ovulation, and perfect timing...just cant get it right.

raspberryzinger · October 2011

Hi all,

This ovulation timing has me thrown! This will be our second child, and the first was not expected so now working on the second, I'm running into a road block. Its been about 6 months not trying but not preventing (i.e no contraceptive methods) and now about 3-4 months actively trying and we cannot seem to get the timing right. I bought the OPK(s) and cannot seem to get a positive, and Im not sure I am testing at the right times. We go to see a fertility specialist in the next few weeks, hopefully i wont get a period, and all will be well. How are you all pinpointing ovulation? Ugh! Timing is everything huh? Smile

thanks so much,

ms. frustrated.

sweetgotham · October 2011

Welcome, I suggest starting here: https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/42877040.aspx

OPKs aren't going to work for everyone (and some people test twice a day). Maybe people on here track cycles using FF (see ticker in my sig) and temp taking). It is possible that your timing isn't as 'perfect' as you think.

Good luck!

gplove94 · October 2011

A lot of women chart their basal body temperature to confirm O after using the OPKs. Can I ask why you're already seeing a fertility specialist if it's only been 3-4 months actively trying? It can take a healthy couple up to 1 year - even w/ good timing.

Oem617 · October 2011

Hello and welcome! I have a hard time with OPKs to sometimes. There are hard to get a positive on. Most ladies on here chart temps to confirm O. After a month or two, you can start to see a pattern of your O timing. I would suggest looking at Fertility Friend. Just click on "my chart" or anyone's ticker. GL to you!

mrsz2008 · October 2011

I was wondering this too MM.

dani2480 · October 2011

What time, and how often, are you using the OPKs? Also, are you charting your cycles (taking your temps and tracking cervical mucus)? And how are you determining when to start using the OPKs?

A couple of key things to note:

- OPKs only detect an LH surge, which indicates ovulation may happen in the next 12-36 hours. Sometimes you get the surge, and ovulation gets delayed for some reason, and you wind up ovulating a lot later than you thought (which means you might totally miss the egg).

- Unless you are charting your temperatures, there's no way to confirm that you did ovulate.

- Charting your temps is much easier than you may think. Charting cervical mucus can also help you find the best times to have sex. Doing both together, along with the OPKs could make a difference with timing.

- You should be using the OPKs twice a day. Don't use first morning urine, unless the package tells you to. Instead, you should test once in the late morning, and again in mid to late afternoon. Don't drink a lot in the few hours before you test. But also be sure to hold your pee for at least 3 hours. The more concentrated your urine, the better the results.

- You may need to start using OPKs as soon as AF ends, and keep going until you get your thermal shift (which you'd get if you were temping). If you won't do the temping, you may need to keep using the OPKs a lot longer, in case you don't ovulate after the + OPK, and thus have a second surge later (but this could drag on for weeks, or even months, potentially, depending on the circumstances -- which is why temping is so much less stressful).

raspberryzinger · October 2011

My OB referred me to a specialist because we are having trouble pinpointing ovulation. My periods have been a bit irregular after my son, and to try and correct the issue I did 10 days of Provera, and seemed to get a period, but still nothing (pregnancy) after trying for 3 months actively with no indications of ovulation via daily OPK. So to figure out whats going on he referred me to the ferility clinic that he is affiliated with. I am in my mid twenties, so no not over 35.

raspberryzinger · October 2011

dani2480:

What time, and how often, are you using the OPKs? Also, are you charting your cycles (taking your temps and tracking cervical mucus)? And how are you determining when to start using the OPKs?

A couple of key things to note:

- OPKs only detect an LH surge, which indicates ovulation may happen in the next 12-36 hours. Sometimes you get the surge, and ovulation gets delayed for some reason, and you wind up ovulating a lot later than you thought (which means you might totally miss the egg).

- Unless you are charting your temperatures, there's no way to confirm that you did ovulate.

- Charting your temps is much easier than you may think. Charting cervical mucus can also help you find the best times to have sex. Doing both together, along with the OPKs could make a difference with timing.

- You should be using the OPKs twice a day. Don't use first morning urine, unless the package tells you to. Instead, you should test once in the late morning, and again in mid to late afternoon. Don't drink a lot in the few hours before you test. But also be sure to hold your pee for at least 3 hours. The more concentrated your urine, the better the results.

- You may need to start using OPKs as soon as AF ends, and keep going until you get your thermal shift (which you'd get if you were temping). If you won't do the temping, you may need to keep using the OPKs a lot longer, in case you don't ovulate after the + OPK, and thus have a second surge later (but this could drag on for weeks, or even months, potentially, depending on the circumstances -- which is why temping is so much less stressful).

