Can someone please help me with these. Day 13 of cycle today. Last night did OPK, came back negative, but with a faint line. This morning did OPK, came back negative, but with an even fainter line.
I know a positive on these is a line the same or darker than the test line, but does a faint line mean that O is approaching? or do these kits not work that way?
Also, best time of day to test? some say morning, i've read afternoon, i've read to do both morning and night, don't drink fluids for two hours??? confusion.
BBT hasn't really spiked yet, but i'm thinking it can't be too far away.
Some advice so I don't go through a whole packet of these in two days???? ha ha
OPK's are hard... It took me a while to get used to them.
From what I read, and from personal practise, it is suggested to test around 2pm, and at the same time each day, and without drinking for around 2 hrs beforehand.
Reasons - The LH surge that they are picking up it most detectable during the day (so between noon and 8pm). I generally get a few days of faint lines (generally getting darker each day) leading up to a solid line on O day then a faint line for a day or two after.
I drink less before testing to make sure that I get a good concentrated sample. But for some, that is not necessary.
As for the same time each day, I do, but I know others that can test at various times and still get a good result. I also know some who test at 2pm and at 8pm to make sure they dont miss the surge. Oh yeah, and i Start BDing when I see decent faint lines.
You have about 12-36 hours after the surge to "catch" your eggie.
For you, I would think that your morning test has a fainter line cause the hormone is not as strong in your body in the am. So Pick a time, in the afternoon, and test then. If you combine the test results with your temping, you should get a pretty accurate idea of when you O.
Some of my charts are in my sig, and tonight, I will photograph a set of 5 days OPK's for me, and pop it up for you to see.
I know this is long, and anyone please correct me if I am wrong...
And please feel free to ask if you want a bit more info...
I'd really appreciate some help on this too - I'm also day 13 of my cycle today BTW!
The first time I used an OPK was during a cycle I ultimately became pregnant (but unfortunately miscarried later at 10.5 weeks). I recall that during that cycle the test line on the OPK progressively became darker in the two days or so before I achieved a positive on the OPK.
This is my third cycle post-miscarriage and my second cycle back using OPKs. Last cycle was just crazy - I was getting different results from different OPKs - one type of test was showing positive and the other negative, so I have no idea whether I in fact ovulated or not.
During this cycle I have had nothing but a faint test line for the last 6 days of testing, all at 2pm and all after 3 hrs of nothing to drink. And I'm sure some of the test lines have been fanter than others as the days have gone on. I'm starting to think I mightn't ovulate this cyle at all Does anyone know how many cycles I mightn't ovulate after a micarriage before I should get it checked out??
Can anyone shed some light on this? Should we be expecting a gradual darking of the test line prior to receiving a positive on an OPK?
Thank you for the comprehensive answer. It's exactly what I was after!
I never thought of the morning not being accurate. always tend to think that morning is more concentrated but you're right with LH. I did bring a test to work today so might have a go soon and see what comes back.
Did you find that your temp chart and OPK results always matched up? What i find confusing is that temp spikes and that means post O? and so positive OPK should be maybe a couple of days before that yeah?
Hope it's all going well for you and fingers crossed it happens for you before Oct/Nov.
Don't know much about how the body reacts after miscarriage but have you been temp charting? That might give you an idea as well using something that can't have a product bias. It will at least tell you if you have O'd.
day 13 too huh? good timing! I'll do my afternoon test in about an hour or so I think.
I haven't been temping - just trying to limit it to OPKs and observing CM for now so as not to get too "obsessed" by it all. Will see how long that last for me I'm soooooooo impatient.
Let me know how you go.
Stil hoping someone out there can clarify for us whether the test lines on OPKs shoud progressively get darker before you get a positive
That's why I'm also limiting myself to only twice per day - 2pm and then again about 6.30pm.
I'm really hoping things start happening soon! I generally only go on the OPKs and observing CM. I have a feeling CM increased today compared to yesterday, so I have my fingers crossed things will be revving up soon! Nothing too dramatic yet, but a slight improbement on yesterday.
Good luck, and I'll check in again with you in the morning.
I've taken matters into my own hands with these OPKs They've frustrated me so much this cycle! I've also done a bit of reading and discovered while they work for some, or for some of the time, they can cause problems for different people.
Here's my little experiment: last night I tested at 7.30pm after no fluids for 3hrs and got a very faint line with Lullaby and a line about 85-90% as dark as the control line with Confirm. Today, at 2pm I did the same test again and got a faint line with Lullaby (marginally darker than last night but not much) and then a line about 95% as dark as the control line with Confirm.
Tonight, I've gone full steam ahead and done tests with 4 different brands! Here's the mixed bag: a definite positive with Confirm, a line about 80% as dark as the control line with First Response, a faint line with Fortel and no line at all with Lullaby. LOL!!! OK, it has me intrigued.
