So am I officially in the TWW?

[Hopefulxmom]

Ok so first off hey everyone!!! I used to have a BNB account and I can't remember the password, nor do I have access to my email account it was registered under my name was HopefulxMommy.

Ok so my question. I have never used OPKs before but after being late last cycle with a faint (probably evap line) I decided to give it a shot. I haven't been temping or anything and I figure with my usual cycle time I figured my fertility window would start on the 24th so Friday I bought a pack and took my first on me that evening at around 8 and got a very DARK line (not as dark as the control line but still dark). So the BF and I BD that next morning and I took another OPK that evening and the line was the same, well I took one this evening and it's just a little lighter than before but not much.

My question is, my BF has a crazy work schedule and we aren't going to have time to see each other this week much less make time to BD. Do you think I might have caught it? I have been having mild cramping in my lower abdomen the past few days but it alternates between sides and until today for a couple of days I have had clear runny CM and today it's kind of mixed with creamy white almost lotion like cm. I feel like I have all the signs of O along with sore breasts and abdominal cramping I'm just wanted some advice. I have attached the picture of the OPK I took earlier this evening and it (like I said) is lighter since Friday.

 

[Hopefulxmom]

I never wanted to be the person that bumps her own thread but I'd really like some advice

 

[mrsclt]

Hey there, I dont use opks (mainly because in stores here in Australia its about $35 for a 10 pack :O), might have to try and find some cheapies on the internet... anyway, line tests can be hard to accurately read at times but seeing as you got dark lines for two days, and your usual O symptoms, then you probably are in the tww, and you probably got in on time. Have you tried temping? Or maybe switch to a digital OPK as they are a lot easier to read accurately from from I've read. The line is supposed to be as dark or darker than the control line to be positive, which is why they can be difficult to read. Just keep in mind that if AF doesn't show when you'd expect, it may be that you didn't O after all, and delayed O tends to cause pregnancy/AF symptoms as well, just to drive us more crazy! With your partners work schedule, I would just bed whenever you get the chance, just in case you didn't O... hoping you get your bfp

 

[DobbyForever]

I use OPKS a lot. I would be a bit cautious to say you are in the TWW. I know every woman and surge is different, but that seems like an awfully short surge. How often are you testing? I test 3x a day when I am near my surge (I know because I use the cb advanced digitals as well). Usually, you O about 12 hours after the PEAK of your surge. Which usually shows on your opk as the test line significantly darker than your control line. So if you never had that really dark opk, I wouldn't confidently say you Oed unless you have previously temped/charted and this is when you typically O. I have had days like this post a few days before I actually O or sometimes I gear up to O and something happens.

So I would say it is definitely possible you Oed, but I suggest you keep testing if you aren't confirming with temps. I would hate for you to stop BDing and O in a few days and have missed it.

But I don't use that brand of opk so I'm not sure what it would look like at its darkest.

 

[Hopefulxmom]

I use OPKS a lot. I would be a bit cautious to say you are in the TWW. I know every woman and surge is different, but that seems like an awfully short surge. How often are you testing? I test 3x a day when I am near my surge (I know because I use the cb advanced digitals as well). Usually, you O about 12 hours after the PEAK of your surge. Which usually shows on your opk as the test line significantly darker than your control line. So if you never had that really dark opk, I wouldn't confidently say you Oed unless you have previously temped/charted and this is when you typically O. I have had days like this post a few days before I actually O or sometimes I gear up to O and something happens.

So I would say it is definitely possible you Oed, but I suggest you keep testing if you aren't confirming with temps. I would hate for you to stop BDing and O in a few days and have missed it.

But I don't use that brand of opk so I'm not sure what it would look like at its darkest.

The next chance we are going to have to BD will be Saturday morning I'm very worried I'm going to miss O if I didn't catch it I haven't temped at all this cycle so I can't go off of my temps now if I start in the morning though right? The lines were really dark Friday and Saturday but they could have been before then and my surge might have started earlier than I expected and maybe I JUST caught it. I'm so confused:/

Is that a positive OPK in the picture?

