Advice on BBT and OPK please!

[VJONES1985]

Hi all. I am returning to this forum for the first time since having my son in 2014! My husband and I have decided to start TTC baby no 2 at the end of this year. For some background, I did not have any periods at all from when my son arrived in August 2014 until May 2016, when I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. My cycle returned three weeks after I started medication and has been regular since then, between 27 and 30 days long.

I have decided to track my cycle for a few months to keep me occupied until we start TTC 😂 I am tracking CM, BBT and OPKs but am confused by the last two.

According to my app, I am due to ovulate on Thursday. Today I have sore boobs and creamy CM. Am I looking for a rise in basal temperature for at least six days? Am I right in thinking the rise occurs AFTER ovulation? I got a negative OPK yesterday and today, unfortunately, but I assume I can expect a positive one the day before I ovulate?

Thank you!

[McTufty]

What do you use to chart? If you use an app called Fertility Friend it will tell you when you ovulate. The general rule is once you see 3 consecutive temps higher than the previous 6, so you can't confirm till 3dpo based on your chart.

I also recommend a book called Taking Charge of Your fertility, it's great for charting advice!

It is the corpus luteum that is left behind once you ovulate that releases Progesterone and causes the temp rise. So bbt goes up after ovulation and often too late for you still to be fertile. It won't necessarily be the day after, you might have a slower rise.

Good luck!

[VJONES1985]

Thanks! I use the Flo app, which I assume is similar to Fertility Friend. It predicts I will ovulate on Thursday based on BBT, CM, symptoms and cycle length, but obviously it is only a guess. Thank you for clearing up some confusion over the temperature rise :-)