TTC and the flu

[Skywalker]

Hello ladies! This is our second cycle TTC for baby #2, and in our first cycle we started trying way too late to have any real chance of making a baby. This time I'm on CD 9 and we've been bd'ing every day. Being new to this I don't really know the ins and outs of opks but I have the really cheap wondfo ones from the Internet and I decided to just test every day since I don't know when I ovulate and have tended to have a 32 day cycle length since getting my period back after weening baby #1 at 15 months. I had the stomach flu at the end of my last cycle and my fiancé just brought home another flu from work, this time a cold flu. My opk line seems to be darker some days than others, and I haven't had a pos opk yet as far as I can tell (which makes sense as I don't expect ovulation until about the 21st) BUT my question is, does the darkness of the opk test line vary throughout your cycle, or could my flu be affecting the hormones somehow? Thanks for any insight

 

[MindUtopia]

I have no idea about the opks as I never used them (they seem confusing to me!), but definitely being sick can delay ovulation and delay AF. Though generally, you would expect to feel really ill if that was happening. A cold probably wouldn't do it, but the real flu, like influenza, might. But if you had the flu, you literally wouldn't be getting out of bed for about 2 weeks, so ovulation would probably be the last thing on your mind. If you're able to function, get out of bed, go to work, etc. it's probably not going to affect things too much. But if you are dehydrated from being ill, I can see how that might affect your readings.

 

[Skywalker]

I have no idea about the opks as I never used them (they seem confusing to me!), but definitely being sick can delay ovulation and delay AF. Though generally, you would expect to feel really ill if that was happening. A cold probably wouldn't do it, but the real flu, like influenza, might. But if you had the flu, you literally wouldn't be getting out of bed for about 2 weeks, so ovulation would probably be the last thing on your mind. If you're able to function, get out of bed, go to work, etc. it's probably not going to affect things too much. But if you are dehydrated from being ill, I can see how that might affect your readings.

I don't feel like I have it that bad at all, I just have some post nasal drip, sore throat, some soreness and tiredness... So hopefully it's like you say and the most that would happen was delayed ovulation. Also I'm not sure since the jury seems to still be out on this (how frequently you should be for best chances of conception) but we plan on bd'ing every day this cycle since that's what we do anyway but hopefully even if my ovulation and AF get delayed, we'll be well stocked anyway lol.