OPKs???

[Jenjen85]

Would really appreciate some info/help on OPKs. Do they really work? If so which ones are the best or are they all the same?? Thanks :-)

For me...nightmare, encouraged obsessive checking, disapointment and great upset when i had a whole month of negative results. Thought i was to be childless for ever and ever becasue of the results.

Threw them away and would never touch them again.
They were cheepo's from ebay.

I wouldnt recommend going down that route, but loads of ladies on here will i am sure.

I used cheapos from ebay which didn't work then used the clearblue digital, which have worked every month. They are pricey but if you are quite regular, once you have established the approximate time you ovulate you can just start testing a few days prior so you don't end up using many sticks per month. I've found them very reassuring and it's good to know that I can expect AF 14 or 15 days after the +ve (obviously this may be different for you).

I have heard though that if you suffer from PCOS they won't work.

I also use the clearblue digital ones and have found them to be good. There is no interpretation required - the screen either gives you a blank or a smiley face. I liek to know what is going on with my cycle, so I find it helpful rather than stressful to use them.

Hi,not sure if it will help but I read a post on another site from a natural fertlity expert on how to tell when you are fertile? I found it quite interesting and may help going back to basics along with other things such as the clear blue digital (I used them and found them quite good). I will put the link to the post at the end, hope it helps, in the meantime good luck!! xx
forum.prideangel.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=537

Definitely don't use them if you have PCOS. They measure the LH in your system and many PCOS sufferers have naturally high levels of LH.

Thanks ladies, as far as I'm aware I don't have PCOS. Think I'll get some and give them a try! :-) thanks for the link wrighty I'll have a nosey at it now :-)

Seeing as that's like the 5th time I've seen "wrighty" post and the only posts I've seen have had that link and nothing else, I'm thinking she's either promoting her own blog or has VERY little to say?

Cervical Mucus is NOT reliable.

OPKs can work but the surge may vary from woman to woman and be as short as 3 hours to as long as 48 hours.
You need to carry on testing after the initial positive because you will likely drop the egg up to three days after you stop getting the positive OPK. So you will be at your most fertile from 12 hours after LH surge (not sure when you first get it though - only when you pick it up) until about 36 hours after the surge.

Then the assumption is that for a max of 3 days after the surge, you are at your most fertile and the eggie is still alive.

It means that essentially, you need to rumpy pumpy every other day before you get the LH surge, then the day you get the surge and two days after that. Then skip a day (apparently) and do another one for good measure

I rumpy pumpy the whole frigging week if possible.

AMENDMENT sorry:

Rumpy pumpy for every day during the surge, then the next 2 - 3 days AFTER the LH surge and then skip a day and then the 5th day as well.