I have been using at around 12-1 PM, and then again at 9-10PM (daily)... I will get a faint line, never a positive result though, been using First Answer OPK

dani2480 · October 2011

raspberryzinger:
My OB referred me to a specialist because we are having trouble pinpointing ovulation. My periods have been a bit irregular after my son, and to try and correct the issue I did 10 days of Provera, and seemed to get a period, but still nothing (pregnancy) after trying for 3 months actively with no indications of ovulation via daily OPK. So to figure out whats going on he referred me to the ferility clinic that he is affiliated with. I am in my mid twenties, so no not over 35.

Charting would be a much better option for you than going to a fertility clinic. Much cheaper, much less invasive, and possibly even more informative.

Go buy a copy of Taking Charge of Your Fetility, and read it. It very well may help you figure out/understand what's really going on with your body. And, if you start charting, you'll actually be able to have perfectly timed sex (whereas right now you're probably not timing it well at all, even though you think you are).

dani2480 · October 2011

raspberryzinger:

I have been using at around 12-1 PM, and then again at 9-10PM (daily)... I will get a faint line, never a positive result though, been using First Answer OPK

9-10 pm is probably too late. I'd suggest testing in the early evening instead. You could easily be missing your surge (some women have very short surges) with your current schedule.

blindvictory · October 2011

raspberryzinger:
My OB referred me to a specialist because we are having trouble pinpointing ovulation. My periods have been a bit irregular after my son, and to try and correct the issue I did 10 days of Provera, and seemed to get a period, but still nothing (pregnancy) after trying for 3 months actively with no indications of ovulation via daily OPK. So to figure out whats going on he referred me to the ferility clinic that he is affiliated with. I am in my mid twenties, so no not over 35.

This makes me side-eye your OB. OPKs just don't work for everyone. Some people will ovulate, but never get a pos OPK, and some people will get post OPKs without ovulating. You should really try charting; it's the only way you can confirm ovulation without u/s and bloodwork. It's really jumping the gun to send you to a specialist so early when you're young and have no known issues. And FTR, it's really common for your cycles to be a bit irregular after you have a baby.

raspberryzinger · October 2011

dani2480:

raspberryzinger:
My OB referred me to a specialist because we are having trouble pinpointing ovulation. My periods have been a bit irregular after my son, and to try and correct the issue I did 10 days of Provera, and seemed to get a period, but still nothing (pregnancy) after trying for 3 months actively with no indications of ovulation via daily OPK. So to figure out whats going on he referred me to the ferility clinic that he is affiliated with. I am in my mid twenties, so no not over 35.

Charting would be a much better option for you than going to a fertility clinic. Much cheaper, much less invasive, and possibly even more informative.

Go buy a copy of Taking Charge of Your Fetility, and read it. It very well may help you figure out/understand what's really going on with your body. And, if you start charting, you'll actually be able to have perfectly timed sex (whereas right now you're probably not timing it well at all, even though you think you are).

Question: I simply asked my OB is there was a blood test that could be done to just see if I ovulated this month, as it would have passed already. Thats when we got into the discussion of the specialist...but I just wanted something along the lines of a blood test so that way I know that I am ovulating, and then its just a matter of narrowing down when.... I had a csection with my son, horrible post op infection after....sometimes I wonder if thats affecting anything..

raspberryzinger · October 2011

@ dani2480, I was re-reading you last point, while doing the OPK i was starting based on around the time I would ovulate vs right after AF, this may be the issue.

GermanGirl2007 · October 2011

blindvictory:

raspberryzinger:
My OB referred me to a specialist because we are having trouble pinpointing ovulation. My periods have been a bit irregular after my son, and to try and correct the issue I did 10 days of Provera, and seemed to get a period, but still nothing (pregnancy) after trying for 3 months actively with no indications of ovulation via daily OPK. So to figure out whats going on he referred me to the ferility clinic that he is affiliated with. I am in my mid twenties, so no not over 35.

This makes me side-eye your OB. OPKs just don't work for everyone. Some people will ovulate, but never get a pos OPK, and some people will get post OPKs without ovulating. You should really try charting; it's the only way you can confirm ovulation without u/s and bloodwork. It's really jumping the gun to send you to a specialist so early when you're young and have no known issues. And FTR, it's really common for your cycles to be a bit irregular after you have a baby.

I agree with all of this.

dani2480 · October 2011

raspberryzinger:
@ dani2480, I was re-reading you last point, while doing the OPK i was starting based on around the time I would ovulate vs right after AF, this may be the issue.

How long are your cycles?

Here's a good chart to help you get an idea of when to start testing: https://www.peeonastick.com/opkfaq.html#8

The thing is, some women ovulate way earlier than they think, so you could be missing your LH surge with the OPK if you start testing too late.

