All aboard the SMEP train!

[MrsG09]

Hi All! Sorry if it's rude to just jump in on your thread here, but I have a question. I am CD1 today and would like to try SMEP this cycle...but I have NEVER had a positive OPK over months of testing in the past.

What do you do in that case when you're SMEPing?

Hi Winnipegk! My first thought is have you tried a different time of the day or the same time every cycle? Maybe you have (since you say you've been testing several months, you probably have!), so just a thought. For me, last cycle I decided to try testing both late morning and late afternoon (hello dehydration! ), as the cycle before I didn't get a positive from afternoon. I ended up with positives in the morning but nothing in the afternoon. Tried a few days in a row after the first morning positive. Still positive the next morning even though I saw nothing the afternoon before. So possibly something to experiment with if you can and haven't already. Otherwise, I would suggest every other day BD or more if you get other possible indications. I'm fairly new to this all myself, though, so that's the best I have to offer!

 

[jumpingo]

Hi All! Sorry if it's rude to just jump in on your thread here, but I have a question. I am CD1 today and would like to try SMEP this cycle...but I have NEVER had a positive OPK over months of testing in the past.

What do you do in that case when you're SMEPing?

:wave:welcome winnipegk!! the more the merrier!

Hi Winnipegk! My first thought is have you tried a different time of the day or the same time every cycle? Maybe you have (since you say you've been testing several months, you probably have!), so just a thought. For me, last cycle I decided to try testing both late morning and late afternoon (hello dehydration! ), as the cycle before I didn't get a positive from afternoon. I ended up with positives in the morning but nothing in the afternoon. Tried a few days in a row after the first morning positive. Still positive the next morning even though I saw nothing the afternoon before. So possibly something to experiment with if you can and haven't already. Otherwise, I would suggest every other day BD or more if you get other possible indications. I'm fairly new to this all myself, though, so that's the best I have to offer!

this was my first cycle using OPKs (and 3rd temping) so i don't have much advice other than what MrsG said.

are your cycles pretty regular otherwise?

if so, maybe you can narrow down to a "most likely ovulating between these cycle days" window and test twice a day during that time?

if not, i'd just make sure to have sex every other day from CD10 until your period comes (but hopefully it doesn't show and you get a BFP!) and not worry about the positive OPK and 3 days of sex - just stay every other day and all your bases should still be covered might have to get creative near the end though blush:teeheehee)

 

[mangoberry]

I agree with Jumpingo and MrsG09, BD every other day should not hurt and also try taking OPK some other time of the day. It also depends on the kind of OPK you have been using as some suggest that you should take the test not with FMU.

Also, how is everyone doing?

- I am done with my SMEP for this month, tried following it as close as possible. Though drank some caffeine which I had decided would not do it this month.

 

[winnipegk]

Thanks ladies! It's been a while....over a year since I've been using OPKs so I'm not sure what I was doing then, but I'll start twice a day. My biggest issue is I drink a LOT of water, so I could be diluting it. How do you go 4 hours during the day without drinking anything but still have to pee? doesn't make sense to me LOL

I have OPK strips from 2 years ago still......would they be expired in some way? Should I go buy new ones?

 

[mangoberry]

better to get new ones. I also drink lots of water, so mostly end up taking OPK early in the morning (FMU) and some days when I know its getting positive try ot hold as much as I can and then take it

 

[SweetPea3200]

Hello All!!

Thanks for the replies earlier. I've been a little busy at work and sometimes it's hard to get a moment to post on here! I was right about my O this month. I use OPKS and got a surge on CD25 meaning O on day 26. I did take your advice and BD when the spotting went down a bit which was great because it seemed to make it go away!!

As for OPKs. They say your LH actually goes up throughout the day and might be missed with FMU. The best time to take them I guess is between 10:00 am and 2:00pm but I usually end up doing it when I get home from work. I also usually don't bother restricting my liquids too much and they still seem to work well for me. I use ClearBlue tests because I can never figure out if the others are positive or not so a simple happy face or empty circle is easiest for me.

I'm a little suspicious about this cycle not working so I'm looking forward to starting clomid after AF arrives!!! GL to everyone

 

[winnipegk]

I'm so confused! My period is so light, I don't know what to call day 1. I think it was yesterday but I don't know if what I had would be considered spotting or an actual light start. How do you know? I don't want to mess this up!

 

[jumpingo]

I'm so confused! My period is so light, I don't know what to call day 1. I think it was yesterday but I don't know if what I had would be considered spotting or an actual light start. How do you know? I don't want to mess this up!

if you need a pad or a tampon, that would probably be considered light? i'm not sure though because AF for me comes fast and heavy but you can easily go back and change stuff in FF later, so maybe just enter spotting for now, make a note in the notes section, and change it later if you need to?

