I told myself I wouldn't symptom spot this time....

[doctorsookie]

but that might prover harder than I thought. I started doing BBT and OPK this month to get a better idea of how long my cycle and lineal phase's are. I'll continue to do it until I get my I am on my 6th day of OPKing but according to two different ovulation calendars I have in which I entered the first day of my last period, I should have ovulated yesterday or the day before but the OPK isn't registering very dark lines at all. According to the directions, if the test line is lighter than the control line, I am not ovulating. My temp was up slightly both yesterday and today and I had a lot of EWCM yesterday so we both days and on Saturday -Monday. I figure that should cover both the predicted ovulation days... . I have not been feeling a real big increase in sex drive which I normally feel and assume that is during my ovulation time. I am not sure if I should consider myself in the TWW based on the ovulation calendar or if I should hold off for when I actually see a dark line on the OPK or at least get that horny feeling. LOL
On another note, I saw an OB/GYN and she told me that in my case where I spot for several days and really only bleed steady for a day or two, I should be using the spotting as day one of my cycle since for me that seems to be normal. So, my whole period tracking I was doing last year got messed up around October because I had read something about not counting the spotting and readjusted my start and finish dates. Ugh...feel like 12 months was just wasted. Wanted to avoid having to spend money on OPKs and BBTing (sometimes I just want to jump out of bed to go work out and I have to try to remember to not even sit up before taking my BBT) but with my cycles being monitored wrong, this is faster than another 6-12 months of tracking my period. The OB also informed me that if I am going to have a , I should do so in the next two years as with my advanced age, after that there can be more birth defects and complications. Thank, doctor, yes, I know I am old but women over 40 have given birth to very healthy babies before and they will again, so why put that stress on me too? Big old meanie

 

[Dill]

Pick up some cheaper OPKs. I use Babii brand and buy them in 50-packs off Amazon for something like $18. Be sure you're testing at the same time every day, preferably in the afternoon.

It's possible that you didn't ovulate this cycle ... it does sometimes happen!

 

[doctorsookie]

In the afternoon? I've been testing with my first morning urine. LOL I get the dollar store cheapies for a buck. I plan to buy some cheapies on Amazon. It is sadly possible I didn't ovulate this month. Last month I had a multitude of symptoms and my AF came a week early. I thought it was implantation bleeding but then i passed a large mass of tissue and clots. Went to the doctor to determine if it had been a miscarriage or a chemical or what and was sent to the OB/GYN for an ultrasound and bloodwork to make sure there was no tissue left in my uterus if it had been a miscarriage. However, there is not conclusive answer as to whether there was ever a pregnancy. There was sufficient evidence that nothing had had a chance to implant but the blood test wasn't done until Friday and I passed the mass on Monday. The spotting I was having started the Wednesday before so it's possible the clot just took a while to be passed. I may never have solid evidence but I will know in my heart because I was so heartbroken as i truly believed I was pregnant and I had all but named the baby already. Thanks for replying and letting me know I should be OPKing in the afternoon. You seem to be informed so if I may ask two more things: is there a time frame I should be having sex after testing positive on the OPK? For example, if I had sex in the morning will it matter if the OPK was negative but positive in the evening or will I need to have sex again? Second question: it's 930 PM...is it too late to test now (I tested this morning again and nothing).

 

[Dill]

It's a common mistake!

A positive OPK means you will likely ovulate 12-36 hours from the day & time you get your positive. I just take a "carpet bomb" approach, haha -- we DTD 1-2x a day in the days leading up to when I believe I am due to ovulate, and then 1-2x a day for 2-3 days after I get my positive.

As for if it's too late to test now, better late than never, but I think (if I'm remembering correctly) that it's 12noon-8PM for the "ideal" window, with afternoons being preferably to evenings. But go ahead and test -- some people test every 12 hours when they notice their LH surging, so obviously, half of their tests are outside of that "ideal" window!

 

[doctorsookie]

Thanks for the quick response! I will definitely buy some internet cheapies. I had no idea. This is my first time OPKing. I wasn't gonna do it but the OB suggested it.

 

[Dill]

Happy to help!

The Babi tests (one i, apparently) are down to $12.97 for a 50-pack on Amazon! I stocked up on more today.

 

[doctorsookie]

The line tonight was even lighter than the line this morning....I didn't think that was possible. Do you have any BBT tips for me?

