To OPK or not to OPK - Help Please!!!

[Nicki123]

It certainly is confusing! I was kinds sure I'd ovd already but today had a teeny bit of spotting and an achy tum so now I'm wondering if I am oving today after all... Some of the girls have persuaded me to try temping again next month if I don't get my bfp this month. Hopefully things will become clearer then.

 

[SaraJewel]

It certainly is confusing! I was absolutely sure I'd ovd already but today had a teeny bit of spotting and an achy tum so now I'm wondering if I am oving today after all... Some of the girls have persuaded me to try temping again next month if I don't get my bfp this month. Hopefully things will become clearer then.

I know, that would make things clearer, but I think you can get too obsessed by it all and it can take over your life (if it hasn't done already!).

Advice from the experts is to DTD every 2-3 days, but I don't know if we could keep that up all month! We don't have the energy we used to, OH has had performance anxiety and we both work full time and need to have a life too!

I try and DTD every 2 days when I have EWCM and that is it. It hasn't been successful yet, but we are only just really getting over the performance anxiety slowly over the past few months. Don't want to get too obsessed as may end up getting stressed out and piling the pressure on OH again. He doesn't know I'm using Ovulation sticks as I think again that might add pressure.

Sorry for the rant! Sometimes I start typing and can't stop!

So it sounds like the OPK was right! Hope your timing was OK. How long have you been trying?

 

[SaraJewel]

It certainly is confusing! I was kinds sure I'd ovd already but today had a teeny bit of spotting and an achy tum so now I'm wondering if I am oving today after all... Some of the girls have persuaded me to try temping again next month if I don't get my bfp this month. Hopefully things will become clearer then.

Sorry, just read your signature and see you have just started trying again. Sorry for your losses, that must have been so tough I can't begin to imagine

 

[Nicki123]

Hey Sara, thank you. We have just started properly trying again after all the tests and then our 3 month health kick, since the last mc back in Aug last year. I know what you mean about getting obsessed.... I have been there and am determined not to go back there again! I am trying to be more relaxed about it. But I think knowing when I ov (which temping might achieve) might help reduce the pressures of baby sex! It gets pretty tiring after a while doesn't it. Me and DH both work really hard, and while I love a weekend roll I just cannot be arsed on a gloomy Tuesday night after a late night in the office or whatever. We have tried a lot of this month and I think I'm kind of at my limit! So am hoping opks (and maybe temping) will help us pinpoint the right time.

I think you are taking exactly the right approach with OH - trying to keep the pressure off him. Better to take a few months extra to get there, than to freak him out. Fx for you Sara!

 

[TacoTime]

I use both IC and the digital ones just to confirm. When the line on the IC get to be almost as dark as the test line then I also use the digital. The smiley confirms takes out some of the guessing for me!

 

[SaraJewel]

I use both IC and the digital ones just to confirm. When the line on the IC get to be almost as dark as the test line then I also use the digital. The smiley confirms takes out some of the guessing for me!

Thanks! What's IC? Is that ones which aren't digital?

 

[SaraJewel]

I love the weekend roll too, but like you say, bit harder after a day at work!

Good luck for this month, hope your timing was spot on

 

[TacoTime]

I use both IC and the digital ones just to confirm. When the line on the IC get to be almost as dark as the test line then I also use the digital. The smiley confirms takes out some of the guessing for me!

Thanks! What's IC? Is that ones which aren't digital?

Internet Cheapies

 

[SaraJewel]

OK, for those who are interested in correlation between OPKs and EWCM.............

CD14 yesterday: EWCM started. Did 2 x OPKs, 1 at 12:30, 1 at 4:30. Both negative.

Done a bit of reading about when to do OPKs.

Clear Blue Digital says any time of day and some women find it easiest first thing in the morning. Also says not to urinate 4 hours before test.

Boots digital says 10am-8pm, not to use FMU and not to drink a lot 2 hours before testing.

Most things I've read say not to use FMU, so don't understand why the Clear Blue Digital says this is OK! Also, how realistic is it not to urinate 4 hours before a test??!! I can only imagine urinary infections and dehydration!!!!

Please share experiences!!!

 

[Macmad]

OK, for those who are interested in correlation between OPKs and EWCM.............

CD14 yesterday: EWCM started. Did 2 x OPKs, 1 at 12:30, 1 at 4:30. Both negative.

Done a bit of reading about when to do OPKs.

Clear Blue Digital says any time of day and some women find it easiest first thing in the morning. Also says not to urinate 4 hours before test.

Boots digital says 10am-8pm, not to use FMU and not to drink a lot 2 hours before testing.

Most things I've read say not to use FMU, so don't understand why the Clear Blue Digital says this is OK! Also, how realistic is it not to urinate 4 hours before a test??!! I can only imagine urinary infections and dehydration!!!!

Please share experiences!!!

Hi Sara

Bit of a novice here to opk. I too have the CB opk and the Boots own brand as back up. I read that its best to test early to late afternoon as your surge usually happens in the morning and it takes a few hours to build up in your urine (expert opk-er's correct me if Im wrong). So i now do a CB test between 2-3pm after not drinking too much and holding onto wee for at least 2-3 hours. No way can i hold for 4 hours! lol. Not tried the Boots one yet.

