# Ovulation testing whilst taking the pill



## tinker26

Hi, just wandering if using the ovulating test strips is a waste of time when still taking the pill, does it give a true reading?

i have bought some strips and have one month on the pill to go and wandered if i tested this next time round i will have more of an idea when the time comes.

xxxx

just too excited!!!!


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## laodicean

In theory the pill should prevent you ovulating, so I think it'd be a waste for now - save them for next month!

You could start monitoring your BBT though - which would give you a far more accurate picture of your cycle if you are ovulating since it confirms ovulation has occurred with a temperature rise, whereas OPKs just confirm the your body is _trying_ to ovulate, not whether or not it's succeeded.

Also: much, much cheaper since you only need to buy a thermometer once!


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## tinker26

Oky doke i shall start doing this then. The only thing is i am a very hot person anyway when i wake up in the mornings, do i take the temperature before getting out of bed after not long from waking? sorry to sound dumb, just all very new, so much science to this getting pregnant.  xxxxx


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## laodicean

Don't be silly, you're not dumb for asking questions you don't know the answer to! (I think it's far dumber to not ask a question that you don't know the answer to, but then, I ask a lot of questions, so maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel better.)

There are /loads/ of sites out there that teach you the basics of taking your BBT, but the best is probably Fertility Friend, as they have free lessons, answers to all the common questions that people ask, and free software for you to use to start keeping track of your temps.

https://www.fertilityfriend.com/courses/

Another good one is TCOYF (Taking Charge of Your Fertility), which is a book. I haven't read it myself, but a lot of people recommend it.

https://www.tcoyf.com/

The important things though are:
1) You need a proper basal body thermometer that measures to 2 decimal places; you can get cheap digital ones off Amazon.
2) It doesn't matter if you're average out as a hot person or cold one, you'll still have a variation in your BBT at different points in your cycle because of the different hormones that have effects depending on whether you're pre- or post-ovulation. Though I don't know if you'll see it so clearly while taking oral birth control - still, use this month as practice for the technique of taking your temperature, which is important to get right!
3) You need to take your temperature at the same time every day *immediately* after you wake up - before you stretch, get out of bed, sit up and drink some water, go to the loo... because all off these will put your temperature up quite quickly as your body starts waking up. Literally, your alarm goes off, and the next thing you do after turning it off is put a thermometer in your mouth.
4) The above should also occur after three uninterrupted hours of sleep.
5) You're looking at the overall pattern rather than each individual temperature: before you ovulate your temps as an average are lower because of the effects of oestrogen; after you ovulate your average temps will be higher due to the effects of progesterone, and your body only starts producing progesterone if you've ovulated. This is why BBT charting is so useful - after seeing your temp go up for three days in a row, you've confirmed ovulation has occurred.

Have a look at my ovulation chart to see what I mean about the lower/higher before and after ovulation.

What a lot of women do is combine OPKs with BBT charting. This is because sometimes the OPKs can be positive but the body fails to ovulate as expected; at the same time, if you only use BBT charting then it takes three days to confirm you've ovulated, by which time it's too late to bd! Doing both means you know when you're going to ovulate, and then can confirm you have ovulated.


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## tinker26

That is brilliant thank you so much!! i really appreciate it!!

It makes your temperature look so varied dosnt it, so on the latest one is that saying you ovulated on the 15th?

I most certainly will have a look on this website and get myself a thermometre.

When are you hoping to start trying?

xxxxxx


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## laodicean

No problem! Happy to have helped.

Fertility friend will put a crosshairs on your chart to tell you when you've ovulated so don't worry about having to work out all of that for the first few times. You do have the option though when you're more familiar with your cycle and how it all works of moving the date to show you ovulating on a different day, depending on what other signs you're using to monitor your fertility.

I normally ovulate around CD15/16; I ovulated a little early this month with CD13 but to be honest this is my first month that is completely birth control free, so this may well end up being my normal ovulation day.

Hoping to start trying in March, or at least stop trying to prevent from the OH's point of view.

I take it you're going to start trying from the end of this pill pack? :D


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## tinker26

yeah i am currently on a pill free week and then i will start my last pack next week!!

i have ordered my thermometre so i get taking my temp, my husband will definitly think i have lost plot when he turns over to see me lying there with it in my mouth, he he!!

we both dont have long then now until we can try!! fingers crossed for you!!

i shall keep you updated!!

many thanks again.

xxxxx


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## laodicean

Haha! My OH didn't even notice when I started temping! He's completely and utterly oblivious despite the fact that a) the alarm goes off at 5:30am even on my days off b) I turn the light on to see what I'm doing c) that the thermometer has a high-pitched beep when its finished.

I have never met anyone that can sleep as soundly as he does - hopefully it's a trait he'll pass on to his children, rather than my trait of "5 hours a night is more than enough, thanks!"

Can't wait to see your first chart - I was so proud of mine! Fertility Friend has randomly given me 5 more free VIP days so you can actually see all my charts now instead of just the last two. It's really satisfying to see your body does work properly. Makes me feel less bad about the fact that I've waited until I'm 31 before starting a family.

There's a thread on here of people who chart - I'm sure they'd be more than happy to help with any more questions or advice: https://www.babyandbump.com/waiting-to-try/713864-big-bad-charters-gang-lol.html


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## tinker26

wow he really is a deep sleeper isnt he, he will not be affected at all then by the baby crying in the night.

My husband keeps worying about his lack of sleep before the time comes, coz he dosnt get his sleep he is very grumpy!! he he. but so can i be really, so we will be a right pair, he he!! fingers crossed the baby will be good, hoping its nothing like me when i was young as my mum said i was a nightmare i cried all the time, whoops!!

i will have a look at that thread not seen it before. xxxx


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