What are people's experience with ovulation sticks?

[nandostodayplease]

I'm currently using boots ovulation predictor sticks, and my test line is always faint! The same happened with the Sainsbury's ones! It's making me worried that I'm not ovulating

Has anyone had similar experiences? I'm wondering if i should pay more and get a digital one?

I am having the same problem nandos. I've used them for the last couple of months because I wanted to know if my cycles had returned to normal after coming off the pill a few months ago.

Last month I did get a darker line eventually but not until CD20 and I still don't think it was quite as strong as the control line. In the run up to that I had had several days of feint lines but nowhere near positive.

This month is our first month TTC and I am barely seeing a whisper of a line at all, where last month I did. According to my app I should be in my fertile window now and ovulating tomorrow. I'm hoping I will still ovulate but clearly it won't be tomorrow.

Our sex life isn't exactly wonderful - we are once a week types really - so I am trying to use the OPKs to time our efforts to give us the best chance. I feel it will put my DH under too much pressure if I have to try and get him into it every day.

I've been reading about the clear blue digital monitor and wondered whether to get one but this is only our first cycle of trying and I don't want to get too obsessed! We may have a loooonnnng road ahead of us after all.

Good luck!

I spent a small fortune on sticks before getting a digital monitor. Then found out I had PCOS and the monitor was no good for me! Using a thermometer and tracking app was more effective. (but ended up on clomid in the end). If your periods are pretty regular then the digital monitor may help but I'd use it alongside other tracking methods.

First time I tried I got no line at all all month, but got pregnant that cycle. (boots own sticks)

This time I used Internet cheapies from amazon - first cycle I tracked (not ttc) I tested in the afternoon as suggested and only faint line. Next cycle (ttc) I tested on the evening and got my first ever dark line on cd10. Conceived that cycle.

So I suggest getting cheap ones and testing at different times of day.

I used Internet cheapies and tested at 2pm and 10pm and always caught my +!!

I used internet cheapies. I thought they weren't working but actually I was ovulating much later than I thought (CD23 I think). The cycle we DTD on the peak day I conceived.

daffodil if you ovulated on day 23 how long was your cycle? I've read that if you ovulate late if can be difficult to conceive if your AF comes less than 10 days later and that is worrying me after last month.

Lampert you sound just like me and dh, plus I'm supposedly in my fertile window too!!

I'm going to get a clear blue thing I think, I'm pushing it age wise so I haven't got time to loose

Spent a fortune on opk's. Resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't ovulating... found out I was pg a week after what I'd chalked up to being "another eggless cycle"! Honestly? Lots of regular sex and if you can possibly help it, relax as much as you can.

I found it difficult to get a positive with them. I eventually got one by testing every wee the entire day. Just testing once or twice a day I wouldn't have caught it.

That's reassuring to know that I may still be ovulating, I have been getting really worried!

I got the clear blue! According to the app in my most fertile today but the stick said not at all so not going to bother tonight now

My ovulation stick the month I got pregnant wasn't technically positive because the test line wasn't darker than the control line. Obv still ovulated though!

Ok that's interesting nandos. Keep us updated with how you get on. I might follow suit and get the clear blue next month if I don't get a positive with the cheapies. Good luck!!

After an accidental impulse purchase (damn you amazon prime and boring train commute) of the advanced digital clear blue tests I got home from work 30 mins ago and got my first properly positive internet cheapie OPK! Typical. Needn't have spent £36 cause clearly if I time it right I can get a positive on the cheap ones. Doh!!

I've never had anything close to a positive on any OPK, but I've had a chemical so I must be ovulating.

Well according to my app I'm now not in my fertile period, but on the clearblue I have had a flashing face the last 2 days, which indicates ovulation is imminent and that I'm fertile!

I'm not sure if it's accurate or not, but if it's accurate im ovulating late!

I hated the Clearblue ones. Too faffy and often got the sign saying it hasn't quite worked. What worked for me was Superdrug own brand sticks plus cheapies off Amazon.

I'd be wearyof constant testing which used to make me go insane (and put lots of pressure on DP as we began to have most functional uninspiring sex ever as a result of me going "That's it, let's go! ) I also got the Glow period tracking app. As it tracks all the symptoms it helped me get in tune with my body and I only used sticks a couple of times again to verify that I was ovulating when I felt I was ovulating (and I did) and then just went with my body and ditched the sticks.