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Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test with Conception Indicator
by mrsgladwin
I think any woman would say that the one time she wants to be sure of a result, it's when taking a pregnancy test. As Clearblue themselves say in their advert, we want "reassurance when it's needed the most". It's strange to think that something as simple as peeing on a stick can change your life forever and so when you do test ... you want to be sure of the result. When I fell pregnant with my first son it was somewhat of a surprise and I only decided to test due to feeling tired and sick and was fully expecting a negative result. I was shocked (and delighted) when a second pink line appeared and I discovered I was pregnant. I showed the test to my husband and he was concerned that the line was too faint. This lead me to take another pregnancy test, and then another, and other.... just to make sure I was. Of course I was pregnant but I didn't quite believe it until I had my first scan. I was convinced someone was going to tell me it had all been a big mistake. But it wasn't and 9 months later that little pink line turned into my beautiful son.
After suffering a miscarriage ten weeks into our second pregnancy I became a bit obsessed with trying to conceive another. I felt that falling pregnant again was the only way I would start to heal from our loss. Unlike my first pregnancy where I was bit clueless I knew exactly when I was ovulating (sorry guys!) and when I would be able to test. Most tests advise to test when your period is late but others do say that you can test as early as 6 days before it is even due. Three days before mine was due I took a First Response pregnancy test and to my delight I saw a second pink line. As with my first pregnancy I wanted to double check myself and test again so the next morning I dug out my clearblue digital and excitedly waited for the word "pregnant" to show up. Except that it didn't. Not pregnant. My emotions were all over the place. The one thing I'd been clinging to seemed to have been taken away for me. As it happens we were going away that week so my husband told me to try and put it to the back of my mind and enjoy our holiday. Easier said than done! During our time away my period still hadn't arrived so I when we got home I rushed home and did another test. Another pink line. Positive. The only problem was I couldn't get those words "not pregnant" out of my head and so sent the Mr to Asda to get another Clearblue digital. I waited a couple of hours and we stood over the test watching the little timer go round and round until eventually the words "Pregnant 1-2 weeks" appeared. I've never been so happy to see a word in my life.
My experience tainted my opinion of the Clearblue Digital test. I'm still on the fence. After speaking to my doctor she informed me that the Clearblue tests are not as sensitive as other tests such as the First Response ones which is why I was getting the negative result. Pregnancy tests detect the level of HCG (pregnancy hormone) and some detect a smaller amount than others, meaning you can test earlier. But if Clearblue are advertising that they provide "reassurance when it's needed the most"...well that's not really true is it? That "not pregnant" was for me at that time soul destroying when I should have been celebrating my "big fat positive".
Clearblue digital tests can set you back around in excess of £10 which, as far as I know, is the most expensive test out there. So I personally think they should be a bit more sensitive and pick up the lower HCG levels. Even Superdrugs own brand are more sensitive than these!
However there are positives. They're easy to use - you basically use it as you would any other pregnancy test. Either use mid stream (again, sorry guys!) or dip in a urine sample pot. They advise to always use first morning urine so the levels of HCG aren't diluted. You wait a couple of minutes (I can't remember the exact time, but the instructions are very clear) and watch as the timer goes round - this bit seems to take forever! And then you have your result, clearly written in words.
The words are definitely the best thing about this test. Despite my earlier tests it was the best feeling to actually the word "pregnant". There was no squinting at faint lines, worrying if it was an evaporation line (which can happen on some other tests); the words are plain to see.
The conception indicator is quite handy but as we were actively trying to conceive I knew exactly what my dates were without having to see it. However that didn't stop me taking another test the next week (and the week after!) so I could see my HCG levels had risen as it said "2-3 weeks" and eventually "3 weeks plus". I was completely paranoid about something going wrong in this pregnancy so I wanted that reassurance that it was going to plan.
My youngest son is now almost 2 and I remember seeing the word "pregnant" like it was yesterday. Its one of my most treasured memories...and so it should be the amount it cost us in pregnancy tests!
To sum up, these tests can be and will be great for some people as long as you remember to not test until after your period is late and to use first morning urine when your HCG levels are most easily detected. I just wish they could compete with the more sensitive tests that can be bought for a much cheaper price.
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Salter 9114 Silver Body Analyser Scale
by ljackson24
I bought these scales, as I like to keep track of my weight, and I had read some good reviews about these ones.
They cost me £20 from Argos, but I have seen them available at other shops such as Asda and Boots, for around the same price.
They came in a large cardboard box which contained the scales, some batteries, ... and the instructions.
The scales themselves are silver, plastic, and just basic looking - there is a small digital screen which displays information, and an on/off button below it, as well as arrow buttons for scrolling through things.
The scales were easy to set up as it was a case of putting the batteries (they are the silver, round, flat kind) into the correct space underneath the scales, and then slotting the back onto them, to stop them falling out.
Because these are analyser scales, you can set up your own kind of profile on the scales, so that you only have to tell the scales your height and gender once.
As it's only me who uses this, I only had to do it once, but you can add up to 12 different people onto these scales.
As I was the first and only person, I set myself up as 'number 1' this was very easy to do as the instructions provided clear guidance and step-by-step instructions. It asked for my height and gender, and now, when I go on the scales and select person number 1, it flashes up with an icon picture of a woman, and then says '5' 8"' to confirm that it's me. It's then ready for me to stand on, and it goes through my body fat percentage, body water percentage, and weight.
To do this, I just switch them up, then select number 1, if there were other people's details stored on the scales, you would just use the arrow buttons to scroll through the numbers and select the correct number.
However, most of the time, I am just wanting to check my weight rather than body fat percentage, and to do this I just switch them on, and instead of choosing a number between 1-12, I just press the on/off switch again, and it comes up with 0.00, ready to stand on and get weighed.
The scales give a weight result to two decimal places, so they seem quite accurate, however I do think mine are about 1.5 lbs too light, as other scales I get weighed on (including the doctors) all say I am 1.5 lbs heavier than these ones. The only good thing is that they are consistently wrong, so I can just add the extra weight on in my head (or not...!)
Also, it is very important, as with most scales, to use these on a level ground, as otherwise they won't be accurate at all. I struggled with this a bit at first as my house is old-ish with not very even wooden floors, but I found the best spot I could - maybe the 1 ½ pound different has something to do with this!
Overall I would recommend these as a reliable set of scales, I'd prefer them to look slightly more stylish in my bathroom, but they're not too bad really.
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