Recap of my experience with different brand OPKs

[lisaf]

Hey, I'm long-past testing, but I wanted to upload some pictures and examples of how different brands give you different strength lines for some of my friends who are just starting out and trying to get the hang of their OPKs.

I don't have any pictures of the Answer brand ones I used, but I got weeks of tests that looked positive to me, but no ovulation, not temp rise on my chart, and no AF.

The next brand I tried was First Response. My first month using it, I definitely ovulated based on BBT charts and AF showing up appropriately, but I never got a true positive as you can see below:
https://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll165/bethijimika/Tests.jpg
(ignore the 'possible O' for CD14.. I was still getting used to charting and wasn't sure how to read what I saw... I ovulated CD 15 according to fertilityfriend - but from my LPs on following cycles, the dark OPK on CD16 etc... it was probably CD16)
I also almost never had a line visible at ALL on these tests unless I was near ovulation.
I saved the tests and retested next month, dipping in the same urine that gave me a DARK positive with my ICs... It looked the same as the CD15/CD16 tests here, so I know it was the tests.

The next month, I switched to an IC test... getting some sticks for testing at work and strips for testing at home.
I got the most undeniable positive I'd ever seen!
and YES the test strip is on the left in this picture!!!
https://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll165/bethijimika/photo-1.jpg
Then again on another cycle (this time the test line is on the right)
https://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll165/bethijimika/misc001.jpg

I got faint lines on these tests most every test, and then BAM super dark positives when I was surging. I would sometimes get 'same as' color tests or almost positives right before surging.
The bonus was that they were cheap too!
Not all ICs are created equal too... so maybe try a few if the first one you try doesn't work so well!

I tested at 11am and 5pm on average. I never have trouble holding my pee so it was always super concentrated.

Hope this helps some of you just trying to understand why your results may not look great, or especially those who didn't get an official positive but are still SURE they ovualted.

Also... one trick I had was covering up each side and without knowing which side was the test strip, seeing which was darker... its the best way if its really close.

 

[nmariern]

That was lovely, thanks for sharing

 

[nmariern]

Thanks to your thread I had to go buy some FR ov tests today I like em

 

[lisaf]

lol! Hope they work better for you than they did for me!
The one thing I didn't realize that buying a 20 pack meant they all came in the same zippered pouch and that the instructions say to use them within 30 days of opening the pouch... I thought I was saving money by buying in bulk!

 

[nmariern]

I only bought the 7 pack. I'm super broke the next few weeks due to paying off a trip to disney for DD and I I like them a lot better than the IC's I had. The biggest benefit being that they're mid stream so I don't need to pee in a cup! Hopefully it's money well spent. It would be a nice Xmas gift to myself

 

[lisaf]

If you don't like them, you can try the ICs I did... they sell mid-stream versions too.. I'd buy some of each so I could use whichever was convenient...
it was www.early_pregnancy_tests.com
Again.. its all about what works best for your body!

 

[nmariern]

If I'm doomed to yet another cycle... I will definitely look into those. I did like the CB digi opks. Seeing the smiley face was exciting

 

[yellowstars]

Thanks for posting this! I currently have the IC like the ones you have on the last photo, as well as a regular opk. My IC do the same thing, faint second line, then BAM it's dark.
This cycle I got positive line opks but my digital one was negative. Not sure what that means but we dtd anyway since I had ovulation pains.

 

[nmariern]

Yay for ovulating! I finally got a real positive on an FR. I used the ICs for a while but I always had iffy lines even testing 4x a day.... I guess trying different things is important. And of coarse it has to be expensive for me!