recommend me an opk

[NinjaChipmunk]

6 months into ttc and i need a new weapon in my battle against aunt flo.
can anyone recommend me an opk? I saw that someone recommended one about a week ago but can i find the thread? not on your nelly!

please help.

also, someone please tell me that at age 36 6 months of trying is normal! i'm gong to try opk this month and if that doesn't work then we're off to the docs to say we've been trying a year. ds was concieved within 6 weeks of trying so i i was fortunate to not have to go through the whole ttc back then. and now its completely doing my head in.

[sufferingbabyfever]

Hi,

Ive used the first response OPK's, they are ok but are quite difficult to read the result. Its quite subjective? (Is it the same colour? Is it not? Well I desperate to get preggars so I feel its the first :)

Im thinking about the Clear blue fertility monitor if I don't suceed this month. Only 24hrs left to find out! (Thank god). Its riddiculously expensive, but you can get one alot cheaper on ebay.

I don't have a clue about 6 months of trying. Im 26 (meant to be super fertile at this age), Ive been trying three months. Nothing. Thinks its just your luck really.

I had considered lying to Dr about when I started TTC but then remembered they will have on my notes when I stopped contraceptives. Doh!

[KnackeredCow]

I use the CBFM and really like it.

It measures two hormones, oestrogen and LH.

NICE guidelines state:

"It has been observed that most pregnancies can be attributed to sexual intercourse during a six day period ending on the day of ovulation, with the highest estimated conception rates associated with intercourse two days before ovulation."

LH peaks 12 to 36 hours before ovulation (the hormone most OPKs measure). For me, personally, I've worked out that I get ovulatory pain about 12 to 24 hours after I peak, and therefore considering the above statement from NICE, I presume I am more likely to conceive if I BD the day before my LH peaks.

Oestrogen peaks a few days before LH and is responsible for the production of EWCM (which is sperm friendly) and triggers the LH surge. The CBFM looks for the oestrogen surge as well so it gives you a few extra days notice that you are about to ovulate (good for me).

The other good thing about the CBFM is that you don't have to stare at a stick trying to work out whether the test line is as deep in colour as the control line. The monitor reads it for you (and compares it to your baseline levels - again more accurate).

On the downside, they are expensive and so are the test sticks

[NinjaChipmunk]

can anyone recommend any of the poas variety. i have had a look on access diagnostics and amazon and am not quite sure what it is i am actually looking at! the cbfm looks good but not sure if i'm ready to part with that kind of money at the moment!

[MummyAbroad]

Before recommending an OPK I would really recommend the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler - fantastic read.

With OPK's I have discovered that (for me at least) cheap is better as it means I can do more of them. I bought a pack of 25 from Amazon for £5, I then used one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I got a positive in the morning that was gone by the afternoon, so I think for some people the LH surge is quick and therfore easy to miss.

I also use OPK's in conjunction with other things, because on their own they dont really give you enough info. By taking temps every day and checking cervix I discovered that I ovulated 3 days after a positive OPK, this is longer than it says on the OPK packet (12-36 hours) but I think explained by the fact that I was very stressed. (I am in a post mc cycle, and so it all seems so very urgent!)

best of luck to you. xxx

[NinjaChipmunk]

thanks very much for the info mummyabroad. I am considering these as they can be done regularly and are cheap. not sure if i can be arsed with the whole temping thing but certainly would like to pinpoint it happening more so than now!

[MummyAbroad]

Those are the ones I got, worked OK for me, but like I said I used 2 a day. (even if you did this every day of the month, still works out cheaper than a CBFM)

[NinjaChipmunk]

my thoughts exactly. will purchase them now i think! and you get plenty in a pack or can go for bigger pack sizes as well. i'm sold.