using Persona after a miscarriage - has anyone got some advice?

[fungusmungus]

I'm just going through my 4th MC, and I had been using my Persona home testing ovulation kit for 2 cycles before my last period on 11 Dec. What I'm not sure about is when i can start using the persona again. Do i have to wait for the bleeding to stop, then have a 'normal' period, before i use it again, or do i start now? The machine's green light is on 75 days and the 'M' is flashing - so it's ready, the real question is 'am i?!'

would appreciate any tips you may have.....

many thanks

[Laurenl502]

sorry for your lose fungusmungus... wot is persona is it to prevent miscarriage... i hav had 1 miscarriage last june cant imagine wot u have been through havin 4

[fungusmungus]

Hi Lauren, thanks for your reply.
Persona is a home testing ovulation kit although its sold as a contraception monitor. See www.fertilityconnect.com/persona.htm

I think i need to wait until i have a period after this MC before i use it again, but if anyone has had any experience of using this I'd be v v v grateful

[anniecam38]

fungus i dont know about the Persona sorry, hopefully someone with knowledge of this will be along to give you answers, but i know you can get a false positive for ovulation using opk sticks immediately post mc. I would personally do a hpt first to make sure you have no pregnancy hormone left in your system then once you get your BFN you should be ok using your monitor.

[shortcircuit]

sorry to hear about your miscarriages.

I had a miscarriage in Aug & started to use persona (& ovo sticks which I bought on ebay) as soon as I stopped bleeding. I was fertile (but still had the tail end of blood) at the end of August. Then I had my next period around end of September &
I became pregnant in the october. Thankfully my pregnancy was fine.

If you don't mind me asking, how is your health ? are you taking vitamins etc ? I saw an accupuncturist who advised me to make & drink homemade chicken soup as much as poss & up my intake of zinc.

[fungusmungus]

thanks anniecam - sounds like a good plan! I'm actually in 2 minds about 'trying' again as I'm so exhausted and low, but I'd really like to try and track my ovulation pattern. Id only used the persona for 2 months and got pregnant last time when i was on day 8 !!!!

[fungusmungus]

hi shortcircuit - very interesting. Did you press the 'm' button to count the days from when you stopped bleeding then? I suppose the persona thought you were on the 1st cycle so asked you for 16 tests?

healthwise, I'm doing vaguely ok. I've been seeing an acupuncturist regularly for the last year and I'm due to see her again next week so I'll try to boost myself up. I'm still taking pregnacare which is a good all round vitamin anyway, but i also want to try and detox/lose some weight. That might help my body get back to normal.

trying to be positive is so tiring in itself but I'm already feeling better that the MC may be over soon!!

[shortcircuit]

I don't think I did press the m button. My periods have always been very regular though.

Check the zinc on the pregnacare - if it's 15mg, that's ok, but otherwise buy an additional supplement. We lose zinc in the placenta apparently.

Have you read Marilyn Grenville's Fertility book ? You might find some hints there. I also took agnus castus after my m/c. It was mentioned on here & is supposed to help with womens things. Might be worth getting your DH/DP on some supplements/checking his health.

[fungusmungus]

wonderful - will do. Many thanks for the tips!

[lou031205]

Hi fungus mungus. Sorry to hear of your loss. Persona is only accurate once you have three normal cycles. Having said that, as you aren't relying on it not to become pregnant, I suppose it doesn't matter if it is a little inaccurate.

[fungusmungus]

Hi lou. You're spot on! I actually rang the persona helpline today and their advice was to wait for 3 cycles & then reprogramme the persona machine. I have to take this MC as the 1st cycle, my next period as No 2 and then reprogramme on cycle 3 (it will start again from scratch and ask me for 16 wee tests that cycle) I guess I was hoping to pick up where i left off, but that aint possible!!

[Thandeka]

Unfortunately it wont be possible because of the testing window would totally miss your ovulation. If persona has a cycle recorded of "75 days" it would have no clue when to ask you for tests- so you do need to reset the monitor after a normal period.

You could always use OPK's in the month in the meantime?