I'm going to repeat the 4 tests again tomorrow and let you know. I've had a slight ache down there all day (sorry, TMI) and while CM has been 'wet' I'm not sure I'd say it's EWCM (again, sorry TMI) so I can't be entirely sure. But if I am ovulating soon I would expect positives today and maybe tomorrow at the latest. I'm so interested to see what the 4 different tests tell me
The last time I used these they worked spot on for me and I fell pregnant that cycle, though I was using Foretel tests at that time and because I got a gradual build up to my positive I didn't do anything devious like test with different brands!
Maybe keep testing for a few more days Jules and see what happens? Can you go on any other symptoms like CM ?? Are you generally fairly regular??
I'm making sure we BD in the meantime regardless of the tests. So far we're up to up 10 days straight. God help me. DH's taking some zinc, so I think that's giving him stamina
wow - what happened to the not trying to be obsessive?? ha haha lol lol - sorry laughing with you, cause i'm pretty much at the same stage.
still getting faint readings and nothing I could call a positive. Last month I got positive on day 16 and day 14 the month before that. Temp hasn't gone up yet either so not having a positive still makes sense even though it's later in the cycle than I would have expected.
I'm expecting a positive today but don't want to get my hopes up - this is almost as bad as waiting for a BFP on the preg tests.
We haven't BD'd at all yet. Waiting for the positive OPK as we're trying the Shettles method and trying to increase odds of bouncing baby boy (BBB).
very interesting to know the results of your clinical trial. I'm using First Response. Used Fortel last month and kept getting negatives, then the First Reponse gave me a positive the same time Fortel gave me negative.
I am an absolute ball of confusion about everything at the moment.
Lol Jules, I'm starting to think this is hilarious! I'm pretty sure I o'd yesterday, based on a slight discomfort I had in "that area", CM observations leading up to yesterday which have dropped off today and more interest in BD'ing (even though it was about the 7th day straight of BD'ing)!!! This morning I actually feel quite good, and I usually get that feeling after ovulation - I think from the hormone changes, but that's only my feeling.
Urrrgh. Next month I'm definitely ditching the OPKs and just going on listening to my body. After that, I might give temping a go (it seems like such a pain though?) maybe just to confirm if I'm picking up the signals.
I've never heard of the method you're using to try for boys - all I can say, for what it's worth, is that I was pregnant with twin boys last time after doing the same thing as what we're doing this time - BD'ing every day for the 5 days before when I think I might ovulate (just to be sure) and then for about 2 days later. Lol - don't take my word for it though. Hubby is also on zinc supplements, so that might be adding to his stamina
Hey, I read in your other post about your 6 week holiday. It sounds very exciting. Where are you off to? DH and I went to europe for 8wks for our honeymoon last year and had the time of our lives. Don't get scared off by my post about flying - that's only what happened to me, and I was having twins rather than one baby and the obs has told me from day one there is more than double the risk of everything with twins. If you do travel when pregnant, I would just recommend being careful with not carrying your luggage AT ALL (I'm sure your hubby/partner wouldn't mind) and not running around too much each day - make sure you get enough rest and eat well and you'll be fine.
Am so so sorry to hear of your m/c. sending a hug.
We're off to Tokyo, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Toronto, New York, Dubai, Singapore, Maldives. I'm really looking forward to it, so really not sure what to do. might just continue on as is and whatever is meant to be is meant to be, either way, with baby and holiday.
I find charting really good but that's only because I'm not as in tune with myself to know how I'm feeling when I O or anything like that. It's just a shame that you only find you've o'd after the fact. That's why I've teamed charting with OPK's so I can get a handle on when I'm going to O and then after I've o'd with the temp spike. If they correlate, then it's all good. Hubby and I get up at the same time so I just set my alarm for 5 minutes earlier than his. When mine goes off, thermometer goes into mouth, when his alarm goes off, thermometer taken out. Once you're temp has spiked it remains high during luteal phase and doesn't drop untill AF is coming. So if it remains high, can mean your pregnant. Can be another sign of a pregnancy and I like that! ha
I'd like to be BD'g now, but hubby did some reading on Shettles and wants to try it out, so I'm going along for the ride. It'll only be our first attempt so it's all a bit new to both of us. Che sera sera.
Out of my 4 different brands I had 2 positives on Friday night (Confirm and First Response, with the Foretel test line being pretty strong but not quite strong enough to be a true positive), 3 positives on Sat at about 2pm (Confirm, First Response and Foretel) and 4 positives on Sat night.
Today, the Confirm is still showing as a positive but the others aren't. So, going by this, I probably should take yesterday as a positive which would probably mean ovulation today, but to tell you the truth, I really don't feel as though I am. Just going on my body symptoms and feelings (for what it's worth) I honestly felt as though I ovulated on Friday. And today, for instance, and even yesterday, my CM was definitely not as 'wet' as Fri, so it's very confusing!!!!!! And ovulation today would be quite late in the cycle for me - I'm usually about CD15 or 16, though I did have a fair amount of stress early to mid last week, so that may have delayed it. Urrrgg!! Anyhow, I'm now thinking of changing from OPKs to temping next month just to get a clearer picture of what's going on???
