Ovulation strips

happywifemomofone · January 2012

I recently bought a bunch of ovulation strips to monitor my cycle. I have not used them before. Today is CD13 for me. So far, nothing but the test line on them. My cycle might be messed up because of my recent IVF, but I've been testing every afternoon since day 8. I have never not ovulated to my knowledge. Every time I've had CD21 labs drawn, Progesterone level has indicated that I ovulated. My question is-do you start getting a second line a day or two before ovulation? For more than that before ovulation? Only on ovulation day? Yes, I know that charting is the only way to ensure ovulation....and I've been considering that-but for now this is what I have to work with. In the past I've used the smiley types from CBE, but DH got laid off this week and these are what we can afford right now.

kat1221 · January 2012

I have not had good luck with those OPK strips..only the digi OPK. They are expensive though so I feel you there.

Some of the other ladies use the cheap ones and then if they think they are getting a positive with the cheap ones, they use the digi to confirm.

Also, if you drink a ton of water, like I do, you might want to try testing in the morning with FMU. If I test in the afternoon I don't get anything b/c my pee is so diluted.

You might be missing your surge too if you are only testing once a day. Sometimes the surge can be super short so some folks have to test 2X a day to catch it.

Hope this helps.

Good Luck!

Abeille · January 2012

I use those and I think it's a little different for everyone. I always have a faint second line and then one day it will be glaringly positive...no fade in. Like the PP said, I do test 2x/day sometimes 3 when I'm close to my O time based on previous cycles. I also like to confirm with a digi...I only needed to use 2 of those last cycle. I don't have enough knowledge of IVF to tell you if the treatments are still effecting your cycles, sorry about that. Most likely you haven't O'd yet, and not everyone O's on CD 14, even with a 28 day cycle. I don't O until ~CD19. HTH

owlprof · January 2012

I don't have good input about the OPKs, but I wanted to say that I'm sorry to hear about your DH. Like you need one more thing to worry about , right? Hang in there -- I hope that your ovulation is just delayed a bit this month.

happywifemomofone · January 2012

Thanks ladies....where is everyone tonight? Know there are ladies around who have lots of practice with these.

Mrs.McIrish · January 2012

What brand do you have? I always have a faint second line but it will get darker as O approaches. I will say that post IVF my cycles are way longer. I did not O until CD22 after IVF1 (typically CD12). It can be hard to get the second line to be as dark and I can miss it if I don't test twice a day.

Maybe Joleisa · January 2012

happywifemomofone:
My question is-do you start getting a second line a day or two before ovulation? For more than that before ovulation? Only on ovulation day? Yes, I know that charting is the only way to ensure ovulation....and I've been considering that-but for now this is what I have to work with. In the past I've used the smiley types from CBE, but DH got laid off this week and these are what we can afford right now.

This is my first cycle using Wondfos--I usually use the CBEs, but decided to try them since everyone raves about them. I started getting a second line yesterday and got another 2nd line today--the test lines were more faint than the control lines, thus testing "negative" for my surge. Nervous about missing the surge--even though I'm temping (hey, I need all the help I can get!)--I went out and bought First Response OPK sticks because I had a $2 coupon. Bad call--wish I wouldn't have been so cheap and gotten the CBEs. I tested with the FROPKs and it gave me a faint line/negative, as well.

Sorry to hear about your DH getting laid off. I'd use the OPK strips at least w/FMU and later in the afternoon.

happywifemomofone · January 2012

Mrs.McIrish:
What brand do you have? I always have a faint second line but it will get darker as O approaches. I will say that post IVF my cycles are way longer. I did not O until CD22 after IVF1 (typically CD12). It can be hard to get the second line to be as dark and I can miss it if I don't test twice a day.

I tried to order the wondfo strips. But I think I may have gotten look-alikes. Used www.earlypregnancytests.com. Test again this morning and still no second line. Evap line after an hour. Going to buy CBE fertility monitor before next month though.

dbadura01 · January 2012

I used the cheap ones as well when I was trying to conceive my first. I didn't get a positive until day 16, so it's not unusual. However, once I got the positive, I found my husband, and 2 weeks later had a BFP. We are just now starting to try for #2 and my strips should be in the mail today. I figured it worked so well the first time, let's try it again.

Best of luck!!!

AddictedToLipBalm · January 2012

I've been using them ever since I finished chemo last spring, just to make sure I'm ovulating regularly, since chemo has been known to jump-start early menopause, and I'd like to monitor what's going on to make sure there will be no problems when we're ready to try. So far so good!

I use them once per day, starting after AF finishes up. Sometimes the line is faint, sometimes it is very dark. Sometimes I will get a line a couple of days in a row. The start date does vary a tiny bit from month to month, and everyone is different.

Keep at it, and good luck!

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