OPK as Pregnancy Test

ashdawn24

Hey all,

I took an OPK today (one day before expected period) and it came out positive. Is it true that they can be used as pregnancy tests? Just wondering if I should spend the money to get a real pregnancy test, haha!

WinchestertoPittsburgh

Get a pregnancy test. They are $1 at the dollar store, or .88 cents at Walmart for cheap ones. 

ashdawn24

Where I live there are no Walmarts close and the Dollar Store doesn't have them! Just the OPKs. Any Pregnancy test is $10. I will probably just break down and buy one, but, you know, just curious.

WinchestertoPittsburgh

Well, I figure it this way... A baby is going to cost you thousands upon thousands of dollars. Ten bucks to figure out if you're going to need to start saving seems like a small drop in the bucket compared to what's to come. 

Bigboobsmcgee

WinchestertoPittsburgh said:

Well, I figure it this way... A baby is going to cost you thousands upon thousands of dollars. Ten bucks to figure out if you're going to need to start saving seems like a small drop in the bucket compared to what's to come. 

LOL exactly.

nlwz123

I don't understand why people do this.  Regardless of the result, you will be questioning the OPK.  You might as well just buy a pregnancy test.  

orangegoggles

Yea I could see if you were in a pinch, meaning the store wasn't open yet and you really wanted to know, but whats $10 in the grand scheme of everything to come. 

fwtx5815

ashdawn24 said:

Hey all,

I took an OPK today (one day before expected period) and it came out positive. Is it true that they can be used as pregnancy tests? Just wondering if I should spend the money to get a real pregnancy test, haha!

ashdawn24 said:

Where I live there are no Walmarts close and the Dollar Store doesn't have them! Just the OPKs. Any Pregnancy test is $10. I will probably just break down and buy one, but, you know, just curious.

Finding out whether you're pregnant is worth either the long drive to Walmart or $10 for a more expensive test.

An OPK does not measure hCG, which is what turns a pregnancy test positive. I don't know where you heard that an OPK is a suitable substitute for a HPT but please don't take any more advice from this source.

cMichelle0423

A lot f times dollar stores do have Hpt's but keep them behind the counter. Either way just get a test.

pettycrocker

They hormones are very similar, but I definitely wouldn't rely on an OPK to determine if I was pregnant or not 

Alyllyra

If you don't want to spend the money on a HPT you can always wait 9 months and see what happens...

Seriously though, just buy a test. It will be worth it.

jess9802

When I was TTC DS I used Wondfo ovulation test strips after my BBT chart began to look triphasic. The first day of the second temp spike (8DPO) the test was negative. The third day (11DPO) it was significantly darker (almost positive, but not quite), so I took that as my sign to buy a real pregnancy test, which was immediately positive. 

jennyboots84

I got a + pregnancy test a week ago and yesterday I wanted to test the theory and yes I got a + on a ovulation test.

fwtx5815

jennyboots84 said:

I got a + pregnancy test a week ago and yesterday I wanted to test the theory and yes I got a + on a ovulation test.

Just because you happened to get a positive opk after having confirmed pregnancy, does not mean it's a substitute for a HPT. You know the whole, correlation does not equal causation thing? Yeah, that applies.

ashdawn24

I got a positive last night and a positive this morning! Doesn't prove that the ovulation test proved pregnancy, but I am pregnant! Does make me wonder

PugsandKisses

Ok. Science here. LH and HCG are almost identical. HcG has one more sugar protein on it. OPKs are looking the hormone and can not tell the difference between them. HPTs only look for the complete hormone. That is how they pick up 'early pregnancy '. However, many women get a LH surge prior to AF.

bntfroggie

I got a negative on the OPKs I had lying around and it scared me enough to call and get a blood test since I already had a positive HPT.  Just buy a pregnancy test.  I actually threw away any leftover OPKs I had, it was a stupid idea to pee on those things.