5 days of + OPKs!?! (Newbie asking) Pics added!

[NewfieFan]

I'm a totally newbie when it comes to OPKs. I tried them a few months ago and got a + on the first day of testing. That happened to be the month we got pregnant as well... unfortunately we lost that pregnancy. Anyways, I decided to give them a go again seeing as how nothing is currently happening inside the uterus.

I starting testing a little earlier this month, I started on CD 8. Day after day they were negative, I was starting to get a little worried and even wondered if I somehow missed the surge (which I know is possible in a 24hr period). Anyways on CD 14 I got a positive! I kept testing (even though they say to stop) and I'm still getting positives 4 days later! I'm on CD 18, so that's 5 days of + OPKs!?! What's going on!?!

 

[seaweed eater]

Ok, first of all I'm going to assume you know that a positive OPK means test line DARKER than control line, not just a test line that's visible at all. Sometimes people are unaware of that.

If according to that definition you still had 5 +s, my guess would be that your body has been trying and failing to ovulate and you had multiple overlapping surges of LH. Do you chart or keep track of your CM at all? Or CP, ovulation pain, anything else? Those can help reduce the ambiguity in situations like these. But I don't think it's anything to worry about unless it happens for multiple months in a row.

 

[NYcountrygirl]

Need pics!

 

[NewfieFan]

Ok, first of all I'm going to assume you know that a positive OPK means test line DARKER than control line, not just a test line that's visible at all. Sometimes people are unaware of that.

If according to that definition you still had 5 +s, my guess would be that your body has been trying and failing to ovulate and you had multiple overlapping surges of LH. Do you chart or keep track of your CM at all? Or CP, ovulation pain, anything else? Those can help reduce the ambiguity in situations like these. But I don't think it's anything to worry about unless it happens for multiple months in a row.

Yeah, I do know that the line needs to be dark for an OPK to be considered positive. I don't keep track of too much actually. I know that I've noticed EWCM over the past few days but wouldn't be able to say exactly when. We've been BDing pretty regularly so it's kind of hard to tell what my CM is like!

I will take a pic of the + opks and maybe y'all can tell me if they are indeed +!

 

[NewfieFan]

Here are the pics...

They all look + to me!?!

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8009/7458086584_d574b2aa9a_c.jpg
Anna & OPKs 003 by NewfieFan, on Flickr

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8167/7458086606_737ebb6f97_c.jpg
Anna & OPKs 004 by NewfieFan, on Flickr

 

[seaweed eater]

Mon/CD16 looks negative to me, and the others all look positive. What do other people think? I bet what you are seeing here is two different LH surges.

 

[NewfieFan]

Mon/CD16 looks negative to me, and the others all look positive. What do other people think? I bet what you are seeing here is two different LH surges.

I agree the line doesn't look as thick as the others. But I thought if around 50% of the line is as dark or darker it's still considered a +!?! Did I read that somewhere or make it up?

And if it is two different surges... what the heck does that mean?

 

[seaweed eater]

None of the line looks darker to me. But it's definitely close.

Sorry to be confusing. LH surges when you ovulate or try to ovulate, but not every surge results in successful ovulation -- which is totally normal, since ovulation can be delayed due to a host of normal circumstances like stress or travel. So, I'm guessing what happened is that your body tried building up to ovulation on CD 14-15, didn't quite get there, and ramped up again yesterday and today. If I were you I'd keep BDing, keep doing OPKs until you get a negative, and also pay attention to your CM. If you start getting negative OPKs and your CM dries up somewhat over the next few days, that would be consistent with ovulation today or tomorrow. I hope that makes more sense?

 

[NewfieFan]

None of the line looks darker to me. But it's definitely close.

Sorry to be confusing. LH surges when you ovulate or try to ovulate, but not every surge results in successful ovulation -- which is totally normal, since ovulation can be delayed due to a host of normal circumstances like stress or travel. So, I'm guessing what happened is that your body tried building up to ovulation on CD 14-15, didn't quite get there, and ramped up again yesterday and today. If I were you I'd keep BDing, keep doing OPKs until you get a negative, and also pay attention to your CM. If you start getting negative OPKs and your CM dries up somewhat over the next few days, that would be consistent with ovulation today or tomorrow. I hope that makes more sense?

