OPKs with 40+ day cycles - any point?

[Miserablemouse]

Hi everyone,

Just hoping I could pick some of your brains. I came off the pill last March and have been actively TTC since August (so 6 cycles trying although not using protection for 10), and as is typical with the pill I have had really long cycles since coming off, mostly 41 or 43 days. There have also been a couple of 16 day-ers in there because, of course, you need to get your second period of the month on the day your best friend announces her pregnancy. But I digress.

My GP did “day 21” bloods in December (I carry a genetic condition which will likely result in lots of MCs so they were happy to do my bloods before we’d been trying a year) which indicated I hadn’t ovulated that month but obviously with my cycles being hit and miss length wise we have no idea how close I was to a week after ovulation when I had the test done.

I’ve tried tracking my BBT but it doesn’t seem to give a clear indication of ovulation either. So I was wondering whether to give OPKs a bash? I would just love a better handle on whether or not I’m ovulating - it’s so frustrating being told “just relax and have loads of sex” when in effect it could all be pointless if there’s nothing to fertilise? (Not that sex is ever pointless but you know what I mean)

Anyway. Would love to know if anyone with long cycles was ovulating and if so did you use OPKs? Any advice on what day to start using them?

Thanks in advance for your help ladies. I was a brief poster in the summer but deleted my account as it was making me sad when I first realised that I probably wasn’t ovulating, but I’ve been lurking since then and feel like I need your valuable opinions!

I have ridiculously long cycles- never used OPKs but did use a clear blue monitor and I know this resulted in my first pregnancy! I would say definitely worth the investment. Also a lot easier than reading OPKS. Good luck

Hi user - that’s really helpful, thank you! I haven’t looked into the clearblue monitor but did get the jist from my lurking around the boards that is quite expensive. If it helps though I will definitely have to give it some thought!

I’m on a clothes/skincare shopping ban for 6 months so maybe the monitor can be a payday gift from me to me instead

Haha do it! We couldn't really afford to either -but thought what the hell! Fingers crossed for you x

It might be worth tracking temp. It takes a while to figure out the pattern but I find it helpful. My cycles are a bit all over the place and I struggle to get much sense out of OPKs but I definitely get the post ov spike, which is obviously not much use initially but helps when trying to figure out what your body’s playing at from month to month.

Thanks Ronnie, that’s a good idea! I did try it for a couple of months but got disheartened with it not making any sense. I was sure I saw an ovulation spike the month I had my bloods done but maybe I just misinterpreted the chart.

Will get back into doing it - if nothing else it might help me get up earlier for work!!

When I was ttc I was using opk's and not getting very far (they're pretty hard to read). I was accepted onto a clear blue trial using the digital ovulation sticks (they have a smiley face and flashing smiley). I was pregnant the month after! I never thought I'd get my little monkey naturally whilst having 49 day cycles. Good luck on your ttc journey

Thank you pirate!! That’s especially interesting to hear as my doctor had told me that anything over 40 days is almost a guarantee that you’re not ovulating, so I’m really pleased to hear that you had the same scenario but obviously were!!

Sounds like clear blue is the way to go. Congrats on your little one!

I'm on CD53 currently (last cycle was 52 days), second cycle since coming off contraception. I've done OPK's since CD5 and been sticking them all in a book. Got a couple positives over the month but always have some kind of line so not sure what's going on. In all honesty they frustrate me to no end but I've kept going!

Nightmare isn’t it Pickett!! My first cycle off the pill was 58 days and I naively thought it would be a one off and they’d slowly get closer to 28 but nope, they seem quite happy flitting between 43 and 16!

Keeping them all so you can see a progression sounds good. I think I might splash out on some of the clear blue sticks and then if I get on well with them maybe the monitor in a month or two. Good luck

The clear blue advanced digital sticks measure the same hormones as the monitor and give you the same information. The monitor just gives you a more user-friendly interface.

I think with a long cycle they'd work out really expensive though? Although the monitor itself is expensive so not sure which would be worse!

Sorry OP also just remembered the time I got pregnant I took agnus castes - no idea if it helped but I think it's supposed to help shorten your cycle.

Thanks darkstar- I thought that was the case, but might give the sticks alone a go first before splashing out on the monitor. Thanks for confirming. Although like user says it’s expensive either way!

Wouldn’t it be nice to just have a window into your uterus so you could always know what was going on.

Also user, thanks! I’ve had Agnus castus in my amazon basket for about 3 weeks but keep wussing out. Time to click buy I think!

My cycles are anywhere between 42 and 95 days. I was convinced I wasn’t ovulating so started using the cheap opks on cd8 and intended to carry on until I got my next period. Got a positive opk on cd41 and a bfp at cd50
Currently 10 weeks pregnant.
So in my experience, yes it can be worth it! I couldn’t get on with temping either.
Good luck!

I used the clearblue advance sticks when ttc for my dd. My cycles were irregular when I used them and sometimes had to do the morning test 15 days in a row until it finally changed to 'high fertility' then peak. The cheap sticks never showed a positive, even when used at same time as the clearblue ones. It says to start on a certain day but do it when you think you need to, for me I ovulate much later than the guide says to start testing from, so I now start testing later. Have you been monitoring your cervical mucus?

I didn't get on with basal temp, but works for some

@FeloniusGru my cycles are long also, can I ask when you were using OPK's from day 8 did you have any sort of line on them? Not necessarily positive but did you have faint lines? I'm on CD53 and used OPKss since CD5, I have always had a visible test line. Not always 'positive' but definitely always there! Not sure if this is a long cycle thing or just a 'me' thing.

@PickettBowtruckles yes I usually had a line of some sort, some days just a faint one and other days it would be close to the control line but not quite positive. When I finally had a positive, it was clearly as dark as the control line so there was no doubt with that one.

Hi, I find it odd that your GP said anything over 40 days means you are unlikely to be ovulating! I had long cycles of over 40 days and they varied every month so sometimes over 50 days - I was concerned it meant something but was told by different medical people that it wasn't. I now have a 3 year old. I used the cheap OPK and just tested loads and also used clear blue digital, after a couple of months I also realised the pattern in EWCM and this was the biggest help in the end. Good luck!

Definitely chart your cervical mucus as well.
I have irregular cycles (once had a "day 21" progesterone test on day 40 to confirm ovulation after temping!), and now just use the cheap ov sticks once my mucus changes ( and confirm with temps that I have ovulated).
We're trying for no 2 now.

@FeloniusGru thanks so much for answering that. I was getting worried about what was going on with mine but sounds very similar, having lines quite close to the control line darkness but not quite positive. I've had a couple clearly positive but only cycle 2 since coming off contraception so not too worried about that part yet. Thanks again!

Thanks everyone, some really helpful info!

Gru thanks so much for your experience and congratulations!! This is definitely making me feel more positive.

Hongkong so was I! And quite sad too of course because it makes it feel so futile. He was quite blase and disinterested.

seven, ilona I haven't been tracking CM as I don't seem to get anything that isn't creamy ? I will start tracking it in my app and get back into BBT. At least then I might have a better idea of when to start the CB sticks!

Thanks again you lovely lot. I've been feeling so down (about other things too but approaching a year off the pill hasn't helped) and really appreciate your helpful replies.