 

[Hopefulxmom]

Hey there, I dont use opks (mainly because in stores here in Australia its about $35 for a 10 pack :O), might have to try and find some cheapies on the internet... anyway, line tests can be hard to accurately read at times but seeing as you got dark lines for two days, and your usual O symptoms, then you probably are in the tww, and you probably got in on time. Have you tried temping? Or maybe switch to a digital OPK as they are a lot easier to read accurately from from I've read. The line is supposed to be as dark or darker than the control line to be positive, which is why they can be difficult to read. Just keep in mind that if AF doesn't show when you'd expect, it may be that you didn't O after all, and delayed O tends to cause pregnancy/AF symptoms as well, just to drive us more crazy! With your partners work schedule, I would just bed whenever you get the chance, just in case you didn't O... hoping you get your bfp

Im going to get a digital monitor for next cycle if AF shows up that way I will know for sure! I will certainly snatch him up for some BD first chance I get lol!

 

[DobbyForever]

Sperm can live surprisingly long so you should be ok. The picture I attached is what I label as a peak positive in my FF chart. I get those the morning/late morning of the day I am going to O. A positive is both lines being the same color. The one you posted, like you mentioned, looks really close to being positive but isn't.

In theory, you can't just start temping on the middle of your cycle. But it wouldn't hurt anything.

 

[Hopefulxmom]

Dobby,
Oh I hope so!! I will temp just for fun I guess and I'll start recording it for the next few days to share with you...maybe I can make some kind of sense of it. I guess because I temped all the time when I was TTC my first but the cycle I stopped I ended up conceiving my daughter. I guess that's why I haven't been doing it but it won't hurt

 

[DobbyForever]

If you have temped before you can totally start mid cycle. You might not get a precise O date but you can get an idea of if you Oed or not.

 

[mrsclt]

Yes you can start temping mid cycle. I started again a few cycles ago when i was 2 weeks 'late', and a week later I picked up the ovulation temp shift. And if you start now and have high temps, it may also help indicate you might have already ovulated

 

[Hopefulxmom]

Ok from what I know about temps, I have to take it before I get out of bed, well my NORMAL body temp is usually around 97.9 - 98.1 and this morning it was 98.7😳 Is that a bad thing???

 

[DobbyForever]

You should take it at the same time (or within about 15 minutes) each morning. Has to be before you get out of bed/ as close to waking as possible. Ideally, you would have 3+ hours of uninterrupted sleep, but even only 3 hours is sleep deprivation for me and messes with my temps. If you're temp was 98.7, I would think you either are sick or you Oed already or didn't sleep well or had been drinking the night prior. If I had to choose one, it would be the already Oed one.

 

[Hopefulxmom]

I didn't get much sleep but that's much higher than I expected....I'm going to keep track of it. I haven't drank in a while and I know I'm not sick...I'm confused...we'll see in the AM I guess lol

 

[Hopefulxmom]

I have also been cramping like AF is due any minute and that's odd because she isn't due until 7/11

 

[DobbyForever]

I cramp randomly throughout my cycle and lp. I'm cramping right now lol. Try to ignore it and keep temping. Curious to see, but I would venture you Oed at least a few days ago.

 

[Hopefulxmom]

Well on CD12 &13 I got a positive OPK. We DTD on CD13 and by CD14 the OPK didn't look nearly as dark. I am currently on CD16

 

[DobbyForever]

I'd guess at CD 13 as O day. But that's just going off the one temp this morning and the opks. Did you BD at all before CD 13? Sorry if you already answered this somewhere. But it is possible it was CD 14 or 15 as well, just can't be sure. However, I O 36 hours from my first positive or 12 hours from my darkest positive, which is why I lean towards CD 13.

 

[Hopefulxmom]

It's ok not for a few days, his schedule is crazy sometimes and he has been having to put in a lot of overtime lately due to being short handed on his shift. My first OPK was on CD12 and it wasn't QUITE as dark as the control line, but I didn't take one prior to that so yeah there really isn't any way to tell. I think I O on CD13 as well and we BD at like 5am That day lol

 

[DobbyForever]

I hear you. Working around somebody else's schedule stinks lol. FXed this is your cycle!

 

[Hopefulxmom]

Me too!!! We are beyond ready. This will be our first. I have a 3 yr old daughter and he has an 8 year old daughter (both have birthdays in September, so almost a 4 & 9 year old).