I bought these OPKs from Amazon - they're dirt cheap and work pretty well. A lot of people mention on here about digital ones with a smiley face (Clear Blue Digital Smileys) but they're more expensive. You don't have to test twice per day for the entire length of your cycle but you do want to test twice per day during the time you should be most fertile. For example, my average cycle is 29 days so I "should" ovulate on CD15 since the average Luteal Phase length is 14 days. Since it can be anywhere from 10-16 days, I would start using OPKs on CD12 twice per day until I see positive results.
As for charting your Basal Body Temperature -
I bought this one since it had decent reviews. You can sign up with FertilityFriend.com to take their online charting course which can instruct you on how best to chart but basically, you need to keep the thermometer right by your bed and the instant you wake up, you take your temp either orally or vaginally. (I do orally) You need to take the temp before you roll over, get up, walk around, etc. There's actually a pattern to your BBT which will show you when ovulation occurs. You also have to make sure to take your temperature at the same time every day. Even a 30 minute difference can affect your temperature. If you have only one temp that's not taken at the right time of day, you'll still see the pattern but if you take it at different times every day, it won't be very accurate. During your period, your temps are elevated a bit, then they come down a few tenths of a degree. On ovulation day, SOME people will experience a bigger dip in temperature (mine is about a half a degree) and the day after that, it rises (mine goes about a full degree higher). After ovulation your temperature will stay above the temperatures charted prior to ovulation (aka your "coverline"). If you have 18 days of temperatures above your coverline, you're pregnant. You can still test at 12-14 DPO if you want but it's not necessary since your temps will tell you everything you need to know. My temp last month started falling at 9-12DPO so I knew to expect AF within the next few days. Some people will experience an additional rise in temperature after implantation occurs (usually around 5-7DPO) so that's another sign that you're pregnant and would be noticed well before you could take a HPT.
Here's my chart from last month which shows you the temps before and after ovulation.
https://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/347b52/?i=4283450&
The dotted crossbar points out ovulation. The blue dot not connected is a "discarded" temperature. I was travelling that day, woke up in a hotel, and panicked about where I was so my temp was WAY higher than normal. Then I didn't get to temp on CD12 because my OH knocked my thermometer off the night stand and it wouldn't have been an accurate temp if I got up to go get it. You can also see the dip and rise in temps. I experienced it twice last month which in my case I
believe may have been because I ovulated twice. Fraternal twins are very common in my family so it's possible. If I had used OPKs on CD12 and CD15, I would have a better idea but it was my first month off birth control and was still waiting for the OPKs to arrive in the mail!
You can learn all of this and more in the book
Taking Charge Of Your Fertility and probably go through most of it in the FertilityFriend online lessons. I didn't complete them so I don't know for sure about that one though.
Hope this helps!
to you!
