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I have longish cycles, ranging between 31-38 days. For each of my last three cycles, I have used OPK's between days 14 to 25 and never got a positive OPK. What concerns me is that not only is it negative but not even a slight seond line ever.
Has this happened to anyone else?
Do you think I am not ovulating even though I am getting AF?
I have longish cycles too (30-33 days) and I never got a + OPK test, not even a faint line until October when I got pregnant. This first cycle after our m/c Ive gotten a def + OPK today so Im confused as well as to why I went 16 months without getting one +. Could you be ovulating later than CD 25? I was testing from CD 14 because I was under the impression I was a late o-er but I worked out I o on CD 13 which was probably why no baby or + OPK.
It could indicate that your not o-ing which is always worth looking into with a CD 21 blood test.
Good luck, I would keep testing after CD 25 just to see if you could be missing it!
Hi Bethany
It is possible that your not ovulating.If thats the case you could go see your gp and like Anna has suggested get them to do a day 21 blood test to see if you are.
My gyno said to start using opk's from day 9 onwards and I'd definetely test after day 25 untill you get AF.
hth's and goodluck
Anna,
Is it possible that you were not Oing until you got the +OPK and subsequent pregnancy in October? Perhaps it took that long for enough LH to be sufficient to O and then be detected on an OPK. Maybe that's what happening with me and I am not producing enough LH?
Grrr. It's so frustrating.
Bethany, I understand your frustration.
Many women (contrary to popular belief!) don't get positive opk's but do ovulate.
Basically the opk is designed to turn positive when, say 40miu of LH is detected. For some women they ovulate at say 15 miu so therefore the positive will never occur. nb: the figures I am using are not relevant
I am one of those women. I have found for me the closest I get to positive is 2 shades lighter than the control strip - that is my positive. I find I only pick that up if I test twice daily. It is generally thought that the best time of day is at 2pm. Try not to drink much for at least 2 hours prior to testing - preferably 3 hours and hold your urine for 2-3 hours also. Test again at 8pm. Do this from about cd 10 if you have consistently long cycles. Do you chart your cycle? If so you would have an idea when you ovulate if you do from that also.
The cd 21 test is something I would do next cycle so you can confirm that your body is ovulating.
OPK's are wonderful things if they work but can be very frustrating and stress inducing if your body doesn't register the surge. Some women also have a 'short, sharp' surge that is gone before it is detected, so to speak. Don't despair that you are not ovulating until you get the blood test done. However bare in mind that the test is done 7 days after you ovulate. So, if you ovulate on day 21 then there is no point getting the blood test done until you are on cd 28. CD 21 test is a misleading name. It is called that because the medical profession base a normal womans cycles around 28 days. Many of us however don't fit into that box!
What the blood test is is a serum progesterone test. The progesterone rises after ovulation. It is generally thought that a serum progesterone level of approx 20 indicates ovulation has occured. For you I would average out your cycle length, that is look at your cycle lengths for the past 6 months and find an average length. Count back 7 days from when your period begins. So if you have an average cycle length of 33 days you would need to get your blood test done on cd 26 - give or take a day.
It is also worth keeping in mind that many women have differing luteal phases. So, it is possible that a woman ovulates on say day 13 but has a lutel phase of say 16 days, so even though her cycle is 30 days long her ovulation doesn't happen on day 16 so just simply counting back from when AF arrives and saying that is when you ovulate may not necessarily be correct. I have a 15 day luteal phase. Some women have shorter and some longer. However, generally the LP is 14-15 days. Charting your cycle will give you this information.
I wish you all the best Bethany. This is often a hard journey, but once you discover what your body is up to I am sure things will fall into place. Also for me I found Lullaby opk's the best for me, and they are cheap too, especially when you are testing twice daily.
Lots of love,
Deb
Deb,
You always give me such positive, thoughtful information. Thankyou. I chart my cycle by recording CM, O pains, maybe baby results and OPK's. With regards to the OPK's I have tried those things you have suggested (not drinking 3 hours prior, holding urine ect). I hate the fact that I don't get a second line (even a faint one would be better than none). I have not yet taken my temps. I still don't know when/if I am ovulating so getting that blood test will be hard as I won't know when the best time to do it will be. If I knew when I o'ed, I wouldn't need to do the test! I like your suggestion of averaging cycle length and counting back seven days from that average. I might do that next month. have you had this test yourself?
