Natural IUI cycle, how often to OPK test?

[Laggie]

We are planning to do a natural (no drugs for me) IUI cycle next month. This month was my "practice run" of using OPKs and I'm a bit confused about the whole thing.

I got negative OPKs on day 11 and day 12 (both with no line at all), a positive on day 13 (the line was the same as the control line) and a negative (no line) on day 14. The instructions on the tests say to test in the afternoon, but my doctor is saying to use second morning urine.

I have been testing around noon every time. I'm just wondering if I should test more often to try to catch the surge? I'm concerned that by the time I see the surge and they schedule the IUI for the next day, I will have ovulated before they do it.

I'm not sure if I'm making sense here. I have the cheap tests from saveontests so I don't care about wasting them.

[escher]

Hi Laggie,

For me it is important to test at least twice a day, and probably more. Once I think I might be getting close to O, I usually test when I wake up at 5:30am, again at about 10am, again at 1pm, at about 4pm, and then about 7pm. I feel like an LH surge overnight (detected at 5:30am) is very different than an LH surge at 6pm. But some people may not need to do that. I don't know.

For me it is also important to use some other ways to keep track of what my body is up to. The absolutely most useful thing for me is to feel my cervix with my finger. I know it sounds funny until you start doing it, but I was amazed at how much information I could get from that. I also temp and track cervical mucus, and I use that information in addition to opks to decide when to do the IUIs.

Good luck!

[Laggie]

I've been temping and tracking CM for years, it's just the OPKs that are new.

Is it normal to get only one + OPK day per cycle?

My dr's office wants to SEE the positive test so I have to go with that.

[rcr]

I get a few days of light lines, and then a line that is the same color as the control line. I think that it is normal for some people to get only one +opk.

I am doing iui sometime in the next few months, and my doctor wants me to schedule it for the day after I get even any hint of a line, which concerns me, because I usually get a few days of light lines first... so I am afraid that they want to do it too early.

[Maurine]

I hope this helps...
One positive OPK is all you need, so your last cycle sounds perfect. You'll ovulate about 12-48 hours after your first positive, and your doctor will know how to time your iui (either the next day or the day after usually). It's important to test at the same time every day, so you don't miss the surge. If 12:00 worked for you last time, then that should be fine. If you can, twice a day should insure you won't miss it!