OPK's reliable and then later not?

[dogmom327]

With DS (5 years ago) and DD (3 years ago), OPK's worked perfectly. I'd get a positive and ovulate like 6 hours later (I've had painful ovulation since I was a teenager so there was never any doubt). 

I'm using OPK's this month and started testing on day 9. It's day 16 and still no positives. My cycles have been running 23-30 days so theoretically it I don't see one in the next day or two I'll stop for the month. 

I have been having hormone issues for the last year and a half. I've been doing a lot of things to correct it but ultimately we suspect PCOS so it is possible I'm not ovulating...but I'm really really hoping that isn't the case. I'm feeling very ready for another little one.

Is it possible that OPK's have worked in the past for me but for whatever reason aren't working for me now or am I deluding myself? Not really any CM to speak of either though so I feel my hope fading.

[Jaimee]

I would recommend charting your basal body temp and CF to see what's happening.  Often women with PCOS have long patches of fertile CF as the body tries to O repeatedly.  And there are some women with PCOS that still ovulate.  It would be good to see what's happening, when.  I really don't put much stock in OPK's because they appear to be so unreliable for a lot of women and often randomly so.  You also mentioned that you have been dealing with hormonal issues, so it's not surprising then that your cycles are fluctuating so much and that OPK's aren't really helping.  Your cycles may also vary in their fertility so the trick may be to catch one of those more fertile cycles.  Charting would allow you to see what exactly about your cycle is fluctuating and would supplements might make sense to start.

If you need help getting going with charting, just post!

[dogmom327]

Thank you! I am planning to start charting at the beginning of my next cycle in two weeks. I really should have been doing that all along.

Good news though is that I got a positive OPK this morning. I know it's not 100% but I almost cried. I needed that. I needed to feel a little less broken right now.