More opk questions, sorry!

[Creamtea1]

I need real life advice, I tried googling but it just confuses me more!
I'm on cd 18 and have been using opk (Internet cheapy) since cd12 twice per day, about 10 and 5 ish.
Still no positive result so here are my questions:
If I'm a 30 day cycle when roughly should I see a positive?
After dipping them in the wee how long should I leave it till reading the result? Mostly I only give it no more than 5 mins, is that long enough?
What is the best time of day to do them?

Also, have had some pains the last few days and had some pinky/brown CM today so could it mean i have actually ovulated and that's what's the pains were?
Absolutely no chance of being pg as haven't done the deed thus cycle.

I have a 28-day cycle and usually ovulate around day 13.
However, be warned! When ttc last time, cheapy opk didn't show a positive result at all. Including in the month DC2 was conceived.

OPK are tricky and I didn't get on with them at all, but apparently the LH surge that they're meant to spot can happen quite quickly so you may miss it, even if you're testing every day - I have no idea how common this is.

If I remember rightly they reckon after midday up until early evening is the best time to test.

I found that they were more reliable if I left the wee to cool (oh yes) for about 15 minutes after weeing it. I used to do it the second wee of the day, but I've read that about 2pm is a good time.

I had a 28 day cycle, but consistently didn't ovulate until cd18, so you may ovulate later on, like I did, or earlier. I think I tested from about cd8 often. But I was a bit obsessive while doing it! I used them for four or five months and it was always the same so stopped in the end. Don't really know about pains and CM, sorry.

You may want to buy the clearblue digital tests for a month or so so that you can tell more easily? I found these to work better than others, and I usually get my smiley face after lunch at around 2ish

Just tried another one and nothing straight away, have left it now so will go and look in 10 mins. The cm is brown now (sorry tmi) just like when your period is first starting - wierd. Unless im going to have a 20 day cycle! will try again tomorrow lunch time, I think I've missed it or am not doing the tests properly.

I found I got a positive around day 11-13 for an average 27 day cycle and liked to test around 4pm. I never got on with the cheapies - how close to the control line colour does it have to be?! - but really like the clearblue smiley OPKs. Definite yes, really clear (but not cheap)!

I've used the internet cheapies for a while. I have found that I need to test the second wee of the day.
From what I understand the LH is triggered overnight. Your FMU doesn't have enough of the LH in it but the wee will do.
I have a wee first thing and them have another before I leave the house to go to work. I test that one.

Tested at 2 and 8pm today, nothing - not even a faint line now, it's cd 19. Also now a second day of the brown cm (sorry tmi I know, it's like the cm you get right before your period is going to start) and have had pains/aches in the lower tummy area today.
I hope it's ovulation symptoms and I've just missed the positive opk - I know some people have got preg without ever having a positive one.
Thanks for all the replies :)

Is it ok to add a question?

I keep reading about testing later in the day but is it true you have to have not had a wee for 4 hours before the testing? I test first thing as that is the only time I haven't been for 4 hours. Sorry if tmi...

Hi, well the advice seems to be test around 2pm and some people also do at night around 10pm and try and not have had a wee for a while before hand. but I haven't got a positive at all so don't take my word for it! I'm thinking the opk's might be more harm than good...stressing about ovulating etc - maybe its better to just go by cm and the rest.

I used to wee at lunchtime (around 1pm) then test when I got home about 4pm and got the positive tests. The LH doesn't surge enough to be picked up first thing in the morning.

thank you

I spent a couple of cycles testing at 6 pm having not had a drink since 3 and didn't ever get a positive.
I started testing my second wee and now get one each month. The thing is that it is so fleeting. I would only ever get a line from that one sample.

creamtea that's what I decided. I stopped the opks and charting and went on cm and dtd every other day from days 10-20 ish. We were trying for a year, but it was the second approach that worked in the end, although think my body was also recovering after my mc. Good luck.

I did charting for about 8 months, OPKs for 3. The month I conceived went along the lines of I think it's around the right time, are you up for it?! I saw some ewcm the next day and that was the only indicator I had!