[chocokitty]

Does anyone know.... If I am using an opk/ clearplan and it is giving a + result does that mean I have in fact ovulated or can it still give + even though I don't? I get what I am interpreting as fertile cm. I have charted only 2 months and both times I did get the rise/ drop in temp and also Af always comes 14 days from when I got the + on opk....Just asking because we have been trying for 7 months now w/timing everything for when the clearplan & opk say I o'd but no luck so seems to me something is wrong if we have been trying and "hitting the right time" for that long. Maybe I need Hsg to check tubes. Dr said he would give referal if I wanted. Has anyone had one done and does it hurt as much as I heard it does? Hubby has had count checked but nothing else. Should he get other tests 1st?

 

[HopesMom]

Gee, it seems like you are ovulating to me. Based on the CM and +OPKs.

Is your doc willing to do a 8 DPO ovulation blood test to confirm? That would be MY first step before referring to anyone else.

That said, for some of us, it takes many months to conceive...even with regular ovulation and good timing.

 

[princessoflove]

The OPK's and cm is helpful information to tell you that your body is preparing to ovulate. Temps are the best indicators that you did ovulate. If your temps are spiking after ovulation and remaining high during the luteal phase for 10 or more days, that is a good sign that you have ovulated. A blood test to check your progesterone level after ovulation, is the only other indicator to confirm ovluation.

Most doctors require ttc for 1 year if under the age of 35 before considering there might be fertility issues. Over the age of 35, six months is the cut off time when doctors will consider a fertility problem and do tests.

 

[chocokitty]

Thanks for the info

I did not even know about the blood test. My doc never mentioned it....I will ask him about it though now that I do know.

 

[chocokitty]

princessoflove: Where do you get all the cute icons from? I am new on here and don't see how to get them. I see smiley faces but not those...

 

[sapphire_chan]

Click on "[more]" at the bottom of the smiley box.

I never understood why they consider fertility problems sooner when you're older. Is it because they are more likely?

 

[Nora'sMama]

It does sound like you're ovulating, but no, the OPK strips are not a sure thing. I have PCOS and can have many LH surges in a cycle, which may or may not lead to ovulation. My cycles are long, which indicates an ovulation issue, and sometimes they are anovulatory.

The best way to know if you ovulated (besides a blood test) is to take your basal body temperature every day of your cycle. It's annoying but if you see a clear thermal shift after you get a + OPK, you can feel sure that you ovulated. Fertilityfriend.com and tcoyf.com have free charting and info about taking your BBT.

If your cycles are of normal length and you find out that you ARE ovulating, and you have a normal 14-day luteal phase, maybe you could look into having your partner's sperm tested, a full analysis (motility, etc.). It is a fairly inexpensive procedure.

7 months seems like such a long time but sometimes it really is just inexplicable bad luck, not a fertility problem. I have several friends who took between 6 months and 15 months to conceive with no identifiable fertility issues...for whatever reason, it just took them a long time to hit it right. Good luck.

 

[chocokitty]

sapphire_chan: Thanks for the info on the icons... You know I wonder the same thing about the age and the one yr mark, etc. It seems stupid to me that because you are under a certain age you have to wait and suffer but I guess they say the reason they do testing earlier on older women is that they have less time on the biological clock so they need to get to things straight away if there is indeed a problem...

Nora'sMama: Thanks for the info about the web sites. I am trying the charting again this month. It was kind of confusing to me at first...I am hoping it is just bad luck for us and not a problem as I do think we hold the world's record for having bad luck!

I don't really know of anyone personally that had no fertility issues and it took them a long time but I have heard of some that did take over a year or even more. I know they say 7 months is not really a long time but it does sure seem like it especially when everyone around you has gotten preg in one month to 4 months the most. Since we have been trying I know of at least 6 either in my or my husband's family! It just does not seem fair sometimes that some of us have to go through a long process and for others it is so easy- just a matter of when do I want to get preg... Why can't it just happen for all of us right away? That would be my wish for everyone

:

 

[sapphire_chan]

In TCYOF, Toni suggests that if you've been charting and *know* you've been having sex around ovulation, that you go for fertility help after 3-4 cycles. Also, if you've been charting and you find that you don't ovulate, have very irregular cycles, or a short luteal phase, when you go to TTC, you should get fertility help for your specific problem right away. Really, regardless of age, if a doctor isn't willing to learn from what you know about your own body you'll want to try to find another doctor.

 

[chocokitty]

I was looking for my bbt chart I did previously as I did not do it online but seem to have lost it or something.

: We do not always have sex on "THE" day but at least right before and after the cp says. I just started charting again for this month- so this will be 3 times charting. I am on cd6 right now. I had a really weird period last month. I got it "on time" I guess u could say but it only lasted a day or so and was not much more than heavy spotting...I decided though to go ahead and keep using my cp monitor and it gave me an egg day on cd10! I have never had one that early. I did not test before day 10 as I never have anything that early. Anyhow, this month I got my period on cd25, which has also never happened that soon. I generally have at least a 30 day cycle. I used to have 30 day on the dot cycle but since TTC it has varied slightly. Most of the months are 33 days long. Anyway, back on task here- This month Af was brown to start with then later did turn red. Sorry if Tmi. It scared me though as I have never seen that before. I should mention too before this period my boobs hurt for over 2 almost 2 1/2 weeks- abnormal for me as well. So I am totally confused as to why all that happened and how I should go about the ttc process this month as I have no clue to even guess when I am going to ovulate. I guess we are going to try bding every other day and do the temps...I am definately going to get that book though.

 

[Nora'sMama]

Hmmm...no clue what could cause the early ovulation, sometimes it just happens (not for me though, I've never o'd before day 20 or so...

).

As far as the weird AF, that also sometimes just happens and I don't think it's cause for concern (I don't really know, though).

The sore boobs for 2 weeks could be an issue with progesterone, but, again, I'm not sure...sometimes I will have a lot of "PMS" symptoms between O and AF, and sometimes almost none. It sounds like your luteal phase is of normal length so I wouldn' worry too much...

I know, I'm not very much help!

Anyway, TCOYF is certainly VERY helpful, as are the message boards at FF and TCOYF.com.