Hey great thread pinksprinkles!! Love your write up at the beginning.
I have a question for you ladies.... I'm sure I ov'd, just need one more temp in and ff will confirm it. I used opk's this month and if you look at my chart there's a big lag btwn when my temp goes up and my last positive opk as well as some very clear fertile signs. I took one the day before and it was close to positive, then I got my +, then the next morning it was -. So I caught the end of my surge. I just don't get how that works - why does it take a few days to shoot up? I always have odd charts like this - never have the little dip then rise. It always takes a while to go up. Any thoughts ladies?
First off, when did you BD? I can let you know if your bases are covered.
As far as all the specifics of when to BD?
The easy answer:
For your best chance at conception, BD from your +OPK until your temps are up for a couple days using sperm-friendly lube on any days you don't have fertile CM.
The super detailed answer:
Your +OPK signals your rise in LH (which is immediately preceded by a rise in estrogen, often causing a dip), which triggers ovulation. Once ovulation occurs, the corpus luteum begins producing progesterone. Once the progesterone is in your system, your temp rises. (I'm guessing you probably know all this.) After this there is a secondary estrogen surge (which can show as a dip around 4-8dpo).
So it goes like this Estrogen Surge (temp dip) -> LH Surge -> Ovulation -> Progesterone Rise (temp rise) -> Secondary Estrogen Surge (temp dip) -> Estrogen Subsides -> Hormones Hold Steady -> Corpus Luteum Dies -> Progesterone Fall (temp fall) -> AF. (If pregnancy is established, the corpus luteum will not die and progesterone level will stay elevated, keeping your temp elevated.)
The most likely time O will occur is within 24-48 hours from your darkest +OPK. (Full range of O time is somewhere around 10 to 60 hours.) This is why doctors say make sure to BD the day
after the +OPK, and fertility specialists often have patients come in for their IUI the day after the +OPK as well. This is to say that if you are only going to be able to BD once, the best time is 24 hours after you see a +OPK.
Another point of of note is that a small portion of women see their temp dip immediately at/after O. If you O at night, this can mean that your temp will not be seen as elevated until at least 2 dpo.
If you have multiple attempts of BD available but are not regularly BD'ing prior to your +OPK, the recommendation is to begin BD'ing day of +OPK and continue BD'ing daily until you see your temp rise. If sperm count is an issue, some doctors will recommend not BD'ing on +OPK day and instead BD'ing the following day and then each day leading up to your temp rise. If you want to really maximize your chance at conception, you want to make sure to continue to BD at least every other day until your temp has been elevated for three days.
What I often recommend is BD'ing every other day at the first sight of fertile CM, and then once you see a +OPK, begin BD'ing every day starting the day after the +OPK until you've seen two days of temp rise. I say two day rise because a one day rise could possibly be a fluke, and you do want to make sure you BD the day of actual temp rise. In my experience, two days covers your bases.
In your case, I would have said BD on: CD's 11, 13, and 15 (for every other day), and the 16-19 (as everyday post O until 2 day rise). With this schedule you would have been covered for an ovulation occurring anytime between CD 11 and CD 21.
Note: If you are having non-fertile CM but have not seen a rise in temp, use a sperm-friendly lubricant inserted 15 minutes
prior to sex. Some women have decreased estrogen levels following their LH surge and their CM dries up
before ovulation occurs. It is important to insert the lube at least 15 minutes before sex so that the lube has adequate time to raise in temp to body temperature, correct the pH level of the vagina, and be taken into the cervix.
Second Note: If you and your partner are not having sex regularly prior to +OPK, you do want to make sure that he is ejaculating at least once every 6 days. Letting the testes sit without release for over a week causes the next ejaculation to contain a disproportionate number of dead and defective sperm. If this is the primary ejaculation post +OPK, you decrease your chances of conception.