OPK, can someone help my understand how they work?

[daisychain8]

Hi ya,

In short, I had been on contraception for about 12years, mixture of the pill and nexplanon implants, have been contraceptive free since Nov 15.

Age 28
TTC #1
Cycle 4

I have bought some OPK tests, not to become an obsessive tester and let it dictate our sex life, but just to give me piece of mind that I am actually ovulating after all I've put my body through.

How do they work? Does the line get stronger the closer you get to ovulation?
This is my one from yesterday....

Any help would be appreciated :)

Hi daisy
I've been using these too and as far as I can tell the test line should be as dark or darker than the control line for a positive result. I think that you generally get a positive result 12-24 hours before ovulation. Someone may correct me but I think that's right

Thank you for your reply cakes

Yes looking at the instructions that sounds right :)
Thought this was a negative result, I just wondered if a faint line means it is on its way? Didn't know if it got darker as ovulation gets closer?!

How have you been getting on with them? This is my first one, will do another a bit later and see how it goes

Hi, yes that's definitely a negative and they don't necessarily get darker each day up to ovulation, mine used to be pale like that every day and then suddenly a dark one. Sometimes the day before ovulation would be darker then a fully dark one the next day.

I had a dark line on about cd6 I think which I started. The line got fainter and I've been told it'll get darker again as I best ovulation. Are you checking your cm too? I'm finding that's a better, if slightly disgusting, way to work out what's going on

Thank you ladies, just needed confirmation on how it all worked. Very helpful to know

I'm CD12 and doing the deed every other day, fingers crossed for this month!

Will test again in a bit to see what's happening today, would be nice to know my body has gone back to normal since stopping contraception.