ovulation test confusion

[amandagoodman]

hi, me and my husband have decided to start trying for another baby, i came off my contraceptive pill about 2 weeks ago, i had my normal withdrawl bleed, and have decided to try ovulation testing to help our chances.
i bought superdrugs own brand testing kit, which is pretty straight forward, i took it today and straight away the control line appeared and about a minute later the test line appeared, now it was a good solid visible line but slightly lighter than the control line. i took this is as a positive, and was pretty excited at the thought that i could possibly get pregnant this month if im ovulating so quickly after the pill!

however im disheartened by the fact the small print says any line lighter than the control line is negative. its just hard to believe since its so visible.
i know i have not been trying for long and its a lot to expect it so quickly but i was only on the pill for about 6 months before i stopped so thought things might progress quicker.
i should probably go and get a digital test but they are so expensive!
can only tell me when the best time to test for ovulation is after coming off the pill?
thank you

[eurochick]

Yes, it's right that for ov tests the line needs to be as dark as the control line. That's because it tests for LH which can be present throughout the cycle, so you are looking for the peak. It's not like HGC which is only present if you are pregnant so any line is a positive pregnancy test. I use the digital ov tests because you get a smiley face or a blank one - no interpretation is required.

You need to take them for several days and see if they are getting lighter/darker (if they are getting lighter you might have already had your peak, if darker you are probably moving towards it).

As for fertility when coming off the Pill, some people get their cycle back straight away and for others it takes months. If you had a regular 28 day cycle before the Pill, then you might be ovulating around two weeks after coming off it.

[KatAndKit]

I would skip the ovulation testing until after you have had a natural period, preferably two or three cycles.
If you are sure you want to do it already, get some cheaper ones off Amazon or other website so you can do one everyday. And yes, the colour of the line is important.

If you have only just started ttc I would very strongly advise you against the science route so soon. These tests can be very useful but at the start, it really is better just to do a heck of a lot of regular shagging. And much less stressful on your relationship. Ttc can get all-consuming when you arrange your sex life around peeing on sticks. If it takes a while, that can become a major stress.

have sex three times every week and you have an excellent chance of conceiving within six months. If it hasn't worked after 4 months or so, then perhaps look at monitoring your cycle and ovulation.

[amandagoodman]

thanks eurochick thats really helpful, ive never used these tests before, i was addicted to pregnancy tests before my first child, so any faint line i see im jumping up and down with excitement!
but thats cleared it up, so thank you for that, i didnt know it could get lighter and darker depending on the "peak" also so ill look out for that.. ive actually just discovered buying some off amazon.. 25 tests for 6 pound, result! ill carry on daily testing, thanks again x

[KatAndKit]

sorry I missed the "another" baby bit! I guess you know all too well by now about ttc-ing! good luck with it.

[amandagoodman]

thanks kat, hubby is happy with the trying episodes! we usually do about 3 or 4 times a week, although often half hearted for mylsef with a two year old! but im desperate to get the ball rolling so ill maybe give him the good news of trying a few times a night if we can haha.
amazon is great, didnt realise you could buy things like that!
happy days!
i did get pregnant with my daughter whilst on the pill so im guessing this shouldnt be too complicated
thanks

[KatAndKit]

Goodness me I wouldn't bother with more than once per day!!! You will be knackered! Also there is no point, there is a limit to how many swimmers a man can manufacture per day.
You can get everything from amazon these days!

[amandagoodman]

haha! im always knackered anyways! do they not say the "swimmers" can survive for up to 7 days inside aswell? so if we had sex and i ovulated say 2 days later, would this still up the chances?
sorry, one question is turning into a few
x

[KatAndKit]

It is best to have sex in the five days leading up to ovulation, that is when you are fertile. 7 days is really an outside chance. The prime time is ovulation day and especially the two previous days. That is why regular sex is recommended as an ov test cant tell you when 3 days before ovulation will start! When you get a positive ov test, that is a top day. Most women ovulate the next day, so definitely have one last go then. After that you can take a short break.

[amandagoodman]

ok well i think i may be having progress, just took another test, (been a few hours since the first one) and the line is definatley darker than the first one, almost as dark as the one in the control window, this must mean ovulation soon? within the next 24 hours?
ill test again maybe tonight, see if its darker, but it looks good to me!
thanks kat for your imput, appreciate it x

[KatAndKit]

Good, get ready for a fun evening tonight and make sure you plan more of the same for tomorrow!

[amandagoodman]

xx

[eurochick]

I think you are supposed to use them at the same time each day as levels can fluctuate through the day (and also depending on how concentrrated your pee is). But it sounds promising if it is nearly as dark as the control line so get to it!