Advice re OPK please-very early smiley face

[StrawberryMojito]

This is my second month using an OPK (clearblue digital that tells you when you are both high and peak fertility). Last month I didn't get a high fertility sign at all (flashing smiley face), it just went straight to peak fertility (fixed smiley face). This was on day 12 which was a couple of days earlier than expected but still seemed normal.

I only finished my period a couple of days ago but started using the opk straight away as my cycles vary a bit (26-30 days). Today (day 8) I got a high fertlity sign. Surely this is too early?

So, we had sex last night just for fun rather than baby making but now I'm thinking should we do it again tonight as I got the high (but not peak) fertility sign or shall we just start doing it every other day until I get the peak fertility smiley face. I don't want to exhaust DH and his swimmers but don't want to miss the window either.

I think that you usually get high fertility for 4-5 days? In that case it would match with your peak being on cd12 last month. During high fertility, dtd every other day would ensure you don't miss that window, because sperm survives for a few days. Good luck

Hi Strawberry, i'm afraid i don't have any answers but wanted to share my experiences with you. I'm also using advanced cb digital opks and this is my first month. I got my first flashing smiley (high fertility) on cd10 and have continued to get high fertility every day since, i'm now on cd17. I would suggest you continue to use opks until you get your peak symbol and try to dtd every other day until you get peak. Keep me posted if you have anything changes. Good luck!

Thanks both, I think we will maybe give it a miss tonight and do it again tommorrow . Hopefully my peak fertility sign will come mid week which would be more normal. It's strange that I didn't get the flashing smiley at all last month.

It kills the romance, having to schedule sex!

Honestly Strawberry I'd be giving these kits a wide berth as of now. They can to some extent rely on a woman's desperation to conceive. These kits work on two misleading principles; namely that there is one rise in LH every month and that such a rise is followed by ovulation. Both are simply not true.

Have sex when you both feel like it; not only when you think its ovulation time. It is far too easy to get that date wrong and signs can be misleading. Ovulation is not an exact science and it can occur earlier, later or not at all in any given cycle. Also timed intercourse can cause problems within the relationship; it can make the man feel used. You need to take the pressure off both of you, OPKs can just add to stress.

Tbh, Attila, if we don't get a bfp after using them this month, I think we'll just revert to just having sex whenever. We conceived DS accidentally and was hoping that it would be easy to conceive again. OPKs are a bit of a headache.

Have you had a peak yet strawberry?

I've used these for the first time this month, and yesterday (day 7) got the low fertility symbol, but today (day 8) got the peak fertility (fixed smiley face) symbol so now I don't know what to think as it has missed out the high fertility symbol altogether.

I never got a positive result at all with the cheap internet ones, but day 8 seems too early for there to be a surge (as it would mean I'd be ovulating on around day 10). Still, am taking it as a positive and will be making sure to dtd for the next couple of nights. Good luck getting your peak Strawberry and wishing you baby dust.

I got my 3rd flashing smiley face this morning, still no peak fertility but then it is only day 10 of my cycle so hopefully will get it in the next few days. We dtd last night and will carry on doing it every other day until fixed smiley face/peak fertility day (whenever that maybe) and then do it two days on the trot. That is the plan anyway but DH has man flu at the moment so not sure he is up to it!

Whilst googling info about the clearblue advanced ov kit, I came across a thread from another forum where loads of women were getting days and days of high fertility days before the peak day, apparently it is just because your oestrogen level is increasing prior to the LH surge.

Good luck to you to Charley and BNmum

And blue amber, looks like you were right.

Good luck to all everyone too!

I'd also heard that you could get high fertility for 4 days then peak but since I'm on my 10th day of high fertility I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever get a peak! Where did you find the other thread strawberry I wouldnt mind a read. I hope your DH sorts himself out quickly!

Sounds promising charley, happy humping. Do you usually have a short cycle?

I've never posted a link before so I'm not sure this will work...

community.babycenter.com/post/a40923841/clearblue_advanced_digital_ovulation_test_am_i_that_fertile_or_a_malfunction?cpg=2&csi=2415594281&pd=1

Yay, it worked but it takes you to page 2, the girls dilemma is on page 1.

Ooh! Thanks, I'll read it now...

Oh my life! Thats a long thread! Just read up to page 29/40.
Interesting to see some people had 10+ days of high fertility (flashing smiley) and I didn't know that the holder carries a 'memory' to monitor your hormone changes. Clear blue should improve there info sheet to go with this product!!

You have more patience than me, I gave up after about page 10. I agree with you though, Clearblue give the impression that you should only expect a couple of flashing smileys when in reality you could get loads. No doubt a marketing ploy to get you using more sticks over the course of a cycle.

Thanks Strawberry and BNmum. My cycle is normally around 29 days, so not that short, which makes the fixed smiley face surprising.

