OPK Help Please!

[pennies]

I have long cycles, the last three working backwards in order have been 43, 49 and 48. So this cycle I decided I would try opks to try and give me some indication of when I might ovulate.

I'm so confused though, here is the last 7 days tests. Yesterday's at the top in order back to last Sunday.

I'm doing them roughly the same time every day, between 2pm and 3pm.

Can anyone let me know what this means? Was my surge on Tuesday or was that just rising and not actually a positive yet?

Thanks in advance!

 

[happycupcake]

It's possible you missed the surge Tuesday but it's also possible given your long cycles, I would have thought, that you haven't had the surge and are still to ovulate (generally your luteal phase will stay the same or similar in length, may vary by a day or two, but the first half of your cycle between your period and ovulation can vary a lot). I would keep using the opks but do two or three each day and space them between 2pm-9pm. I read somewhere between these hours is the best time to test and I personally usually see my test line go darker than the control line around 9pm and on occasion once it's done this I may see it dark still the following day with fmu. But generally before mid afternoon seems to produce the lightest lines and isn't usually worth bothering with. I know some women don't see a full on positive and this is their normal, so their darkest line may be their version of positive as it doesn't mean they won't ov, it may mean they miss their surge or perhaps they don't produce as much of the hormone as others do?
I think it's worth keeping on testing though, what cycle day are you currently on?

 

[pennies]

Thank you!

Currently on day 26 of this cycle, my longer cycles really confuse me as everything I read typically applies to shorter regular cycles.

I've only been doing one test per day, didn't realise that I should be doing them later in the day than this?

I've been feeling cramps the last few days and cm is pretty in line with a fertile period.

 

[happycupcake]

Do you check cervix position too? During your fertile phase it's usually high and soft and open or medium openness, and you will notice fertile cm too which you are currently so this is a good sign. As are the cramps since this can signal ovulation is imminent. I think when you put all these things together it looks pretty good that you are well on your way to ovulating. Do you take note of temperature too? This can help pinpoint ovulation better than an opk can, but having a positive opk is a useful tool as the more signs that point to ovulation make it that much easier to pin.
Generally one opk each day probably won't show you your peak, it may do but it's better to do at least two each day. I noticed on upping it to three per day I would have an obvious line mid afternoon, a slightly darker line late afternoon but by about 9pm they seem to go darker than the control line. Everyone is different of course, but going on personal experience I would do more than one each day to give more accurate results.

Also I would probably check cervix position and cm more than once a day too since this can change a fair bit throughout the day

 

[pennies]

I haven't been temping and don't even know where to start with cervix position! 😂 We're TTC #1 so I've been trying not to get too technical but this is month 6 of trying and I'm starting to get impatient now.

Will need to order more opks as about run out, but based on all of the above would you think I haven't o'd yet? Cramps started on Tuesday and stopped on Friday.

This is all so confusing, at school they make you think that getting pregnant is easy! 😂🙉

 

[happycupcake]

Lol I know, you would think it was a simple matter of sex one evening and bam! If you were to believe anything school said, of course. And it can be like that for some, but mostly it isn't. I think it's far more usual for it to take time, and if you look at statistics they will tell you there's about a 37% chance of pregnancy on any given month where things have been optimum, I'm sure this is what I have read anyway. It's a minefield which is why it's such a miracle it happens! But, having said this, we are built for this to happen.

There are loads of different factors that play into conceiving successfully. Everything from nutrition and general health to stress to sleep to the timing of sex. It's difficult to avoid looking into things in more detail I think, especially when you want something so much. But this isn't a negative thing, as it can give you a lot of insight.

I didn't have a clue about temping and checking cervix position and am still relatively new to it but it isn't as difficult as you may think. I find cervix position more confusing as it can be difficult, unless it's blatantly obvious, whether it's soft of medium or firm. If you want to start then I think the best time would be when you get your period, simply because usually it's low and firm and is a good comparison to remember once you are hitting your fertile phase. I have noticed mine is very low and firm during af (which sounds gross but I also attempt to use a menstrual cup, so it's tough luck if I want to use one of those lol!) and the difference to when I'm about to ovulate is huge as then it will be much higher (I will have to push to feel it, as if trying to poo. Sorry, way too much information there!) and soft and will be open. It's the bit between ovulation and next period I get stuck with, because cervix position seems to vary for me.
Temping is quite simple to do. If you download Fertility Friend or a similar app which allows you to note your temperature on a chart, you will start to see a pattern forming. Your temperatures generally stay on the low side before ovulation, then after ovulation they should go up and stay up (or higher than before ovulation but they may generally be up and down, just won't be lower than before ov) because this is when progesterone takes over to keep your temps nice and high in order to prepare for and sustain a pregnancy, should it happen, until the placenta can take over (I *think* I have this right). If you don't conceive then your temperature will dip right before your period. This I think can vary slightly, but on the whole of you aren't pregnant your temps shouldn't stay elevated past when you get your period at least.
You should use a basal body thermometer for this as it has two decimal places which can gauge a more accurate reading than a regular thermometer. These are cheap on places like Amazon (I think I paid about £5 for mine). If you decide to give it a try, you should take your temperature at the same time (or as close to as possible) each AM, before you do anything else, to avoid raising you temperature since you want to gauge your temperature base. You also should have had at least three hours' uninterrupted sleep beforehand too. Best place to take temperature is under your tongue.

Also, beware of the cheap pregnancy tests you can buy online as these can be unreliable despite claiming to be the most sensitive tests. They are fine for some people, but for others they aren't. Many see a line on all of them anyway, some don't see a line even though they may have a positive test using a more expensive and less sensitive brand of test, and most batches come with knocks and dents on them which can make it difficult to see an early, faint positive result. Or, it can make it look as if you have a positive result (especially when you invert the photo) when you don't.
If you are a somewhat of an addict when it comes to testing then as long as you don't mind the possibility of some of them being faulty, they are good because they are so cheap, but if you are a little more sensitive and would find yourself feeling disheartened easily then it may be better to avoid them and stick to testing when you think you are due your period.
Once you can pinpoint ovulation it should be fairly easy to pinpoint when you will see your period, or at least a relatively narrow timeframe for it to happen.

Sorry, I have rambled on.

Sorry also, it's difficult to say on ov, as you may have simply missed the peak, but I would keep testing for it and keep BDing, as it may be yet to happen

 

[pennies]

Thank you, that's all really helpful!

I'm trying to make sure that we keep BDing so that we don't miss it, I really hope this is our month as it's starting to bother me now and everyone in the family is like "going by our family it will happen quickly when you start trying" they don't know we're trying already but all have fallen in the first month of trying, I guess it's just pot luck?!

I came off the pill in June and have only had 4 cycles since. Started at 35 days then was 48, 49 and 43 so I'm expecting around a 43/44 day cycle as a minimum. That's what make it hard to know when to test and the waiting is a killer but guess I just need to wait out another 16 so days at least before testing

 

[happycupcake]

Once you know, or at least have a good idea of when you ovulated, it should be much easier to know when you should see your period. On average, luteal phase is fourteen days long but it can be a little shorter or longer and can vary by a day or two anyway. But it should be a fairly narrow window. Why don't you try joining Fertility Friend or Ovia or another app with a social network as well, so you can also compare your cycles with others who have a similar cycle length? If you start charting it can be helpful to look at other people's charts too.
Also, may be worth getting bloods done to make sure you aren't deficient in anything, as this can affect your cycle if your hormones aren't balanced and could be as simple as altering diet or taking a supplement