Also, you could be having some anovulatory cycles (they're not uncommon), and having breakthrough bleeding in between them (it will seem like AF, but won't actually be AF because you didn't ovulate). These can go on for a few months (I once had a 34 day anovulatory cycle, followed by a few days of bleeding, then a 19 day anovulatory cycle, a few more days of bleeding, and then a 71 day cycle, with O on day 57 -- meaning it took me over 4 months to ovulate after the previous time). Now my cycles are very regular... so it's one of those things that can happen (and there are lots of things that can cause that including coming off the Pill, breastfeeding, illness/stress/travel, getting older, etc.)

raspberryzinger · October 2011

dani2480:

raspberryzinger:
@ dani2480, I was re-reading you last point, while doing the OPK i was starting based on around the time I would ovulate vs right after AF, this may be the issue.

How long are your cycles?

Here's a good chart to help you get an idea of when to start testing: https://www.peeonastick.com/opkfaq.html#8

The thing is, some women ovulate way earlier than they think, so you could be missing your LH surge with the OPK if you start testing too late.

Also, you could be having some anovulatory cycles (they're not uncommon), and having breakthrough bleeding in between them (it will seem like AF, but won't actually be AF because you didn't ovulate). These can go on for a few months (I once had a 34 day anovulatory cycle, followed by a few days of bleeding, then a 19 day anovulatory cycle, a few more days of bleeding, and then a 71 day cycle, with O on day 57 -- meaning it took me over 4 months to ovulate after the previous time). Now my cycles are very regular... so it's one of those things that can happen (and there are lots of things that can cause that including coming off the Pill, breastfeeding, illness/stress/travel, getting older, etc.)

Before my son, I was working on a 31 day cycle, but after him, it seems to be the same, based on when I get my period, but Im not so sure.

dani2480 · October 2011

How old is your son? And have you been breastfeeding him recently? That can impede ovulation, and mess with your cycles.

Also, definitely start tracking your cycles so you know exactly how long they are. They can change overtime, or after things like childbirth or coming off the Pill.

raspberryzinger · October 2011

dani2480:

How old is your son? And have you been breastfeeding him recently? That can impede ovulation, and mess with your cycles.

Also, definitely start tracking your cycles so you know exactly how long they are. They can change overtime, or after things like childbirth or coming off the Pill.

He will be two in December, and no I did not/ am not breastfeeding. You gave me great advice, and I appreciate that. Smile I really will have to track now, Ill use the site for a little guidance, I believe I was going into this blindly. As for this cycle, I started my period on 9/15, supposedly ovulated around the 1-3rd of October, although, I had very (tmi) interesting cervical mucus around the 23-26...they I sort of dried up , for lack of better words.... and of course I wasnt thinking to take the OPK then, but took it on the 28-3 and got negative. So your probably right, I am testing to late/wrong time.

ral1985 · October 2011

dani2480:
- You should be using the OPKs twice a day. Don't use first morning urine, unless the package tells you to. Instead, you should test once in the late morning, and again in mid to late afternoon.

I am just starting OPK's this month, and am curious about the above bolded statement... Is there a reason to not test with FMU?

dani2480 · October 2011

raspberryzinger:
He will be two in December, and no I did not/ am not breastfeeding. You gave me great advice, and I appreciate that. I really will have to track now, Ill use the site for a little guidance, I believe I was going into this blindly. As for this cycle, I started my period on 9/15, supposedly ovulated around the 1-3rd of October, although, I had very (tmi) interesting cervical mucus around the 23-26...they I sort of dried up , for lack of better words.... and of course I wasnt thinking to take the OPK then, but took it on the 28-3 and got negative. So your probably right, I am testing to late/wrong time.

There's no "TMI" about CM in here. Smile Can you describe it? Was it slippery? Or watery? Did it look like egg whites? If so, that was the most fertile CM you can have (EWCM = Egg White Cervical Mucus). EWCM generally shows up right before you O, and then dries up very quickly once you O. However, like with OPKs, you may get EWCM and still not ovulate. Just like with the LH surge, the fertile CM is your body's way of gearing up to ovulate. But, if your O is delayed, the CM may dry up (or go back to more creamy/lotiony or sticky/gummy CM) until your body tries to O again. If you see that kind of CM again, definitely make sure you're checking with the OPKs while you have it (maybe even up it to 3 times a day, if you'd like, in case you have a very short surge -- although it shouldn't be necessary for most women).

dani2480 · October 2011

ral1985:
dani2480:
- You should be using the OPKs twice a day. Don't use first morning urine, unless the package tells you to. Instead, you should test once in the late morning, and again in mid to late afternoon.
I am just starting OPK's this month, and am curious about the above bolded statement... Is there a reason to not test with FMU?

The OPKs test for a surge in LH. Usually the surge starts in the morning, but it doesn't actually start showing up in the urine until later in the day. If you use FMU, there's a very good chance you'll get a negative, because there won't be enough LH in your urine yet. That's also why it's suggested that you don't drink a ton, and hold your pee in for a few hours before testing.

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