teach me about OPK's

[Ecoria]

ok i got a bunch of pg and opk's thru a www.early-pregnancy-test.com co-op and have no idea when to test for O. i've only done one cycle charting, so i'm still new to all this. i thought i o'd on day 22 but it seems it was day 33 instead. Any help/advice would be appreciated.

[PerkyKP]

Originally Posted by Ecoria

i thought i o'd on day 22 but it seems it was day 33 instead.

Can you clarify how you have these two different dates?

For the OPKs, what I do is test once a day around cd11-12 (I O around cd15). Then in the next day or two, I test twice a day... and as I notice it getting darker I test several times a day. Thank goodness I found the cheap ones on the internet too, because at $2.50 a pop at the store I couldn't test as often. Good luck!

[MyZymurgy]

You'll read some differing advice as to when to start testing with OPKs. I think you should like your earliest known O date and start testing about 5 days prior to that. Since they are internet cheapies (I love internet cheapies) you can start testing even earlier and not be out too much cash. So if your earliest O was CD 22, I'd say maybe you should start testing on CD 17.

Personally, I usually start on CD 7 or 8. My earliest O date was CD 12.

It is best to not use FMU with OPKs because you can get some false positives. Most women have some LH in their systems at all time, and using superconsentrated FMU can make it looking like you having a surge, when really you are not. The best time to test is 11:00 am - 3:00 pm; and then again at 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm. These are just approximate windows and every one is different. I often get my surge read at around noonish.

Not everyone does this, but again with the internet cheapies you can probably afford it -- testing twice a day during your fertile time is sometimes helpful. I've had surges that were only 12 hours or so, and if I wasn't testing twice a day I would have missed it.

Be sure when you are reading the OPK that you keep in mind they are not read like HPTs. "A line is a line' does not apply. Instead, the test line must be as dark or darker than the test line to be considered positive.

I don't think this is the same brand if IC as yours, but here is a picture of my positive IC from this cycle. The test line is on the left and it is slightly darker than the control line:
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...itiveOtest.jpg

Once a surge is detected, you will probably O 12-48 hours later. Probably. Sometimes you can have false starts where your body surges but you don't release an egg. This is where charting is handy to verify that you did actually O. So once you get your positive OPK - it's time to BD!!

"They" often say to stop testing with OPKs once you get a positive. But I usually test a few days after just to make sure the surge is done. After a few annovulatory cycles, I've found this helpful.

The best thing about OPKs is that you get to pee on sticks almost throughout your cycle! It's great for a POAS addict like myself.

[Ecoria]

Originally Posted by PerkyKP

Can you clarify how you have these two different dates?

my chart. all signs pointed to day 22, ewcm, and my temp spiked super high, but only stayed high for a few days. i didnt chart cm much after thiniking i O'd, but it wasn't watery/ew on day 33. i spotted on 39 and FF said i O'd then but i got AF on day 46, just a week later.

so the timing and the temps would lead me to believe day 33.

[Ecoria]

thanks for all that myzymurgy!

[MommyDOK]

where are these cheap opk? I looked at the site you gave, but it didn't have any. Please let me know, I need some! Thanks,

[Ecoria]

Originally Posted by MommyDOK

where are these cheap opk? I looked at the site you gave, but it didn't have any. Please let me know, I need some! Thanks,

sorry, i forgot to include the "s". its www.early-pregnancy-tests.com

i got mine thru a co-op and paid $.30 each i think.

[heatherRN]

Like pp said, I buy tons (on ebay) so that I can double my efforts near my expected O. I have missed the surge before by just testing once a day. I have had trouble catching my surge, so I have really narrowed it down to a science. Here are some things that have worked for me...
I start testing 4 days before my earliest O. I usually get no line at first and then once I start getting a very faint line I test 2-3 times a day. I usually find my surge in the afternoon or evening, so now I don't even test until after lunch. I try not to drink too much water when I think the surge is coming up because when my urine is dilute I often get a false negative. I recently purchased some clearblue easy digital OPKs on ebay and I use them as confirmation of positive. The internet cheapies that I get are hard to tell if they are positive because only a very narrow line at the beginning of the test line is as dark as the control. When I am pretty sure it is postive I dip the digital in the same pee and get confirmation. I know it is a little manic, but I have wasted months of tests because I never caught my surge and because my dh and I are shift workers and have to schedule our BD OPKs help a lot.
GL

[Ecoria]

Originally Posted by heatherRN

dh and I are shift workers and have to schedule our BD OPKs help a lot.
GL

i'm feeling ya there. DH works midnights. DS usually goes down for his nap either just before or just after DH wakes in the afternoon, and with him gone at 9pm every night and DS still wide awake, its almost impossible to BD on days he has to work.

[MommyDOK]

Originally Posted by heatherRN

Like pp said, I buy tons (on ebay) so that I can double my efforts near my expected O.
GL

ok, thanks for that tip too. I"ll check out ebay and might pm you, so I can make sure I'm buying the right ones....thanks,

[MommyDOK]

Originally Posted by Ecoria

sorry, i forgot to include the "s". its www.early-pregnancy-tests.com

i got mine thru a co-op and paid $.30 each i think.

thank you for posting the new link!! I'll check it out.

[Sunshine4004]

Originally Posted by heatherRN

I start testing 4 days before my earliest O. I usually get no line at first and then once I start getting a very faint line I test 2-3 times a day. I usually find my surge in the afternoon or evening, so now I don't even test until after lunch. I try not to drink too much water when I think the surge is coming up because when my urine is dilute I often get a false negative.

My dilemma is that I am trying to drink extra water to increase my CM but don't want to dilute my urine when I am going to test. I am in this dilemma as we speak because my OPK party for the cycle has begun. I hate the week before o....:

[Ecoria]

wow, im starting to think i should have gotten more OPKs. so looking at my last months chart when would you suggest i start testing?

[Sunshine4004]

Originally Posted by Ecoria

wow, im starting to think i should have gotten more OPKs. so looking at my last months chart when would you suggest i start testing?

It is tough to say with only one chart to reference. I have always heard to start testing 3-5 days before your earliest o. FF has a OPK optimizer. On the menu, choose Analysis and then OPK Optimizer to see what that recommends. I began testing earlier this cycle because EWCM began early. I am taking EPO but I didn't want to justy naively attribute it to the EPO and miss o.