Which Method is the best? OPK's? Temp Charting?

Hi Ladies,

I'm wanting to get some different opinions from those on which method they think is the best way to predict when your likely to fall pregnant and some help on how to calculate.

Im only on my 3rd month of TTC and like everyone else I'm rather impatient! :)

I'm also worried that we are doing the BD when we are supposed to....

For the first 2 months we just did the BD every night for the week that we thought I would be OV (somewhere in that time) But Im starting to realise that may not be the best method! lol

I usually have a 26 Day Cycle, this month i did an OPK and it came up positive on CD12....my understanding is the once the OPK is positive ovulation occurs within 24-36 hours - is this correct???

Is it easier to go off this method and assuming that I ovulated on CD14? Or should I start charting my temp?

Firstly...good luck with TTC!

I based my TTC on something I read in a book!

In one of my baby books it says that for a 28 day cycle you would usually ovulate between days 12-16 (so for you it would be days 10-14), with you being fertile up until 1 day after this (so day 15 for you). They then said that sperm can survive for up to 6 days (even though 2-3 is more likely). They therefore recommended DTD every second day from days 6-17 (so 4-15 for you).

DH and I tried this and were successful first month (although it ended in a miscarriage). We were unsuccessful second month (although I worked out my cycle was over a week longer than usual so we DTD at completely the wrong time). We were successful the third month (although 'just to be sure' we kept up the DTD for an extra few days just in case my cycle was longer again).

Good luck!

There is no reason why you can't do both.

I must admit, I never used an OPK at all, and I am well aware of when I ovulate...However, the charting helped for a few months, gave me the length of my cycles and my leutal phase, which has proven essential in calculating my EDD for this pregnancy ;)

When I was TTC there was a post from another member Mayaness, about how she once asked her body to show her when she was ovulating. Sounds odds lol but I though about it, and being that way inclined, I thought I should sit, meditate on it, and ask my body to show me.

Sure enough, the very next month, I became very aware of ovulation pains, a massive increase in CM and a change in my smell and mood. I noticed I was much more aware of an increased sex drive etc for a few days and realised my body was showing me I was ovulating. :) (Thanks Mayaness! lol)

I was well aware of when I conceived this time, actually know the event lol which is cool, because I don't know on which occasion I conceived Charlotte. None the less, it is worth trying, if you can get in tune with your body, temps and OPKs will be only a confirmation of what you already know within yourself.

HTH and good luck TTC, I hope you have your sticky bubs soon :hug:

Chody: Sorry to hear of your loss....but yay for being 10 weeks now! Is it 10 weeks isnt it?? ;)

I just had a look at my Diary and we started DTD from CD11 though (every second day) until CD15...so heres hoping!

LimeSlice: I've been trying to get in touch with my body and know when the changes are happening with my CM and changes to cervix...but I havent noticed many changes during the whole cycle...lol just my luck!

What are the obvious signs of ovulation?

if you prefer you can do both!

In the end i just used charting (OPKs i did only for a couple of cycles). I found that through that method i had a visual record of my cycles and could see that with my 27 day cycle i could ovulate at very different times (anywhere between CD 12 and CD 17!!).

also, like limeslice mentioned it is still a fantastic idea to really watch your body signs, sometimes even the simple technologies of OPKs and charting can let us down so it is a good idea to keep track of the pains, the CM and also (and i reckon really importantly, your sex drive!!).

goodluck and hope that you dont have to wait too much longer for that BFP!

Thanks Cassius2!

I've been thinking about Charting but have nnooo idea how to do it!!

hhmm Might go check out the forum on charting! :)

if it's any help, i used fertility friend this time. I found it to be a simple model for a newbie to charting like i was at the time. they have a free basic service which i used for a month or two and then did a VIP upgrade when i saw they had a special on...which they have often (so like $15 for 3 months etc). you can google it and it should come up first things first. you will need to buy a 'body basal thermometer' (BBT) from the chemist (they range from $15 to $20). basically they are like a normal one except they go to the two decimals (eg. 36.75, instead of reading at just 37.7). it makes a BIG difference when charting!

