LH surge blood testing and urine tests (OPK)-- Need help in deciphering...

[TenzinsMama]

This cycle, I had afternoon bloodwork done on CD19, and my LH surge was detected at that time.  However, earlier in the morning that day, I had done OPKs (both internet cheapie and Clear Blue) did not detect a surge, although having said that the lines were almost as dark as the control line.  Then, the next morning, CD20, I had positive OPKs on both the cheapies and the CB. 

My question is, do I consider my surge day to be CD19 or CD20?  My husband says that the bloodwork is more sensitive than urine, and the difference in the timing is due to the time it takes for LH to be synthesized by my body and for it to turn up into my urine.  So he thinks I should go with CD19.

I'm tracking my LP length since it has been short these last few cycles, and I'm trying to decipher how many dpo I am... Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks in advance!

[Jaimee]

I agree that a blood test would be more accurate than a urine OPK, but I'm not sure that you can tell if you caught the peak with just one blood test?   With the OPK's you can see the gradual build up and down as they darken and lighten (unless you're using the +/- kind) so it is easier to catch your peak day. Then you generally ovulate 24-36 hours AFTER the peak day.  So if you count CD 19 as your LH peak then your O day is likely CD 20 or 21.  Because you had OPK+ on CD 20, I would say go with CD 21 for your O day.  I take it you don't temp or check cervical position?  These two additional pieces of information would really help pinpoint your O day and confirm ovulation because an LH surge alone does not indicate ovulation occurred.   But for this cycle, I would say CD 22 is 1 DPO.  

[TenzinsMama]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

I agree that a blood test would be more accurate than a urine OPK, but I'm not sure that you can tell if you caught the peak with just one blood test?   With the OPK's you can see the gradual build up and down as they darken and lighten (unless you're using the +/- kind) so it is easier to catch your peak day. Then you generally ovulate 24-36 hours AFTER the peak day.  So if you count CD 19 as your LH peak then your O day is likely CD 20 or 21.  Because you had OPK+ on CD 20, I would say go with CD 21 for your O day.  I take it you don't temp or check cervical position?  These two additional pieces of information would really help pinpoint your O day and confirm ovulation because an LH surge alone does not indicate ovulation occurred.   But for this cycle, I would say CD 22 is 1 DPO.  

Yeah, for the blood test I'm not sure what numbers need to be there in order for there to be a declaration of a surge--it is true that with the OPKs you can see the build-up of LH in your body as the lines darken.  I never test again once the surge is detected, so I don't know how many days it would show as dark as the control line on the OPK (I only check once a day, same time each day).  I don't consistently check cervical position, but I am temping (as best I can, given that I have a frequent night-nurser).  I had a temp dip on day 19, then 20 and 21 were around what they had been, and then it shot up on 22.  As for cervical mucous, day 19 and 20 I had the most EWCM... day 22 I was pretty much dry.  I know that one can never really be sure what happens inside of us... I guess I was getting worried about the timing of bd'ing with the positive OPK.  Especially when the bloodwork showed the surge as the day before...
 

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by TenzinsMama 
I had a temp dip on day 19, then 20 and 21 were around what they had been, and then it shot up on 22.  As for cervical mucous, day 19 and 20 I had the most EWCM... day 22 I was pretty much dry. 

That sounds like great confirmation to me that you O'd on CD 21 as long as your temp remained high after CD 22.  Everything seems to line up nicely!

[TenzinsMama]

Thanks, Jaimee!  I appreciate your thoughts, and now I just have to wait and see what happens this cycle...

[texasfarmom]

FWIW I agree with Jaimee. :)

[Jaimee]

Update OP?  What DPO are you now?  When do you plan to test? 

[TenzinsMama]

Right now, I'm 9 dpo. 

I've reached one milestone, which was to have a longer LP than last month (8 days)!  Yay!! 

My next milestone to reach will be Saturday, which would make me 14 dpo.   

As for testing, if I get through Saturday, then my plan is that I would test once I hit 18 days of high temps-- which would be the Wednesday following. 

Not sure if I really need to wait that long to test, or if I could test on Saturday.  The thing is, I'm not sure what my 'normal' LP is now, post-partum.  In my 4 PP cycles that I've had, they have ranged 28-36 days in length, but except for last month I haven't known what the LP was (I wasn't charting thoroughly for the other ones.)  Before my DS, it appeared that my LP was averaging 14 days.   I   P

[Jaimee]

Some women get accurate results by 8 or 9 DPO, many by 10 DPO and almost all by 12 DPO (though for some, like me it's still faint).  Much depends on when the embryo implants (between 6 and 12 DPO) and how much and how quickly it releases hCG.  I waited until after 18 DPO to test with my subsequent pregnancies and there's no ambiguity then, so that's a real advantage... if you can make it that long!     Good luck!!