DP is working late tonight, but hopefully will be back in time to dtd today and then again tomorrow. After that will prob switch back to every other day or two.

I'm in two minds about the OPK myself - on the one hand pleased to get the smiley face, but just not convinced it is correct! And as I was expecting to use the sticks for a few days yet, I feel a bit cheated as this is the first time I've used them. Still, if it's accurate I don't care. Not much point in me testing for the rest of the month anyway, so will have to just carry on dtd as normal and fingers crossed for a bfp this month. If not, will start testing earlier next month and see if there is a pattern.

I agree - they don't provide enough information on the help sheet that comes with the pack. I feel like I've spent the best part of the day googling! Will look at your link now, Strawberry.

I also read in the other thread that you will always get low fertility (unless ov that day) on first day of testing as it uses this day as a benchmark and there's nothing else to compare your hormone levels to. So chances are charley had you tested earlier you probably would have got your high before the peak.

When others used another brand to compare they found that they ovulated 8-24 hrs later so majority were saying that these advanced tests gave more warning/were more sensitive which is promising. They just seem to be throwing out some suprising dates but maybe that's why we've failed so far??

Thanks for the link strawberry it's been most educational.

I also think I'm getting so many high fertility as I started testing too early. I started on cd9, I'm sure I read to start on cd9 if you don't know cycle length (mine can vary) but cant find that now?
If I go by my last cycle 32 days the I should have started tested cd15 for a normal digital clearblue or cd12 for the advanced cb (I suppose to give you the extra high fertility warning before the peak). I'm still having a lot of highs but not as many as I possibly thought. I hope I get a peak soon!

I did wonder about the first day, because there's nothing to compare it to.

It's definitely promising that Clearblue seem to pick up the surge earlier, as it's such a small window, although I'll have another go with my cheapo opks to see if they pick anything up over the next day or two (although have never, ever got a positive).

Have started reading the thread that Strawberry posted, but only up to page 5 so far. I wish I'd discovered it this morning. Although would prob have spent several hours reading it and forgotten to take DS to nursery if I had. Will read some more of it later.

Hope you get your solid smile next time you test BNmum and Strawberry!

Just waiting for DP to get home from work now...

Good luck with your TTC I hope you get a BFP soon!!

I'm not much help with advice as new to using CBFM too but I wanted to share that I understand your confusion!!! I seem to not have any high days and jump straight to peak on CD9!! (28 day cycle).... I am struggling as me and partner are using artifical method of conceiving with syringes due to some problems with natural way so I have no idea if I'm missing it every month as we try too early!!

If trying the normal way I would try and BD every other day but it's not an option and starting to feel it won't happen x

Hi trying just to be clear we are talking about the clearblue advanced ovulation kit with hormone indicator not the clearblue fertility monitor. I'm not sure how the monitor works (probably the same as advanced opks) but just wanted to make sure that we don't give you any misleading advice. It might be worth posting a new thread as I'm sure lots of people on here use the monitor.

If it does work on the same principles you have a very similar cycle length to charley above and she also got a peak around the same time so I'd be tempted to say its a true reading.

Wishing you lots of luck!

Got a fixed smiley face today. So peak fertility after 4 days of high. We dtd last night as part of doing it every other day so we will do it again tonight and, if we have the energy, tomorrow.

Hope it's going well for everyone else.

Yay for fixed smiley faces, Strawberry! Mine disappeared this morning (after 48 hours), and I also noticed that I seem to have stretchy ewcm this morning too, so must be fairly accurate. I?ve never noticed it before, but hopefully am becoming more in tune with my body now. DP and I dtd last night and the night before so fingers crossed.

However, I have also been using the cheap one-step opks that I bought off the internet and today is the first day EVER that I?ve got a positive result from one of those ? a definite two thick lines. So, now thinking that DP and I should dtd tonight as well, if it isn't too late by then. That ties in with what you said, Bnmum about CB being a day or two ahead of the other brands in detecting changes.

Trying ? I didn?t have much faith in these opks until now, but I?m convinced that two different brands telling me similar things must be picking up on something. Btw, I am only on day 9 now of a 29 day cycle now.

Any news, BNmum?

Congrats on the peak strawberry, I hope the bding goes to plan.

Wow, that's reassuring charley, I would try and dtd tonight as well if you can. Good luck!

I wish I had some better news but still getting high fertility! I've also been bleeding since tues but I'm continuing to test as I don't believe it's a true af, although its enough to not want to dtd. I had a bleed at cd20 last month but I was hoping it was a one off, it's occurred around the same time again this month, wtf? I never ever suffered from a mid month bleed before. I'm suspicious that its happened since we've started ttc. Anyway I don't think I've ovulated yet because I think I would then drop to low fertility, have you tested again charley on the advanced and did this happen?