WWYD - take OPKs on holiday?

[MummyBex1985]

Hi all

Sorry but I thought I'd start a new thread for this!

I have a rather irregular cycle after coming off implanon (28-39 days ugh).

Based on a 28 day cycle I would be in my fertile window whilst on holiday. Based on 39 days I wouldn't.

As I have no idea when I'll be ovulating I really wanted to get a handle on it this month but I don't really want to worry about testing when I'm supposed to be relaxing. But similarly if I don't and I only test when I get back then I might have missed my fertile window altogether.

This is month #3 so it's all pretty new to me at the moment - but I haven't actually had a positive OPK the entire time so I was really hoping to do it properly this month.

WWYD?

Hi MummyBex1985. I took OPKs on holiday with me last month. I only started testing towards the end of the holiday and it didn't affect my enjoyment of the holiday at all. If anything it was reassuring to know that I was on top of things. I only test once a day so it doesn't feel like that much of an inconvenience. Like you, I have irregular cycles and I like to do OPKs to get a handle on things. If you feel like you can test once a day without it causing any undue stress or inconvenience, I would go for it. x

Thank you :)

The only thing that concerns me is that my step kids would start asking questions about wtf I was doing because they're rather nosy lol! But yeah I think I'd like to take them as long as that doesn't make me completely loopy haha x

Why not just have sex every other day, then it doesn't matter when you ovulate, all bases are covered. I wouldn't take them if it were me.

OPKs are not of much benefit at all if the menstrual cycle is irregular in nature. A "normal" cycle is a cycle length of between 21 and 35 days or with less than 4 days of variation from month to month.

I would refrain from using these at all in your particular circumstances.

As you're on holidy, would you be ok to just forget opjk's and stuff and just dtd as and when the mood takes you? Just spend the time having fun with your DP and fingers crossed?

I actually disagree with Attila - I use OPKs because my cycles are irregular. I never know when my fertile window will be, and even though my husband and I try to DTD EOD, a positive OPK lets me know when we should step up our efforts. Most importantly, OPKs also let me know when my period is due. Otherwise I would have literally no idea when to test or when I would be considered 'late'.

MummyBex - if you find it stressful or too secretive to use the OPKs you could just skip them this month and take a more laid back approach, as others have suggested. But for me they're invaluable. X

Thanks for the input

The issue I have isn't really about when to DTD, but more about tracking if/when I'm OV with such an irregular cycle. IF that week is a fertile week and I fell PG anyway then that's fine (although I'd have no idea when to test like rainbow), but if I don't then it's just another month of having no hold on my cycle. Plus if I use OPKs when I get home and get all negatives then I've either missed my fertile window or never had one at all!

Gah it's all so confusing! But thank you for the opinions