Maybe the moral of the story is that you do get different results from different brands - even though I did have 1 consist test between all the brands. The Confirm test however has shown up as positive for 3-4 days straight now, so I don't know what to make of that!!
Your holiday sounds absolutely fab - I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time!
Had a positive on Friday night with 2 different brands just to be sure! I haven't done any more tests since then figuring that a positive means a positive and that O should be a day or so away. so we BD'd 3 times on the weekend and hoping for the best.
The only other thing confusing me is that my temp hasn't done the sharp spike it normally does. I had the temp dip b4 O, and the last two readings have been above that dip, but not the normal high I usually get. So now I'm totally confused....but...we'll see what happens tomorrow morning I guess. And I'm exactly like you at the moment where O is later that normal. Are we in some wierd trans-Aus female in-sync cycle??? ha ha ha ha.
I'm also with you in thinking that next month I might just relax about the whole testing thing and just go with what I know. For all my intentions of not becoming obsessed about getting it right, knowing exaclty what's going on and trying to be in control of it all - I'm not doing a very good job of it.
I'm already jumping the gun here and wondering how long it takes for pregnancy symptoms to show up now?
with all your BD'ing (and gee thats impressive!!!!! ha ha) fingers crossed you're on your way! woo hoo!!!
I'm glad you got your positive and I hope your waiting and BD'ing pays wonderful dividends
I can't help you out with the temps, not too sure about that sort of stuff. Sorry
I'm still a bit bamboozled by my positive OPKs on Sat night, when all my other symptoms pretty much seemed to end on Fri, or by midday Sat at the latest. All I know is that I won't be doing the Confirm HPT as it's bound to show a positive even if I'm not pregnant! That damn test showed me positive with the OPKs about 4 days in a row ... hmmm.
I have a feeling that some stress I had early last week may have delayed O for me by a couple of days, or messed things up. It was more than just every day sort of stress. Grrrrrr. I'm pretty regular otherwise, and my other symptoms, particularly CM, is usually pretty helpful, so the whole month has been fairly confusing all round! Not to mention tiring We usually BD every day for a couple of days before and after O - maybe 6-7 days straight? This time it's been about 11 days straight, I haven't kept track, but it sure feels like that - and mostly because the stupid OPKs have given such mixed messages. Even hubby's trying to find the finish line now Never mind, it's all for a good cause. But next month I'm definitely just going to go 'a la naturale' (ie no OPKs) and see what happens
With early pregnancy signs, it's different for everyone. Some women get a lot of signs very early on and for others it can take some time to develop - so that the date for their AF can come and go and they're still none the wiser. I think about 9 days post ovulation is about the earliest you might feel anything. With my last pregnancy, I did a test on CD25 just to confirm what I was already feeling - my BB felt like they had pretty much doubled in size and were really tender - ouch with every bump on the road. With that test, I got a positive at about 8pm, so I wasn't even using FMU.
However, saying all of this, and despite there being HPTs which you can use from about 5-7 days before AF is due, I really recommend waiting until the day your AF is due or a day after that. As hard as it is just to keep on waiting , I've heard of a few women who have done these early HPTs and gotten a positive only to have their AF arrive a few days later... Sadly, apparently something like 50% of fertilised eggs don't make it passed the due date for AF, so it's really a matter of sometimes jumping in too early. Sometimes the less you know is actually better. It's what I'll be sticking to in the future - as much as the wait just kills me and my curiosity tries to get the better of me, I'll be sitting it out. I just don't need any further dramas right now.
But that's not to say I don't have my radar out for early pregnancy signs. I started that last night, already!!! LOL.
Let me know how you go over the next couple of days.
BTW - I've wanted to go to Maldives for ages now. I reckon you'll have such a blast. Also NYC - that's been on my list for a while too
you crack me up! i think we're very similar. This morning i've been squeezing my boobs seeing if they are tender!! LOL LOL LOL - i reckon i squeezed so much that they had no option but to be hurting!! LOL LOL LOL
thanks for the info, no doubt we'll be letting eachother know if we burb one too many times today --could be a sign - -ha ha ha ha ha
How are you going? I won't ask you about any possible symptoms just yet, just wondering how you're surviving the TWW and what you're doing to distract yourself?
This is my first "real" TWW, and I'm sick of it already I don't know, I might have been on another planet the first time round, because I don't recall even thinking about it until I did a HPT. This time I'm so different, sooooooooo impatient!!
I think we peaked too early this month, IYKWIM. Were too keen. But who knows. So, this morning, to distract myself, I booked hubby and I in for a weekend away at what should be roughly the time of next O. Hopefully that'll do the trick I've also been researching a little holiday for us over Christmas - something to look forward to.
Calling all OPK experts
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Does anyone know how many cycles I mightn't ovulate after a micarriage before I should get it checked out??
I'm soooooooo impatient.
They've frustrated me so much this cycle! I've also done a bit of reading and discovered while they work for some, or for some of the time, they can cause problems for different people.
Never mind, it's all for a good cause. But next month I'm definitely just going to go 'a la naturale' (ie no OPKs) and see what happens 
This time I'm so different, sooooooooo impatient!! 
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