Ovulation predictor kits and nursing

[I'mAMama!]

Hi mamas

Do OPKs work if you're nursing? I'm still nursing my 1 year old (4-5 times a day, typically only once at night). I temp and follow CM, but because I'm up in the night with my daughter I often don't get 3 consecutive hours of sleep, miss taking my temp (because I don't end up going back to sleep), and am inconsistent about the time. My cycles returned 6 months post-partum and have been very regular from month to month (i.e. 31 day cycle).

Would OPKs be helpful in pinpointing O? How common are very regular anovulatory cycles (everything I've read suggests that anovulatory ccles are irregular)?

[katiecornflakes]

OPKs should still work when you're nursing. No real reason that should interfere.

Most often regular cycles means you're ovulating (as you said) but that's not a sure thing. OPKs can tell you if you're having an LH surge which usually precedes ovulation but occasionally you can have a surge and no ovulation. That plus CM changes would be a very good indicator of ovulating if you can't temp (and I hear you there, I'm struggling a lot with that myself!). Temping is the best way to be *sure* you ovulated but this would be a good 2nd best. If you have a 31 day cycle I'd start around day 8 or 9 to be sure I didn't miss it (but I use IC OPKs so it doesn't cost much to do extra days).

HTH!

[I'mAMama!]

Thanks Katie...one more question: what are IC OPKs?

[finnegansmom]

IC = Internet cheapie. Also the dollar tree sells them for.... $1.

I've used OPKs while nursing when TTC and they worked perfectly for #2, made it very easy as my O date changed. I'm using them now, but one thing I've learned is you can get a + and not O... since the body might gear up but not quite make it to ovulate. So I always KEEP taking them and also temp. Good luck!

[I'mAMama!]

Thanks Michelle!

One more quick question, and without being too gross/TMI, is bleeding in an annovulatory cycle different (in terms of flow duration, etc)? I'm usually consistently 31 days (occasionally 30 or 32), but my last cycle was 28. My chart is so lame (lots of missing data) that I can't tell what, if anything, happened. Does having an annovulatory cycle affect the next month?