help with reading ovulation sticks please....

[mousemole]

I bought lots of cheap ovulation sticks from ebay last month. For the first month I didn't get a positive line so I think I missed my ovulation. Today ( day 9) of a 28 day cycle I got a very very very feint line.The strenth of the line no way matches the other line IYSWIM. So, question is - am I ovulating ? I am TTC a DD using the shettles method, (although DS3 would also be wonderful) and his theory is that you have to abstain before ovulation if you want to increase your chances of a girl.
Anyone any experience of these sticks and whether the line will be darker tomorrow for example ?

[Biccy]

Hi mousemole. I used cheap OPKs last month, got a faint line on first day I tested, and they gradually darkened. Think it was the third one that was darkest, then fourth was lighter again. It didn't ever get as dark as the control, but I took it that I had peaked, when the line got fainter, and as you are most fertile about 36 hours after your peak, it didn't matter that I needed to see it go back down to know if had peaked, IYSIM? From memory my positive OPK was day 12, and I got an amazing early BFP on day 22. Good luck!

[mousemole]

hi Biccy
Thanks for that - really useful. I did it again this morning and the line is just as feint. Today is day 10 and I thought I would have been ovulating nearer day 14. Basically if I want to TTC a DD I need to abstain from baby dancing about 3 days before ovulation. So I guess about 2 days before the line gets to its darkest point. Hopefully this month I will get a clearer idea of my cycle and can start tring next month. Thrilled for you and your BFP! That's amazing you got a result as early as day 22!

[tostaky]

Im in the same boat as you mousemole!
Trying for a girl and got a faint line on my opk this morning....
Today is CD13 and fertility friend says im going to ovulate in 6 days..
will bd tonight and if line is darker tomorrow, i'll stop!

good luck for you

[mousemole]

Hi tostaky - great to hear you're in the same boat ! Today my CM was 'creamy' ( sorry if TMI!!) so think I must still be pre-ovulation. How long is your cycle ? Is fertility friend any good ?

[tostaky]

Not sure how long is my cycle as i stopped the pill a couple of weeks ago... It used to be 30. but it might have changed, and fertility friend may be wrong too!

no CM for me... ive just stopped breastfeeding too so it might take a while i dont know.
i'll test again tonight to see if the line is darker.

have you stop baby dancing then?

[mousemole]

hi tostaky - yes have stopped. Got very alarmed when saw the feint line so stopped. I think i need to do temperature as well as one month I charted it and it definitely went up at ovulation. Blimey, so much to think about ! Have you looked at the in-gender website - now that is complicated !!

[Biccy]

I think you're best off doing your OPK in the afternoon, as that's when you're levels are highest - and try not to pee for 4 hours before doing it.

[mousemole]

thanks for that - didn't realise that was the best time

[tostaky]

mousemole - opk was negative tonight... no more faint line

im doing some kind of diet as well as the dr shettles method, but it's my own modified version of diet-for-a-girl. basically: avoid salt and banana (potassium), eat plenty of yogurt and milk (no cheese) and eat a diet low in calories (but not very strict, had a slice of cake today and a latte!).
and you?

[tostaky]

diet low on calories

[tostaky]

and i no longer eat cereals in the morming either (or bread during the day for that matter)!
ive been doing it for 10 days roughly

[mousemole]

hi tostaky, yes I have been following broadly that as well. It's a complete change for me as I like my food and don't each much dairy ! I've grown to like greek yoghurt in the morning and have ditched bread. Trying to be low carb all round. Are you taking cranberry supplements ? I have been taking them for about a month. Also taking a magnesium supplement. Husband just needs to wear the tight pants now

[tostaky]

no supplement just folic acid for me. ive already lost 2 lbs which is great because im still a stone away from my pre-pregnancy weight
how long have you been on that diet? ive read you need at least two months of it before TTC...

Is that your first cycle of TTC?
Have you tested this morning, is the positive line darker on the opk? will do later

[mousemole]

well done on the 2lbs - thats the side effect of this diet which is nice.Only another 12lbs to go !! I followed the diet losely last month and have stepped it up this month. This was my first cycle but I am going to stop trying in case day 8 and the feint line was ovulation day. I've kept doing the strips since then and no line. Strange ! Will try again this pm and see.
How many dc do you thave ?

[tostaky]

If it was ovulation, you would have had a line for at least three consecutive days, wouldn't you?
OPk negative today for me... its been 14 days now, hopefully i wont have to wait too long (babydancing is starting to become a chore...)
I have one DS who is 7 months, and you?

[mousemole]

of course, yes, I would have got a few days of lines - didn't think of that.Hope you get your line soon, know what you mean about the chore thing
I have ds1 (4) and ds2(2). Hence the trying for a DD !
Do you have any idea when you conceived your DS ? Both my dss were conceived on ovulation day so shettles theory stand up true for them !

[tostaky]

Yes he was conceived on ov day,and on my first cycle, so here i am hoping and impatient!!

[mousemole]

day 12 today and still no line !

[tostaky]

did you resume bd then?
according to fertility friend (and my cycles for when i was trying for ds) i should have a positive opk tomorrow...
lets wait and see!

[mousemole]

no I didn't ... too scared ! I think I need to try fertility friend. So if you have a positive OPK tomorrow are you stopping bd'ing ? How close to ovulation are you going to go ttc a dd ?

[tostaky]

i dont know... the thing is even without dr shettles i can have a dd.. so i guess two days? maybe three? it depends also on mood and availability.

i'll do that for two cycles and if im not pregnant in august, i'll lose the dr shettles

for the moment, im enjoying not being pg and not breastfeeding with a large glass of wine! cheers!

[mousemole]

good for you -enjoy the wine
So, I got a dark line last night which was evening of day 12 - does that mean I ovulate 36hrs later ? Which would be morning of day 14 - bang on the middle of the cycle.
Assuming that to be the norm I think next month I will be BD'ing up until day 10.
Right, off to have my folic acid....

[tostaky]

Did you test both am and pm? what time in the evening?
Not sure... It says on the notice that you are likely to ovulate within 24-36 hours.
So it is not going to be for this month, is it?
Are you going to opk test again next month?

How many cycles of trying are you ready to wait?

Faint line again this morning for me, will try again at 2pm. Might order more opks as i am running low.

Thing is i still have milk in my breasts (completely stopped bf two days ago only) so it is likely to mess up any forecast i can make on my cycle.

[tostaky]

opk negative

[mousemole]

I had 4 days of feint lines until the strong line. I still had a feint line yesteday morning but at 10pm had a dark line and also this morning. So, to be safe, I guess I should assume ovulation is 24hrs later. No, I'm done for this month ! I am going to go for it next month - given I am only going to go up to day 10 it could take a few months to happen! Not sure how long I can wait though - guess if there is nothing after 2 or 3 months then I'll go up to day 11.
If you have just stopped b'fing I am sure your cycle will be messing things up a bit but next month should be more typical ?