No LH surge ? Advice please on OPK's

[rosieposey]

I am trying to see if i ovulate using OPK's . I have been using two a day since day 11 and am on a 28 day cycle normally. I had DS a year ago and would like to think about giving him a sibling but i am wondering if i am actually ovulating because tomorrow is day 14 and if the OPK gives you 24 hrs (ish) notice which is what i understood then surely sometime today (i have tested 3 times: morning, afternoon and this eve) i would have got a positive LH surge sign from the OPK's?

Ive just turned 38 and wondered if anyone knew what is usual in terms of ovulation for a woman my age, is it every month or only some months or does it depend on the person?

Basically this is my first month using them and if i get no positive LH surge sign this month then should i just hold out till next month? What if i dont get one next month either? Ahhh help! Advice needed and greatly appreciated Thanks.

[iggi999]

Hi there. You may or may not be ovulating, but you are panicing too soon. I'd think tomorrow is your most likely day, but could easily be a day or two after that. Did the kits you bought tell you to do several tests a day? Ones I use say just once, with your "first pee" of the day. I'm around your age and when testing with OPK I've ovulated every month, though different days each month, just to be unpredictable! You need to take some deep breaths!

[rosieposey]

No i was using a clearblue OPK's for first thing in the morning but i also read that sometimes your surge can show up and go again in less than 24 hours so to test twice a day.(i bought some internet cheapies and do it again generally at around 6 pm) I really thought that if you had a 28 day cycle that you would ovulate on day 14 hence why i thought i would see a surge today at some point.

If i dont see a surge on the OPK's this month do i need to assume that i didn't ovulate? I haven't used these before so was wondering if they were absolutely foolproof or if there was a chance you can ovulate anyway without it showing on an OPK? Am not really panicking just dont know that much about them or how they work

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

"I really thought that if you had a 28 day cycle that you would ovulate on day 14 hence why i thought i would see a surge today at some point".

Hi rosie

Unfortunately ovulation does not work like that at all. Its not an exact science, ovulation can occur earlier, later or not at all in any given cycle. Even normally fertile women have the occasional anovulatory cycle.

OPK's are a PITA to use anyway, I would actually refrain from using the things. Apart from the expense they can also be difficult to interpret with any real degree of accuracy. They can also become stressful to use over time.

Also you can easily have more than one LH surge throughout the month. They are certainly not infallible.

How long have you been ttc for; the consensus here is that if you have been ttc for more than six months without success then a visit to the GP is in order.

Generally speaking, if your periods are regular you are more likely to be ovulating than otherwise, even so you are probably not ovulating every single cycle.

If you want to be completely sure whether you're ovulating or otherwise you're better off having blood tests done and spend your hard earnt cash on something other than OPK's.

[rosieposey]

Ohhh ok Attila, thanks - this is the first month that i have been trying 'in earnest' i.e. SWI every day around my fertile time (day 11 to day 19 - my poor DH!) but i'm not even sure thats right as im sure i heard a while ago its supposed to be every other day. Anyway i have been having the occasional unprotected shag the last couple of months around day 14 too but this month with the OPK's and lots of SWI'ing is the first one i'm really trying.

I know you sometimes don't get ovulation every month but i wondered how normal that is in a woman of my age, its good to know that its normal in most fertile women. If i dont get a detectable surge this month i think i might do away with the OPK's perhaps as you are right it is a bit stressful especially as i have been thinking that i would ovulate bang on in the middle of my cycle. I tested again this morning (and its day 14) and still nothing

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

I would also suggest that you make love when you both feel like it and try to stop focussing on the "fertile time" window or specific days. Intercourse two or three times a week throughout the cycle is fine.

Timing of intercourse also does no-one any good ttc wise and can damage relationships.

[rosieposey]

Well considering we are newlyweds (1 year) its no hardship but thanks for the advice on the opk's