OPK newbie questions (loss mentioned in passing)

bgf1 · November 2015

Prior to my MMC and D&C this spring I was a 28 day cycle girl. Since my period came back the length has been any where between 26 & 30 days. Decided to try OPKs this month, hoping you can help with a couple of questions... 1. How strictly do you need to follow the directions.. The insert says don't drink or pee for 4 hours before testing. I have a wicked cold this month and am so thirsty I keep forgetting not to drink, or I get busy and forget I should be trying to hold off peeing. Am I wasting test sticks or is a surge like aa a +hpt where of its really happening you will catch it even in more dilute urine? 2. For those with regular cycles do you keep testing every cycle or is the time in the cycle when you ovulate pretty consistent from n month to month, and you only use the test initially for 1-2 cycles to identify when you ovulate.

carrieandr · November 2015

I use Clearblue advanced digital opks, which direct you to use first morning urine. That could help your situation. And I test every month. I ovulate anywhere between CD10-14.

lickastick · November 2015

Hi!

I use OPK's at least 2x a day when I am in my fertile window and I never test on FMU, after reading a lot of posts about this on the TTGP board I started testing at 10am(ish) and again sometime between 6pm-9pm. I usually catch my surges at the 10am mark. I read somewhere that LH will start to build in your system after you wake up, so in order to figure out when you surge you have to test multiple times a day and not on your first urine. I catch the surges with diluted urine, for the most part I drink normally and I drink a lot of water. There is a million threads and opinions and advice on the TTGP board you might want to check it out. I also pair using the OPK with a saliva ferning microscope. You buy it once and then use it forever. Once you start to see "ferns" in the microscope you start using the OPK's, it is the only method that gives you some sort of objective heads up ovulation is on the way (verses just monitoring CM and CP subjectively.) The ferning starts to show as your estrogen rises which happens right before the LH surge. If you have a really long cycle you can test your saliva everyday without any cost whatsoever and only use the opk's as your estrogen rises and you get a positive result. It's easy to read and use and can save you a ton of money in the long run. The cost around $20 on amazon, I hope that helps.

@carrieandroy do you catch your surges with FMU? I never really did and I went a couple of cycles without seeing a positive until I changed to testing 2x a day.

carrieandr · November 2015

Yes, I get peak readings with FMU, and usually ovulate the next day. The Clearblue Advanced Digital opk's tell you to use FMU. I wasn't recommending that for any other brand of tests. This is what their website says: "To make sure that the hormone levels in your urine are concentrated enough for the test to detect, it is important to use the first urine after your longest sleep. This is especially important for the detection of High Fertility as most estrogen production takes place while you sleep." --This kind of test give you high readings and peak readings. High shows estrogen surges and peak shows LH surges. The directions say you can start testing more than once a day AFTER you get a high reading, if you have trouble catching your LH surge. I've never done that, since the tests are expensive and I catch the surge with no problems.

Sporty1216 · November 2015

I've had the same experience as @CarrieandRoy With strips, I always used held urine at around 2pm, but with the clearblue advanced digital, I follow their instructions to use FMU. I have used them for three cycles and have always caught high and peak fertility (except this cycle when I went straight to a peak reading, somehow missing the high). I do tend to get those readings at about the same time each cycle (give or take a day), but I keep testing because I want to know and can't temp due to really irregular sleep.

lickastick · November 2015

Thats cool that clearblue works like that. I'm not very impressed with wandfos so maybe its woth switching. Thanks ladies!

Sporty1216 · November 2015

I really like them @createillumination And, I recently discovered that ovulation tests and pregnancy tests are allowable expenses for my HSA. So, if you have one of those, check that out! Also, I usually get two cycles out of one "one month supply" box since I tend to get a high reading within 5 days of when I start testing.

jilligan14 · November 2015

I always use FMU because I'm hopeless at holding my pee. I literally have to pee every 2 hours throughout the day. I blame my small bladder! On the cycles I do ovulate, I always catch my LH surge in the morning using both wondfo's and the clearblue ones as well. I use the wondfo's leading up to O, and then when the line is getting close I add in the Clearblue tests.

rspalding001 · November 2015

I use the Wondfo and usually test in the mid afternoon. I have had no problems catching a surge at that time of day and I drink water normally throughout t he day. I think a lot of it has to do with how long your surge lasts to be honest. Some people will miss it if they don't test twice a day or use concentrated urine while I have noticed that I can test in the morning and evening and get a relatively similar line (darkness-wise) and have never been in doubt as to when I had an LH surge. Since you are just starting out Id just follow the instructions to the test you bought and see how it goes. Hopefully you dont need to use them for very long

carrieandr · November 2015

FYI, I tried FRER opk's one month alongside my Clearblue advanced digital and I couldn't tell on those when I peaked at all. I love that the digital one just tells me. (The FRER pregnancy tests work great, though, because a line is a line. No guesswork there.)

kellymarie8408 · November 2015

I use CVS brand OPKs and I always use FMU. I test every month and have caught my surge every time. Different for everyone I guess

bgf1 · November 2015

Thanks so much for all the help☺I was able to get a positive drinking and urinating normally. So now to wait. Sorry for the delayed reply, we had some not so good changes happen unexpectedly last week so I've been a less present online.

happyktmom · November 2015

@CarrieandRoy, because of this thread I finally decided to buy the Clearblue Advanced Digital OPK. It has been so far in sync with my temps and CM. You are going to be my consultant on this now, fyi

I have gotten flashy smileys for the last 4 days and then had a high temp yesterday morning. I had a lower temp this morning and still fashy smiley. We got in 1 good BD session but failed miserably last night and are traveling after so probably not likely to get another chance. I'm hoping I get a PEAK soon!!

carrieandr · November 2015

Sure, I'll be your consultant, @happyktmom! I researched the heck out of the clearblue opk's during my first post-d&e TTC cycle because I got 7 flashing smileys. Have you gotten a peak yet?

happyktmom · November 2015

@CarrieandRoy Nope! And another high temperature today! I did Femara this cycle so I wonder if i jacked something up.

carrieandr · November 2015

Sorry to hear it, @happyktmom! I don't have any experience with drugs, so I'm not sure how that affects things.

jilligan14 · November 2015

@happyktmom - this is my first cycle taking letrozole/femara and it definitely raised my temps for the first half of my cycle (higher than my usual pre-O temps but lower than my usual post-O temps). When I consulted @emsmama15 about this (she's temped during all of her medicated cycles) she said yes, that the medication does raise your temps. I'm still continuing to temp since I'm obsessed about collecting data but keeping in mind that it will be different than my usual charts. If you want, you can post your chart or send it to me and I can have a look. Sometimes it's good to have another set of eyes evaluate things :-)

emsmama15 · November 2015

I definitely noticed my temps were higher. I did that chart overlay thing because I wanted to show my acupuncturist once and it was pretty dramatic to see the difference in both pre and post ovulation temps when medicated.

happyktmom · November 2015

@jilligan14 - sounds great!

let's see if this works:

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OPK newbie questions (loss mentioned in passing)

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