Hey ladies, I found this post very interesting as I have been wondering the same thing so thanks Kristy for asking :p

Im trying to be more in tune with my body, and now after reading Limslice's comments about the extra sex drive IM ABSOLUTELY KICKING MYSELF I DIDNT JUMP DH LAST MONTH! :doh: There was about 3-4 days in June where I felt the urge to do it, like near on having orgasmsit - lmfao sorry for *TMI* - but didnt do it! argh what a silly gal I am, I find this happens most months so maybe this month I might actually try and jump him, hahaha poor DH lucky he enjoys it as much as I do :lol: ...so my next question is, how do you bring it up with your DH "Honey, Im feeling like we might make a baby if we DTD Right now?!" hahahaha oh boy, this is going to be a great month!

Sorry for hi-jacking the post Kristy ;)

lol Tan!

I wouldn't bring it up like that at all - just do it ;) No need to put extra pressure on things or build up hopes, just listen to your body, follow its cues and do what come naturally :rofl:


As for ovulation signs... Lots of egg white like cervical mucous, some people get period like cramps or twinges, sore back, tired but energised, I found my sense of smell was heightened, the smell of my CM changes, and constant tingles *down there*, and an overpowering urge to jump someone lol To the point where I would be on the verge of orgasm even thinking about it ;)

I did both - charting (temps and looking for signs) and I used OPK's. The month I fell pregnant with DD I used the Clear Blue Digital OPK - took all the guess work out (you get a smiley face when the time is right) and hey presto, we were UTD and only DTD twice. Once 5 days before my positive OPK and on the night I got the positive.

I also joined Fertility Friend (paid for the upgrade - so worth it, the info was great) and charted every day. I'll be doing all the same things next time.

Good luck and enjoy the ride!

PS: DH knew I was charting and doing OPK's so he got a text the morning I got the positive on the digital test which said something like 'I got a smiley face, we're on for a bit of luvin' tonight hon'. LOL!

lol Tan its not hi-jacking my post! hehe Its all info thats helping me understand all this stuff....sssoooo much to know and to do, I thought itd be easy! lol

Why not just say exactly that to DH?? "Honey....get ready!" lol thats what I say to my DH, he wants a baby as much as I do, so when my positive OPK came up, I went out of the bathroom to him and said "Early to bed tonight!!" lol

I'm trying to be attune to my body and its signs...but I dont know whats real and whats me imaging it? IUKWIM?

I'm trying LimeSlice's Approach....I'm gonna "tell" my body to tell me!

I joined up on fertility friendly yesterday...but I guess its best to start charting when AF arrives?? Or can you do it mid-cycle?

IMO both methods are really valuable and tell you something different.

OPKs give you some advance notice on when you are likely to ovulate. If you get EWCM also use this as a guide to when you might be most fertile.

Temps will tell you a few things, it should confirm your O by showing a rise and then you can count the number of days you have with your LP. Most people believe LPs should have consistently high temps and be a minimum of 10 days. If I didn't do temps I don't think I would have worked out that I needed some assistance to fall pregnnt - or I should say it would have made it all a lot longer. Remember the temp rise of O is really only good for hindsight. Once you get a temp rise the egg begins to deteriorate over a period of 24 hours, some say 12.

GL hope it happens really soon for you.

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so my next question is, how do you bring it up with your DH "Honey, Im feeling like we might make a baby if we DTD Right now?!" hahahaha oh boy, this is going to be a great month!

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To be honest it wasn't very 'romantic' with DH and I. Basically at the start of what I thought to be my 'fertile period' I told DH that we were gonna have to start DTD every couple of nights for the next week or so. So yeah....not romantic but it worked! (but we did DTD at other times through the cycle so it wasn't all planned....... ;) )

I tried opks but they didn't work for me, I can feel when I ovulate but thought opks would be a good reassurance, we ended up going by the ovulation pains I get and fell preg that month so very happy!