Question about OPKs

[cupcakesparkles83]

This seems like a really stupid question but one I have always wondered and haven't really had a clear answer to for ages.

I use OPKs each cycle, just the cheap strips, and it isn't uncommon for me to see two days of positives. My question is, if I have a positive during the evening but then the following day with fmu I also see a positive but OPKs then are negative after this, do I mark the second day as positive or am I just seeing the tail end of a surge and confusing my charts by putting in a second day of positive OPKs?

I have heard different things - mark it down as positive, and only mark down the first day as positive and either ignore or don't test afterwards. Which is the right thing to do?

[AllWeNeedIsluv]

From what iv learnt I'd go with the first positive so long as it's a positive line as dark or, darker than the control line. i do, have the blessing in disguise of feeling ovulation happen I just used them out of curiosity. 💗🤗😘

[cupcakesparkles83 in reply to AllWeNeedIsluv]

Yeah I have ovulation pains too, although they have been different this cycle and previous few. Usually it starts out central, but then I feel it to one side. However, previous few cycles it started out as usual, then went to one side, then the other. This cycle is was almost like my ovaries were having an argument because one side would start, then the other, then it switched back again. A first for me!

My OPKs were also different too this cycle. Usually I will have a day or two days of positives but usually the second day looks like I'm seeing the tail end of the surge. This time though the first day they were as dark as the control line, then yesterday they were the same throughout the day but the evening one I used was the darkest OPK I have had out of every cycle I have used them for! It wasn't just a little darker than the control line, it was loads darker than the control line so I'm assuming the first day was the start of my surge and yesterday was the peak of it rather than the other way around

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi cupcakesparkles83. I would go with the first line. If you are ovulating regularly, do you need to check every month? This can add stress to the scenario, so maybe not do it any more?? I'm not telling you not to, but if you know you're ovulating, then keep having sex every 3 days or more often if you want, then your Fallopian tubes - if OK - will be primed with sperm waiting for that egg. Sperm live for at least 4 days, so perhaps have a break from testing? Good luck with whatever you do decide, and of course I wish you success. Diane

[cupcakesparkles83 in reply to DianeArnold]

I would usually think this but haven't been 100% sure so always marked them down on Fertility Friend, but yesterday's just got darker instead of lighter as they would usually. Usually on the second day if they're positive they may be with fmu, but then they'd start to fade, but they didn't do this, they stayed as dark as the control line but the evening one was hugely darker than the control line. I think I may have had a longer surge or more of a surge this cycle. Really strong ovulation pains too, more than usual. I don't know if that means much!

I would love to just leave them, and I'd also love to leave temping but I can ovulate anywhere between CD9-CD14 so it's quite hit and miss, but I also use Cyclogest during my lp so I don't want to stop tracking what I can in case I miss it. Which is annoying, since I would love to just leave it and relax. I don't know if I'd be more anxious if I left it though

[Tugsgirl]

I’ve tracked my ovulation for a few years and have to track it until I get a positive while doing a fet. The clinic dispensed me clearblue ovulation tests and said that I should only be testing once a day, preferably in the morning at around the same time every day. Once I get a positive there’s no need to test again xx

[cupcakesparkles83 in reply to Tugsgirl]

I just use the cheap strips. They're different to the CB OPKs I think, as usually it's advised with these you test later on in the day. But given I have seen positives at all times of the day and evening I usually use a few daily. The digital OPKs just confuse me 🙈

[Tugsgirl in reply to cupcakesparkles83]

It’s the other way around for me. I was using the internet cheapies at home and I was always squinting at them and second guessing. I’d get two lines, one as dark as the other and mark it down as a positive only to test the following day (just in case) and see that I still had two lines only the test line was darker than the control line and have me wondering if that had been the true positive or not. There was too much guess work. Although I was charting my temperature everyday too, so once I had my three day temperature shift I knew ovulation had definitely taken place. The CB ones are soooo much easier! I just test every morning until I get a smiley face and it’s job done ✅😊 xx

[Kari55]

I would definitely go with the first day of positive. The strips are confusing though as the best time to have sex is just before the LH surge. So you make sure you have sex anyway throughout the month

[cupcakesparkles83]

I think the strongest line would be the true positive, although anything as dark as the control is positve. I think it's just a case of seeing the start of the surge and then the peak of it. The ones that confuse me are those that are positive but not darker the following day, as dark as the day before but then fade the same day. They confuse me. This time was different though, as I had as dark as the control the first day and the second day, but instead of the second day fading they got stronger. However, it seems clear by temps now that I did ovulate the day of second lot of positives as it's increased from there.

We tend to have sex immediately after af, then at least four times around ovulation, usually before ovulation and on the day, sometimes the day after but most of the time before and on the day.

I have wondered if using red clover gave me more of a surge this time and that's why my OPKs were so much darker this time, as I haven't seen a line as dark as the one on the second day during the evening before. I also had stronger ovulation pains, and again on both sides rather than just one side