how long for OPK to turn positive?

honeybunches101

The OPK at work question reminded me to ask something I've been wondering for a while.  How long does it take for the test line to turn positive?  Can you usually tell if it's heading that way before 5 minutes? 

I've been using the internet cheapies at work and plan to confirm with a digital if it's close, but haven't gotten anything close to positive yet, the control line comes up dark immediately and the test line starts white and eventually gets super light.  I've been sitting in the stall in the public bathroom at work holding my little dixie cup of pee, waiting to see if the test line will get darker after 5 minutes.  I could bring it back to my desk and check it after 5 minutes, but then I won't be able to use the digital to confirm.  If an OPK is going to be positive, will it start to get darker right away, or do the test lines always start out faint and get darker as time passes?

I know FF gave me dotted CHs, but I don't believe them so I'm going to keep testing a couple times a day. 

brookelynpaisley

Read the directions. They should indicate a time window in which to read the test.

juliane2004

Personally, I can. I use wondfo & dollar store OPKs. If I can see a distinct (even faint) Test line before the liquid even makes it to the Control line, it 90% of the time turns out to be positive after 3-5 minutes.

If I can't see a Test line before it reaches the Control line, it'll likely show a faint line but therefore be negative.

lycih

If it were me, I'd wait the full testing time frame.  Mine definitely get darker in the 3-5 minutes.  If I threw it in the trash after 30 seconds because it was still white, I'd never see a positive OPK.  

lkfer13

I know from using internet cheapies that if it's positive, it immediately flushes very dark pink- as fast or faster than the control. I give it the 3-5 minutes anyway, but the ones that fade in slowly are usually the "almost" positives that don't make it all the way, and are really just negative.

Mother Meghan

brookelynpaisley:

Read the directions. They should indicate a time window in which to read the test.

Totally agree with this. However, the positive OPKs I had last cycle showed up almost immediately. I wouldn't be hasty and throw the OPK away before the allotted test time.

megemoney

My FR OPKs were positive as soon as the pee soaked its way across the window. 

brookelynpaisley

Mother Meghan:

brookelynpaisley:

Read the directions. They should indicate a time window in which to read the test.

Totally agree with this. However, the positive OPKs I had last cycle showed up almost immediately. I wouldn't be hasty and throw the OPK away before the allotted test time.

This makes no sense. I never said to throw it away before the allotted test time. I said to read the test instructions.

A test read outside the specified testing window should be considered invalid.

ETA: Ah, I think I see now that you were agreeing with me and THEN answering OP. I would have put those on two separate lines to avoid confusion, or specifically address one to the OP.

Hazell121

Agree that you should check your directions, but my posisitves turned up almost imediately.  Waiting the alloted amount of time just made them darker.

Mother Meghan

brookelynpaisley:

Mother Meghan:

brookelynpaisley:

Read the directions. They should indicate a time window in which to read the test.

Totally agree with this. However, the positive OPKs I had last cycle showed up almost immediately. I wouldn't be hasty and throw the OPK away before the allotted test time.

This makes no sense. I never said to throw it away before the allotted test time. I said to read the test instructions.

A test read outside the specified testing window should be considered invalid.

ETA: Ah, I think I see now that you were agreeing with me and THEN answering OP. I would have put those on two separate lines to avoid confusion, or specifically address one to the OP.

Lol sorry BP, yes I totally agree with you! I answered earlier and then kind of followed up while agreeing with you - sorry for the confusion!

ETA: Whoops, apparently I hadn't posted earlier (must not have actually hit "post" the first time).

honeybunches101

Thanks so much ladies!  I wouldn't actually throw away the OPK before the 5 minutes that the instructions suggest, just wondering if I should keep hanging out in the bathroom with the pee cup so I could confirm with a digital.  But it sounds like some people do get positives only after the full 5 minutes, so I'll keep waiting just in case.  Though I think my co-workers are beginning to think something is wrong with me for my very extended bathroom breaks

SandNSurf

brookelynpaisley:

Read the directions. They should indicate a time window in which to read the test.

 

yep