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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

OPKs are cheap ones from Amazon any good?

27 replies

onefunkymama · 03/09/2013 07:54

Anyone tried the OPKs linked? The Clearblue ones are pricey and I wondered about trying these first www.amazon.co.uk/Highly-Sensitive-Ovulation-Fertility-Strips/dp/B001G7P62S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378191202&sr=8-1&keywords=ovulation+predictor+kit

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DontCallMeDaughter · 03/09/2013 08:01

I use these.... I wait until it looks like it might be positive and then confirm with one of the expensive Clear Blue Smiley Face ones. I like the Smiley Face as its a definite "yes" but I think they're too expensive to use twice every day. So far (10 months) they have agreed with what the Clear Blue ones say - but I do still like to see the smiley face for confirmation.

Bronteshoes · 03/09/2013 08:01

I used those and they worked really well for me. The pregnancy test ones were great too - easily as good as the expensive ones.

CatsCantFlyFast · 03/09/2013 08:06

I used these every cycle and they always worked. My advice is for the first few cycles use two or three times a day near O to ensure you don't miss your surge and the positive

Original poster
onefunkymama · 03/09/2013 10:13

Thank you ladies, so I should test more often than once a day? How many days do they show up as fertile as I am not sure whether we should just go for it on peak days or also on days when the hormones are rising, sorry for so many questions! Never used these before

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PrincessKitKat · 03/09/2013 10:24

I got upduffed first go with those babies!

I tested until a faint line appeared then we started DTD.

I did test twice a day after the line started appearing but to be honest I felt that so long as DH kept me topped up Confused around that time, the actual time of peak ovulation was that important.

CatsCantFlyFast · 03/09/2013 10:26

Everybody's LH surge (the hormone surge that precedes ovulation) is a different length. You will ovulate between 12 and 36 hours approx of the peak of your LH surge.
Some people only get 1 positive OPK each cycle (ie they have a short surge) whereas some people get 2 or 3 positive OPKs (they have a longer surge... need to assume the middle time of the positives was the peak)
So, while you get to know your cycle I would suggest testing twice a day from day 11, and once you get a line, test 3 times a day until the OPK is totally negative again. Tape all of your OPK sticks onto a sheet of paper in order and write the day and time that you took them next to it. You then should be able to understand the length of your LH surge, the time from the first line to the peak, and subsequently guess when you will approximately ovulate. Your fertile period is approx 4 days before ovulation and 1 day afterwards (remember this is relative to ovulation and NOT relative to your positive OPK which will be at least 12 hours before ovulation). The most fertile days are the day before and day of ovulation. Good luck

PrincessKitKat · 03/09/2013 10:27

Oh sorry - I started testing 6 days after the last day of my period and got a faint positive on the eighth day, then tested twice a day til it disappeared.

Original poster
onefunkymama · 03/09/2013 10:56

Ordered! Just need to wait until AF has been by now (hoping a bit she won't show up anyway!) Wish me luck girlees Smile

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PrincessKitKat · 03/09/2013 11:52

Good luck!
Don't forget to update!

Madratlady · 03/09/2013 12:17

I got pregnant first try using these as well. I know there's an element of luck but I was ovulating a lot later than I thought so we were DTD loads at the wrong times and less often at the right times.

Original poster
onefunkymama · 06/09/2013 18:11

They're much smaller than I expected, tried one but only to see what happened. Have to wait for AF before I can have a proper go with them. Unless, of course, AF doesn't come, which would be fantastic!

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CatsCantFlyFast · 06/09/2013 18:21

It might be obvious (in which case give me a slap for pointing it our) but its easiest to pee in a pot and dip the OPK for 10 seconds

CatsCantFlyFast · 06/09/2013 18:22

our out

captaincake · 06/09/2013 18:25

I am using amazon cheap ones and a CBFM. Yesterday I had peak on the monitor and the cheapey test line was darker than the control line... so ime they work very well. I had a positive with fmu and again later in the day but today it was back down to a faint line.

VJONES1985 · 06/09/2013 19:10

I use these but this month am finding it trickier because I have had a faint line every single day so I can't tell whether it's time to increase dtd, increase poas or what???

PrincessKitKat · 06/09/2013 23:25

VJONES an OPK will show a positive if you're pregnant - have you 100% ruled that out?

If you're definitely not, the OPK measures a hormone surge, so you levels might be permanently raised for some reason? I'd speak to your GP.

CatsCantFlyFast · 07/09/2013 00:08

Everyone has some level of LH in their system throughout their cycle, VJones's OPKs are likely to just be showing this. You should still get a surge pre O. Furthermore an OPK would only register a pregnancy with a positive result, not a faint line

PrincessKitKat · 07/09/2013 00:17

Listen to Merkin. Sounds like she knows her stuff.

Sorry.

KatAndKit · 07/09/2013 07:40

I used the cheapies, they are great. I did one in the morning and one in the afternoon starting on day ten. Ignore faint lines, both lines have to be dark if you are about to ovulate. However i was lucky and could see the faint line getting slightly darker each day. This doesn't always happen though. I found testing twice a day allowed me to pick up the surge right at the begiining, therefore allowing more sex opportunity before the surge was over.

Hibou7688 · 07/09/2013 08:39

I've bought some of these but not used any til after this AF has finished.. So.. Am airight in thinking that The faint line/dark line should show higher up the strip if there is a 'surge'? Or am I being thick??

KatAndKit · 07/09/2013 08:51

No, there is only the two places on the strip for lines. The line wont move. I am not trying to be mean but did they not send an instruction booklet, i had one which explained it all nicely, perhaps if you google search you will get the information you need about how to get the best out of ovulation tests. The basic instruction though is when you get two dark lines, have sex that day and if possible the next day. Ignore faint lines as they don't mean anything.

KatAndKit · 07/09/2013 08:52

Sorry, i see you haven't bought any yet. If you do, they come with good instructions so follow the leaflet and it should be fine. Good luck

VJONES1985 · 07/09/2013 10:53

Princess kitkat and merkin - thank you for your advice :-)

Original poster
onefunkymama · 08/09/2013 12:45

Now for a really, really daft question, should we start DTD as soon as the second line starts to show? How many days should we do it for?

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