Would You Take an Over-the-Counter Fertility Test?

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moms

Pregnancy

Would You Take an Over-the-Counter Fertility Test?

by POPSUGAR Moms

7

Apr 15 2009

Aspiring mamas use everything from
ovulation predictors to thermometers to IVF to assist in their quest of getting pregnant. But, a new over-the-counter fertility test allows women to see if they are equipped for creating a baby. The First Response Fertility Test (two pack for $25) tests the "FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) level to assess ovarian reserve (egg quantity and quality) – one of the leading single indicators of a woman’s ability to get pregnant." Specific instructions must be followed in conducting the test to get an accurate result. We're so curious about this item that we will be testing it out and posting the results on lilsugar. But, we're curious – would you purchase it for fertility knowledge and family planning reasons?

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I know this is stupid but I've been having unprotected sex since I was 14.. with my first long term b4 we tried for 2 years to get pregnant.. and nothing.. then with my recent bf we tried for 1 year and still nothing. 6 years with no protection... why can't i get pregnant? i get tested regularly for std's and am always clean... what's wrong with me????

I used a otc fertility monitor to conceive my daughter...the results were very accurate & I couldn't be happier :)

If you really want to take charge of your fertility and know for sure when you are fertile, it is more accurate and cheaper to chart your basal temperatures and cervical fluid. There are lots of books and websites about this and you will never have to leave it to chance or waste money on so-called fertility tests.

there are so many factors when dealing with infertility that i think this is a waste of time and money. like anon said, i am perfectly "normal" but covered in endometriosis.... only a specialist can figure that out. that test would say positive and i could waste valuable time and emotional strain instead of visiting a RE

I picked yes because I've actually taken a similar test before. The kit I purchased came with a FSH test for me and a sperm motility test for my husband. We're not currently trying to get pregnant but I was kind of curious about our reproductive abilities. Finding that my FSH is ok and his swimmers are mobile enough is nice info to have. Obviously we'd see a specialist if we were having problems with conception but knowing the results of these tests helped quench some of our curiosity on the subject.

I picked "no" as well not because I want to leave this to chance. Even my fertility doctor wasn't sure about my fertility so why would I trust a box. The doctor had given us a 2% chance of conceiving because I did not ovulate every cycle and my husbands sperm had a protein problem giving sperm a harder time penetrating the egg. The week I was going to start Clomid. I found out I was pregnant the good old fashioned way.

I picked "no" not because I'd rather "leave things to chance" but because FSH levels is only one of many indicators of fertility. I have endometriosis, which would not be evident by taking this simple test. If I relied on this test to tell me if I was fertile or not, I'd be lost... it would say yes, when in actuality, I'm not. Best advice for women interested in using one of these tests: save your money, go to your gynocologist and/or a reproductive endocrinologist. The seems like just another ploy by the pee-stick companies to cash in on hoping-to-expect women.