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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Someone explain pregnancy tests to me please!

30 replies

mountaingoat83 · 10/07/2020 09:24

I know that's such a silly subject line :D but I honestly hadn't really thought too much about how they work until now!

Myself (37F) and DH (35M) have just started TTC after getting my copper coil removed. I've got a fairly standard 30-32 day cycle - about 8 months ago I did have a 41 day cycle after starting work in a new office full of women Grin #pheromones

Whilst we were waiting during the three months of lockdown for the GP to be able to remove my IUD after lockdown I thought it might be useful to do some BBT tracking using Clue, which sort of indicated that I might be ovulating at around day 18-22 of my cycle.

Cue this month when we first started trying and my expected ovulation week coincided with that week of heatwave and it's sent my temperatures all over the place with no indication of when I might have ovulated (typical!).

So I tested on day 30 because the pregnancy test I bought was describing itself as being 99% accurate - but I'm assuming this is if you have a 28 day cycle and you ovulate on day 14?? I've been reading up on this far too much and I'm thinking even if you did ovulate on day 14 but implantation took 12 days, you probably still wouldn't get a BFP on day 14, right?

Anyway the test was negative and I've done two more since (including this morning - day 36 - all negative). Some things I've read say to test after you expected to finish your period and some say wait as long as 10 days after a missed period so I don't know what to think now!

Currently have very light orangey-brownish discharge (wow, who knew I'd be talking about my secretions with a group of strangers on the internet Shock Grin) after about a week of lots of white discharge. Not sure if boobs feel weird or if I'm imagining it! I've been feeling a sort of pressure/light cramping in my lower abdomen and I can definitely smell all the things. Might be some imaginary/non-imaginary nausea too!

I did fall pregnant a few years ago but did not continue with the pregnancy :( but now I find myself comparing everything to that time. I did have a similar discharge but it took me about two or three weeks to realise I'd missed my period and to test - by which time the test came back as an immediate B F P. I don't know if I just need to leave it for a week or so this time and see what happens!

What's the latest you've had a negative test even though you later turned out to be pregnant?

Hope my ramblings make sense!
MG

OP posts:
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Original poster
mountaingoat83 · 10/07/2020 09:46

@steppemum @dementedpixie I'm pretty sure the novelty of all this will wear off soon Grin I think it's just that until now I've spent the whole time trying not to get pregnant combined with being one of those people who likes to do ALL the research and load up with information! Also the fact that my period is nowhere to be seen (possibly as a result of me stressing about it lol) is making me really want to know what's going on - the rational side of my brain is saying I just need to wait and see Grin

@Teakind I'm not quite at the CM-checking stage (I figured I had enough to 'worry' about with the BBT tracking etc). It's annoying that I've had lovely temperature graphs for the previous three months and then this one I literally have no idea when or what happened Hmm. I'm trying not to think about it too much - if I hadn't already had a thermometer at home I probably wouldn't have been able to get hold of one (apparently they sold out at the start of lockdown) so I wouldn't even have this information available. I think I'll probably wait a few months before considering the ovulation testing kits.

I ought to add that I was an egg donor a few years ago and my AMH was off the scale (they got over 40 eggs from me second time round Shock) so I'm fully expecting to still be super-fertile. Who knows!

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 10/07/2020 09:37

can you not just have regular unprotected sex? I never did any tracking or testing and managed to have 2 children.

dementedpixie · 10/07/2020 09:34

Test should be done at least 2-3 weeks after the unprotected sex. Best done after your period is due if you know when that is. The test measures hcg levels in your urine so if you test too early the levels may not be high enough yet

Teakind · 10/07/2020 09:33

Hi OP, it would be very unusual not to get a BFP 14 days after ovulation if you were pregnant. I know it happens to some people but some tests like FRER can show positive results from 9 dpo. Is it possible you ovulated later than you thought? Testing on day 30 wouldn't show anything if you had ovulated on day 26 for example.

With your cervical mucus, do you know what to look for to indicate ovulation? The optimum is like egg whites (so clear and a bit stretchy). Would you consider using ovulation sticks that you wee on?

I have longer cycles too so I know it can be tricky when most advice is tailored to the perfect 28 day cycle.

steppemum · 10/07/2020 09:31

Wow, you have just started TTC and you are frantically temperature checking and testing!

You need to relax, and have regular sex then, if your period doesn't arrive, then test. It takes most people 6-12 month sot conceive. It isn't unusual to take up to 2 years. So, unless there is a reason for urgency, take a step back and stop obsessing.

To answer your question more specifically, most tests work best from day one of your period onwards, using early morning wee. Of course some do work earlier than that, but that is normally the way to gte your best result.

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