Yes, it makes sense, thanks! A couple of them look darker than the control line and the rest look the same as the control line. I thought a + was a line as dark or darker than control line (at least that's what I remember reading)? I'm all out of OPKs so I'll have to pick up some more tomorrow if I'm going to keep testing this cycle. My CM certainly hasn't dried up (it's changed somewhat but it's certainly still there). I haven't been traveling at all and my stress level is about normal (whatever a normal stress level is).

We took a day off last night because I just didn't feel up to it anymore! I was so miserable with allergies yesterday, I couldn't stop blowing my nose and sneezing. I find allergies wipe me out and make me really tired! I guess we'll have to go for another round tonight, just in case!

 

[seaweed eater]

You poor thing with the allergies, that doesn't sound like fun at all! I think sickness is another thing that can delay ovulation, so maybe it had something to do with that.

I just meant that no part of that one line looked darker than the control to me, since you'd said 50%...it's close, though. I definitely agree that some of the other lines look darker.

I don't know if it's worth getting more OPKs if you don't have any more lying around. You could just keep track of the CM and see if you have less, or less fertile quality, starting in the next few days. Good luck!!

 

[CanadianMaple]

I had tests like that and it turned out I have high LH. I am going to have to suppress my cycle for one month with the BCP and then do clomid with my dIUI I am doing. Even basic clomid could help. It would be worth getting tested, especially since high LH can cause issues with egg development and give you a higher risk of first trimester miscarriage. (Just learned this at the RE today!) Some people with high LH also have insulin resistance.

My RE calls this an "ovulation block" but said it usually takes a week before your body re-surges to get another attempt to ovulate.

Not saying you have that, but I was so frustrated last fall when that was happening to me.

 

[NewfieFan]

You poor thing with the allergies, that doesn't sound like fun at all! I think sickness is another thing that can delay ovulation, so maybe it had something to do with that.

I just meant that no part of that one line looked darker than the control to me, since you'd said 50%...it's close, though. I definitely agree that some of the other lines look darker.

I don't know if it's worth getting more OPKs if you don't have any more lying around. You could just keep track of the CM and see if you have less, or less fertile quality, starting in the next few days. Good luck!!

Allergies can really take the life out of you!

Sorry, I must have misread you! Yeah, some are certainly darker and look even more convincing in real life (not in pics).

I probably will pick up more... because I'm a little obsessed with it all now!

 

[NewfieFan]

I had tests like that and it turned out I have high LH. I am going to have to suppress my cycle for one month with the BCP and then do clomid with my dIUI I am doing. Even basic clomid could help. It would be worth getting tested, especially since high LH can cause issues with egg development and give you a higher risk of first trimester miscarriage. (Just learned this at the RE today!) Some people with high LH also have insulin resistance.

My RE calls this an "ovulation block" but said it usually takes a week before your body re-surges to get another attempt to ovulate.

Not saying you have that, but I was so frustrated last fall when that was happening to me.

Sorry to hear that's happened to you! Interesting though!

So if you have high LH, is it high all cycle long or just at certain times? Before the positive on CD 14 I was getting negatives... and they were negative (very faint, some barely visible lines).

 

[NewfieFan]

Another day... another + opk! Something is obviously wrong!

 

[Spunky]

I had 6 days of positive opks, tested like a crazy person with both hpts and opks, like four days later the hpts started getting a line! So for me, 5-6 days of OPK+ meant pregnant! Hope it's the same for you too!

 

[xlouloux]

I've had 6 days of positive OPKs before, I only ever count the ones that are darker than the control line so I would say CD15 is your true positive. x

 

[littleone2010]

I thought they had to be as dark or darker. Not actually darker thn the control to be positive? They all look positive To me!

 

[xlouloux]

I thought they had to be as dark or darker. Not actually darker thn the control to be positive? They all look positive To me!

Yeah that's right, but I've had everyone tell me to only count the ones that go darker as positives if that happens.