conceive for a little while, it’s very likely that you’ve either read or been told that being overweight makes falling pregnant more difficult. However, then you walk down the street and what do you see? You see a woman who looks as though she has a problem with her weight, pushing a pram. Your first thought is ‘This isn’t fair’’ and then probably something like ‘’Why can she get pregnant when she’s overweight and I can’t? Your feelings of frustration deepen and your sadness grows.

You may have experienced the upsetting scenario when your doctor says that you need to ‘’Go away and lose weight and come back when you’ve got your BMI down to 30/35’’. You leave the hospital feeling disappointed and unsupported. No one likes to be told they are overweight. Least of all women and even less so a woman who is trying to conceive

I’ve heard these stories from my patients over and over again. Trust me, if you’ve been in one of those scenarios, you are far from alone.

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Miscarriage is very common and it’s a topic talked about a great deal in our online support group. It is estimated that 1:6 of pregnancies will end in miscarriage.

Despite being common, this does not take away the heartbreak that suffering from a miscarriage causes. Each individual acts differently to a pregnancy loss. Emotions that women and couples feel range from anger, grief, disappointment and guilt, to fear of it happening again and sadness or depression. These emotions are completely normal and if you have had a miscarriage it is important to allow yourself the time to grieve for your loss.

Often what adds to the emotional turmoil of miscarrying is not understanding what has happened or indeed why it’s happened. In this blog, I hope to explain miscarriage a little and if this has happened to you give you some advice on what happens next and where you can turn for help.

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Hello!  My name is Megan, and I was diagnosed with PCOS at age 20.  Thanks to OvuSense, PCOS Diva Jumpstart Program and chiropractic help from my Doctor, I'm now pregnant with my first baby correlating exactly when OvuSense told me I had ovulated! 

My cycles used to be regular when first started getting my period in middle school.  However, once I hit high school, they became irregular.  Later on, when my husband and I wanted to start having kids, we first tried to induce ovulation with Clomid as prescribed by my doctor but, I did not ovulate according to the blood tests.  The same results came back when we tried Femara and an HCG trigger shot. All of these drugs made me feel very ill, and I believe contributed to weight gain and depression. My next step was to see a specialist; but, knowing that they would just include more drugs and shots, we decided to try some natural approaches.

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Baby au naturale...is there a place for naturally achieving a pregnancy in this drug ridden, pill pushing world of TTC? 

I was diagnosed with PCOS 15 years ago.  At the age of 16, having a baby wasn’t at the top of my to-do list.  So keeping my body healthy for this reason wasn’t something I focused on.   After dating for 6 years, my husband and I started trying after our wedding in 2013.  Fast forward two years, two MCs, and too many tears, we decided it was time to seek medical help.  Our goal; to have a baby without fertility drugs.  Easier said than done!

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If you are quite new to using OvuSense, you are most likely enjoying finding out more about your body and your cycle. Hopefully, you’ll be getting used to using your sensor at night and downloading your data in the morning. However you might be wondering what your data actually means for you and your fertility?  Continue reading →

Trying to conceive is a very unpredictable and scary time. To add to this, you suddenly come across words and terminology that you never thought you would have to understand. Sometimes these unfamiliar words can come from your doctor or clinic and sometimes they come from forums or support groups.

We sometimes see from ladies that join our Facebook Support Groups, that they feel completely bewildered by the fertility terminology and acronyms that every one seems to know all about. If that’s you, don’t worry. You are not alone and everyone has had to learn these at some stage of their journey. Even the team at OvuSense had to get up to speed with these funny little acronyms pretty quickly!

So to make it a little easier for you, here is a list of the most commonly used fertility terms and acronyms. This is by no way an exhaustive list, so if you know one that isn’t included, feel free to comment on the blog and we’ll add it!

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I'm Fiona.  I was diagnosed with PCOS and struggled for 2 years to conceive.  Thanks to OvuSense, I'm now pregnant!

When I was 15 years old, I was diagnosed with PCOS after absent periods for over a year.  I was put on Metformin;  I suppose that I didn't realize the struggles I would face later on in my life when I wanted to have a child.

I met my now Husband in 2010. I  was upfront with him from day one that I may have trouble conceiving but that didn't bother him in the slightest; he said he would do whatever it takes when the time came for us to start trying for a baby!  Well, that time came soon after we got engaged in 2013.  After many months of unsuccessful attempts, we decided to wait till after our wedding in September 2014 to go see the doctor and see what they were able to do for us. I was 27 and my husband 30.

We (mainly me!) spent the next few months going for different tests to check what may be the issue. All tests came back clear except the cysts on my ovaries.

In January 2015, a lovely friend of mine told me about OvuSense (I had used Clearblue ovulation sticks for about 6 months unsuccessfully before realising they don't always work well with ladies who have PCOS!).  I spent hours reading through the OvuSense website with my husband and discussing the money. We decided we would try OvuSense with the 4 monthly payment plan, which worked out great for us! 

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My name is Colleen, after being diagnosed 4 years ago with PCOS, I am now pregnant with our first baby thanks to OvuSense!  

Here is my fertility journey:

In 2011 I had a cyst rupture and was  diagnosed with PCOS. I was on birth control at the time, so they could not verify this with blood tests, but based on my menstrual cycle history and numerous small cysts the doctor thought it was likely. I was told that the treatment for PCOS was birth control, which I was already on, so to keep taking it, but that when I wanted to have children I may have some difficulty.

Fast forward three years, my husband and I were ready to expand our family. I went to my new GYN/OB, as we had recently moved, told her about the suspected PCOS and she did bloodwork to confirm; I did have PCOS. She gave me a prescription for Clomid and Provera, to bring on my period, and sent me on my way. No discussion of other treatment, follow up, alternative methods, etc. I wasn’t satisfied with this and began to do my own research.

I learned about ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) and basal body temperature (BBT), but didn’t have any luck. OPKs didn’t work for me and BBT didn’t fit well into my lifestyle with different wake-up times for work. There had to be another way to confirm ovulation and that is when I stumbled across the OvuSense Fertility Monitor!

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Depression and anxiety are commonly reported in women with PCOS. In our PCOS online support group many women talk about their mood disturbances and ask ‘Does PCOS cause depression?’. It’s a good question. Does the clinical condition of PCOS cause depression or is depression a direct consequence of reduced quality of life due to low confidence and self esteem? Which comes first?

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