For the first time I had a little cry on my DH shoulder today as I told him that there must be something wrong with me as I can't detect that I am ovulating. He was gorgeous and said don't be silly, we'll fall pg very soon. I wouldn't be so worried about falling pg if i knew that I was definately ovulating - at least then I'd know we were in with a chance and that it would happen sooner or later (I honestly don't mind if it takes us a while to fall pregnant but am more worried that I'm not even in the running due to not being able to detect O). I just hope that I am Oing and just can't tell!
Thanks again Deb, you are a great one to share with.
Also, I have been following your distressing story with fading pregnancy tests. Have you been able to discover a result?? I hope you got the BFP after all. xxx
Hi Bethany,
Thanks for your kind words. Yes, I have had a serum progesterone done - actually I had them done 3 months in a row as according to my opk's I wasn't ovulating!
I changed my brand to lullaby (you can call and talk to the woman who is very very helpful) and with them you only get a second line the day before, or in my case 6 hours before the darker line which was a helpful 'marker' for me. Every womans body is different, but I believe from doing some research on this brand that many women have had the same experience as I did with them.
I don't notice any ewcm since having babies so I can't use that as a marker and ovulation pains often occur days before ovulation or even days after so that too can be a bit hit and miss.
It really sounds to me though that if you can note changes in cm and o pains and you have fairly regular visits from AF then your body is sounding like it is ovulating. I would guess that you may be one of the many women who don't get a second line on the opk stick unfortunately. That of course can be shown by the serum progesterone test. I really and truly understand just how frustrating this is. Havae you tried the twice daily testing? Have you tried testing from day 10 until AF? If not I would highly recommend doing that. I am sorry I can't be more helpful. Contact me if you need any more help.
Yes, my POAS drama has really been quite distressing. I am not doing a HPT until later in the week. I don't want to put myself through the stress of squinting at sticks and trying to analyse lines!
Thankyou for asking. The company left a message on my phone on Friday afternoon saying they had an official response from the US but I got back home too late to phone. I will call tomorrow and will let everyone know what was said.
Another thing, when I bought the more expensive supermarket and chemist opk's I never got a second line, ever. So, I wouldn't go the supermarket brand at 20-30 dollars a kit.
Again, sorry Bethany that I can't be more helpful. I will look forward to hearing how things go.
Love to you,
Deb
Hey deb,
I have the lullaby brand now. What 2 times of the day did you test and did you do this for the whole time (ie. 2 tests a day from day 10ish through till you got the second line?). Sounds like I will go through heaps of test this way!!! How often do you get a second line, even if it is faint?
Also, what was the result from the blood test? Did it detect that you were in fact ovulating?
Look forward to hearing if you get the BFP - do you "feel" pregnant?
Hi Bethany,
Because the LH takes approx 4 hours from when it is released into the blood stream until you can detect it in your urine you need to leave approx 4-6 hours between testing. My ob suggested I test at 2pm and at 8pm. When I did this I detected a second line at 2pm - approx 2 shades lighter than the control and at 8pm the line was gone altogether. Another cycle I tested with only a very feint second line at 2pm and by 8pm it was 2 shades lighter than the control. So, you see if I had only tested once a day then I would never have detected that surge. One of those cycles I requested a s.progesterone test and it showed clearly that I had ovulated. The other cycle I conceived so I obviously did ovulate! So, my body is a case in point that often the surge is not detected by a 'true positive' as outlined in the instructions. Had I waited to BD until I saw a 'positive' second line than I would never have conceived! I did actually use Fortel for a while and I did receive a very very feint second line on two cycles. When I called the company they told me I should purchase another pack of tests as my surge was probably on the way. Five tests later and I had no more second lines! That is when I began having my serum progesterone done. Each blood test showed a very healthy ovulation had occured - my progesterone was above 20 on each testing.
It does seem excessive to test twice daily and it is expensive. However it may just help you to catch your surge as it did for me... Without twice daily testing I wouldn't have picked up what was happening. It is totally a personal choice. If you had charted your cycle and you knew approx when you ovulated then you would only need to test twice a day for say 3 days before your expected ovulation which is what I did. I have tested twice daily this month from day 8ish as I miscarried last month and wanted to know when ovulation occured... For me this month I 'appeared' to get two surges. However in retrospect I think my body 'geared' up to surge on day 13 but I believe I actually did surge on day 19-20 as the lines were darker then - time will tell that story! Have a look at a website entitled peeonastick click on the opk odyssey and it will show a series of opk's and what they looked like. The author of this website is a firm believer that the test line has to be darker than or equal to the colour of the control line to be positive - I know that for me that is not so!