 

[winnipegk]

I'm so confused! My period is so light, I don't know what to call day 1. I think it was yesterday but I don't know if what I had would be considered spotting or an actual light start. How do you know? I don't want to mess this up!

if you need a pad or a tampon, that would probably be considered light? i'm not sure though because AF for me comes fast and heavy but you can easily go back and change stuff in FF later, so maybe just enter spotting for now, make a note in the notes section, and change it later if you need to?

That's probably a good indication. I usually get a day that's really heavy and then a day that's "regular" and then a day of super light...I think I'd consider it spotting...just annoyed that I got all anxious and wrote our plan in my calendar already.....gonna have to pull out the white out!

 

[jumpingo]

...just annoyed that I got all anxious and wrote our plan in my calendar already.....gonna have to pull out the white out!

LOVE IT.
sounds totally like something i would do
white out to the rescue!!

 

[winnipegk]

Yeah still spotting today. This is so annoying! On the plus side I got my OPKs and HPTs today! I'm ready!

 

[mangoberry]

did you test for pregnancy? - or you think this spotting might be because of AF arrival - if this does not happen to you regularly you might want to wait for some days and then test

 

[mangoberry]

Also @Jumpingo - I am quite concerned myself too now that I had pineapple before I might have actually ovulated, because my other app ovuview - which I have been using all the time till now shows that I would have ovulated on Thursday i.e. two days later than what FF is showing me, and I somehow think that Thursday one is right because when I had gone this month to get my transvaginal ultrasound on Friday, Nurse told me that it looks like you just ovulated!

 

[jumpingo]

Yeah still spotting today. This is so annoying! On the plus side I got my OPKs and HPTs today! I'm ready!

yay for OPKs!! and i sort of second what mango said - is it possible that you are pregnant from last month and just getting a weird AF? sorry, maybe you said where you were in your cycle - remind us again?

Also @Jumpingo - I am quite concerned myself too now that I had pineapple before I might have actually ovulated, because my other app ovuview - which I have been using all the time till now shows that I would have ovulated on Thursday i.e. two days later than what FF is showing me, and I somehow think that Thursday one is right because when I had gone this month to get my transvaginal ultrasound on Friday, Nurse told me that it looks like you just ovulated!

try switching your Detection Mode in FF to FAM? it's totally possible since the temps on Tue and Wed are still low...? Your positive OPK and temp rise pattern looks like mine. 2 positive OPKs, then nothing for 2 days and THEN an actual temp rise. so probably you ovulated somewhere between the last +OPK and the temp rise? at least that's what i think for me. and if the nurse on Friday said it looks like you just ovulated, then tuesday or wednesday would be totally possible, right??

 

[winnipegk]

did you test for pregnancy? - or you think this spotting might be because of AF arrival - if this does not happen to you regularly you might want to wait for some days and then test

I normally spot for a day before my actual period, but I'm also early...like a week earlier than I would expect...so it's hard to say.....we didn't have sex very much this month so I'm not sure how possible it really is, but hey...I'll be SUPER happy if this is a sneaky surprise LOL

 

[alchemy]

We did SMEP this round due to my irregular cycles, and due to other circumstances we were able to hit every day from 3 days before to one day after. Fingers crossed that it worked, but it was a lot of fun so I wouldn't mind doing it again

 

[winnipegk]

Good luck! ! I don't know if we will make it 3 days in a row lol. We're so lazy

 

[jumpingo]

:wave: alchemy! sounds like if you hit every day from 3 days before ovulation until one day after, you hit only the days you need in a month!

 

[mangoberry]

Yeah still spotting today. This is so annoying! On the plus side I got my OPKs and HPTs today! I'm ready!

yay for OPKs!! and i sort of second what mango said - is it possible that you are pregnant from last month and just getting a weird AF? sorry, maybe you said where you were in your cycle - remind us again?

Also @Jumpingo - I am quite concerned myself too now that I had pineapple before I might have actually ovulated, because my other app ovuview - which I have been using all the time till now shows that I would have ovulated on Thursday i.e. two days later than what FF is showing me, and I somehow think that Thursday one is right because when I had gone this month to get my transvaginal ultrasound on Friday, Nurse told me that it looks like you just ovulated!

try switching your Detection Mode in FF to FAM? it's totally possible since the temps on Tue and Wed are still low...? Your positive OPK and temp rise pattern looks like mine. 2 positive OPKs, then nothing for 2 days and THEN an actual temp rise. so probably you ovulated somewhere between the last +OPK and the temp rise? at least that's what i think for me. and if the nurse on Friday said it looks like you just ovulated, then tuesday or wednesday would be totally possible, right??

Thanks Jumpingo - after switching to FAM mode it did show that I ovulated sometime on Wednesday which is the same what ovuview app is showing me. Yeah, I see your chart - our charts are quite similar! Thats true Tuesday or Wednesday would have been possible.

 

[alchemy]

Good luck! ! I don't know if we will make it 3 days in a row lol. We're so lazy

We actually got four days in a row Total luck when I got the positive OPK. I can O any day from CD 12 to CD 24 so I have to cover all the bases. Now I better have that BFP or I will cry.