Still waiting to surge this month and at the moment have hardly any CM at all. Have no idea what is going on!!!

Good luck

 

[SaraJewel]

OK, for those who are interested in correlation between OPKs and EWCM.............

CD14 yesterday: EWCM started. Did 2 x OPKs, 1 at 12:30, 1 at 4:30. Both negative.

Done a bit of reading about when to do OPKs.

Clear Blue Digital says any time of day and some women find it easiest first thing in the morning. Also says not to urinate 4 hours before test.

Boots digital says 10am-8pm, not to use FMU and not to drink a lot 2 hours before testing.

Most things I've read say not to use FMU, so don't understand why the Clear Blue Digital says this is OK! Also, how realistic is it not to urinate 4 hours before a test??!! I can only imagine urinary infections and dehydration!!!!

Please share experiences!!!

Hi Sara

Bit of a novice here to opk. I too have the CB opk and the Boots own brand as back up. I read that its best to test early to late afternoon as your surge usually happens in the morning and it takes a few hours to build up in your urine (expert opk-er's correct me if Im wrong). So i now do a CB test between 2-3pm after not drinking too much and holding onto wee for at least 2-3 hours. No way can i hold for 4 hours! lol. Not tried the Boots one yet.

Still waiting to surge this month and at the moment have hardly any CM at all. Have no idea what is going on!!!

Good luck

Is this your 1st month? I am CD16 with EWCM (more than past 2 days) but still no surge. I am starting to wonder if there is any point to this as can't test til 5pm as not practical at work.

 

[Macmad]

Well technically my 2nd cycle off the pill. I'm CD14 with little to no CM and defo no EWCM. I think testing at 5pm is fine. I read somewhere, might of been here, a lady that tested when she got home from work. The Boots one says anytime between 10am and 8pm. I'm sure it will happen for us, just not when we expect!

 

[SaraJewel]

Well technically my 2nd cycle off the pill. I'm CD14 with little to no CM and defo no EWCM. I think testing at 5pm is fine. I read somewhere, might of been here, a lady that tested when she got home from work. The Boots one says anytime between 10am and 8pm. I'm sure it will happen for us, just not when we expect!

Let me know how you get on with the OPK and good luck!

 

[Nicki123]

Hi Sara, I have read in many places that the clear blue one should be tested using FMU as it works slightly differently to the others, but I can find an explanation for HOW it works differently! And now Im curious and want to know I will let you know if I find an explanation

 

[SaraJewel]

Hi Sara, I have read in many places that the clear blue one should be tested using FMU as it works slightly differently to the others, but I can find an explanation for HOW it works differently! And now Im curious and want to know I will let you know if I find an explanation

Thanks Nicki!

I'm gonna use that one next month I think just to see the difference.

CD17. Day 4 of EWCM. OPK darker than all month today, but still not same colour or darker than test strip. I'm taking this as good sign!

Will keep going.................

 

[SaraJewel]

CD18. No EWCM. Test strip very faint. Suspect have ovulated.

Test line much darker yesterday (75% of control colour). Think that was the surge coming down?

Confirms good correlation between OPKs and EWCM for when to BD I think

 

[Nicki123]

I think you're right, sounds like you might have ovd. GL! X

 

[Macmad]

Well technically my 2nd cycle off the pill. I'm CD14 with little to no CM and defo no EWCM. I think testing at 5pm is fine. I read somewhere, might of been here, a lady that tested when she got home from work. The Boots one says anytime between 10am and 8pm. I'm sure it will happen for us, just not when we expect!

Let me know how you get on with the OPK and good luck!

So today I did CB digi and for some reason it didn't work. Decided to try the Boots one and it was defo a positive, two thick dark lines. Just taken another CB digi as I was determined to see that smiley face and it was! So chuffed.....off to do loads of BDing

 

[SaraJewel]

Thanks Nicki! Test still v faint today, v small (miniscule) EWCM this morning. Where are you at?

Nice one Macmad! Have fun!

 

[SaraJewel]

Hi Sara, I have read in many places that the clear blue one should be tested using FMU as it works slightly differently to the others, but I can find an explanation for HOW it works differently! And now Im curious and want to know I will let you know if I find an explanation

Hey Nicki, I did some searching about this and didn't get any answers, so........thought it best to e-mail the experts, so sent a question to the doctors at Clearblue.

I asked if it would be better first thing using FMU or at 5pm using the Clearblue digital OPK. I mentioned that my 5pm urine is pale as I find it hard to restrict fluid through the afternoon and that my only option for testing is at these times.

This is their answer:

Hello, I would say morning. The LH surge occurs at around the 14th or 16 th day or so after the first day of bleed of your last period. It isn't an exact timing thing. You do need concentrated urine as you say so having been asleep all night and then using the first urine in the morning should give you the best chance of accurately picking up your surge.

So am going to use FMU next month. Also, I read on their website that this OPK remembers your baseline of LH, so I guess it provides a comparison of LH levels to detect your surge. It only measures LH just like the other test.

SJ x