To answer how often do I get a second line? Using Lullaby I only ever get a second line just prior to my two shades lighter than positive result. So, often one test say at 2pm it will show a light second line and then the next test it will be darker. I do sometimes get a lead up day where I will get a very, very :pdust: feint second line and then the next days testing the line is darker and then by the 8pm testing it is darker again and then the next day at 2pm the tests go back to a clear stick with no second line at all. You will find with Lullaby that you need to wait for about 7 - 10 minutes until all of the background colour on the test strip disappears. Then read your test.
Get that blood test done, you could even do it tomorrow or Friday and then you will have an idea. Make sure you tell the doctor that your cycles are 33 days (I think that is what you said, sorry if I am not right) and you want to know if you are ovulating.
Well, I have felt pregnant since about day 21, so I am not sure what the go is. I have had the odd glass of champagne over Christmas, because my tests late last week were BFP. I am still using my opk's and I have registered a second line that is getting darker each day from cd 28. So, who knows. A BFP would be a beautiful gift at this time of year.
Lots of love and baby dust to you. :pdust:
Keep me posted!
Deb
OMG DEB - I got a second line today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I tested at 5pm and for the first time ever I not only got a second line, but it is equal to the test line. I can't believe it. I have also noticed a tiny bit of EWCM yesterday and a few days ago, which I have never had before. Goodness me, I'm so happy (one would think I was pregnant!).
I have BD this morning and twice yesterday so hopefully the swimmers may live to see the egg. I don't even care if they do or not now, it's just great to see that the OPK dectected the surge. Bit late in my cycle, but hey, I'II take it.
Thankyou once again for your informative, caring relpies. Can't wait to hear about your BFP Deb, I have my :crossfingers: for you.
Well I am so excited it's like it is me that just got the positive OPK!!!
:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:
Just remember you ovulate between 12-36 hours from when you surge. It takes 4 hours (approx( to see the surge in your urine so somewhere between now and the next 24 hours or so that little egg is likely to be waiting for a nice :sperm: to meet! So bd again tonight and tomorrow night to be on the safe side. If you are meant to catch that egg this month then you are doing everything right to make that dream come true.
I [-o< that this is your month and in about another 12 days we will be celebrating your BFP. Now get off this computer and into that bedroom!
Lots of love,
Deb
Ps: maybe you never saw the positive because you didn't test for long enough??? Let me know your thoughts.
Just out of interest. Did you get a second line at 2pm? Or was 5pm the first time today that you tested?
Love Deb
Hey again Deb,
Tested for first time yesterday at 5pm and got the second line equal to control line (positive). Tested again at 10pm last night, second line still there but lighter than control line (negative). Tested again at 2pm today, second line same as last night, lighter than control line but definately still there (negative). Circumstances have prevented us from bding since yesterday morning.
Also, used maybe baby this morning and got ferns (no ferns yesterday).
According to my results when do you think I will/have Oed?
Hi Bethany,
I can only offer an opinion as nobody can really pin point exactly when you ovulate, even ultrasound can be out.
But, the colour equal to the control suggests that the surge has happened. Ovulation occurs somewhere from 12-36 hours from when the surge happened. Because the surge is detectable in your urine about 4 hours after it happened my ob says that you will ovulate from 6-36 hours after you see a positive opk.. The colour you saw on your strip at 10pm and at 2pm today is the remanents of the surge, or some people say the surge 'coming down'. If you can bd again tonight so that you can be sure that you catch the egg though it sounds like you have it fairly covered! I don't know much about the Maybe baby but it sounds from that that ovulation is quite imminent. If you can bd away again.
Goodluck Bethany.
Love Deb
Thanks Deb. Do you think that if I O today/later tonight my BD yesterday morning would be okay if we don't DTD again? I think sperm can live 3-5 days right?
Also, to answer your other question above, I think that you were right in that I did not test late enough into my pervious cycles to get the surge. I hope Oing this late is still okay for healthy pregnancies. I recall being told by a naturopath that you should O prior to day 17 for some reason? Bad luck, I don't! What do you think?
It's funny, now that I have seen the surge I am highly aware of all the twinges and niggles I can feel my lower tummy.