 

[Dill]

LH can fluctuate all through your cycle, so it could mean nothing, or it could also mean that you're on the tail end of your surge. I've had cycles where my LH was all over the place until I got a positive OPK, and I've had cycles where it worked its way up, peaked, and dropped back down in a predictable pattern.

No BBT tips, I'm afraid -- I just use OPKs!

 

[doctorsookie]

Happy to help!

The Babi tests (one i, apparently) are down to $12.97 for a 50-pack on Amazon! I stocked up on more today.

Consider them ordered.
Good luck tomorrow!

 

[Dill]

Thank you, and fingers are crossed that you caught your egg and are now on your way to your BFP!

 

[doctorsookie]

First things first.... how did it go today?

right, so I just joined fertilityfriend.com at the suggestion of another Babyandbumper and I was able to enter all my menstruation activity and symptoms from the last year (as inaccurate as they may be but they are entered the same way on the other tracker I use so there should not have been a difference ) and lo and behold the results I got are totally different. The tracker I have been using seems to want to set my ovulation date at the same time of the month EVERY month no matter when I started my period and it also told me my average cycle is 33 days. fertilityfriend.com puts me at an average of 29 days and indicatates my next ovulation date will not be until....tomorrow. The other one said it happened on the 28th. I will OPK tomorrow and hopefully get a line. I OPKed again today around 1245 and while the line was darker than it has been, it was still lighter than the control line and it took a while to show up (by the instructions this indicates a negative result). I have noticed my breasts are tender this month which they actually were not last month so I hope that means I will be ovulating soon. I will be tonight and tomorrow and the next day....LMAO! Hey, most of the fun is in the trying. Thanks again for all the advice!

 

[Dill]

BFN.

I should try that site. My cycle tracker app quit working, and got MCs and pregnancy tracking backward, haha.

 

[doctorsookie]

It's going to happen for both of us...and soon! I got my first positive OPK today! I tested at 1245. I used the dollar tree cheapie but then I opened my door and the Babis came today too so I used that one as well to compare. I shows two really really dark lines so I am definitely ovulating soon if not already. My energy and sex drive are up too so that is good. Also sore boobies! I will be like crazy for the next four days. Good luck and remember if AF hasn't come yet you are not out of the running.

 

[Dill]

AF hit, so I am out! But if this cycle is as short as last cycle, I'll be ovulating in about 12 days. Not too long to wait!

Good luck to you, and have fun with the babymaking part of the process! It's the funnest.

 

[Beeptime]

NOoooooooooooooo Dill!!!! I am so sorry and upset to hear that! HUGS!!

 

[Dill]

Thank you! I had a long cry last night, to be honest, but since AF hit this morning, I know I am already in the next cycle and less than two weeks from ovulating again. That's not too long to wait! This technically makes for our third cycle actively trying, and third time's a charm, right?

 

[doctorsookie]

yes, third time is a charm! Good luck to you!

 

[doctorsookie]

Fertility Friend is amazing. I'm able to track all my symptoms and have them compared to other other harts with percentages of pregnant charts. Trying not to symptom spot so much as check off what I'm experiencing. I'm doing quite the opposite of having the mindframe of "every little thing" indicates pregnancy and instead try to find another possible cause for what I am experiencing. For example: wake up nauseas? Last month I was all "morning sickness...yay! At 6dpo? Not likely. This month I put it off as having not eaten and my sugar is likely low. I'm trying not to stress over things too much. I had a speck of blood at 4dpo and am pretty much figuring I am not knocked up yet but I'll track so I'll have it all recorded to use next cycle.

Now, the real reason I came on here today: this morning I got up and had some irritation on my vagina. Had OH look and he found a pimple. Then, without warning, he popped it! OUCH!!!! Has anyone else ever experienced this before?

 

[Dill]

Ouch! At the risk of being too personal, where was it? I wouldn't worry about it if it's where hair usually grows/you shave/wax/etc. If it's on the softer tender tissue of the inner labia, it may not have been a pimple.

Boo on him for popping it without warning! Owwww.

 

[doctorsookie]

It was on the labia minora. No worries about it being herpes, that is for sure. I have been with the same man since 2009 and never had it previously and neither has he. I looked it up and apparenlty pimples down yonder are a common thing. but yeah boo on him for popping it because that is probably the first thing you should never do. he also suggested I put peroxide on it (which I said no way) and that is the second thing you should never do apparently.. LOL