OPK?

[HelloBrass]

We're planning on starting TTC within the next couple of months & I'd like to try using OPKs.

Could anyone fill me in on how they work, how best to utilise them, anything else I can try alongside them?

I can google, obvs, but would love to hear it from the horses mouth, iyswim.

Thanks!

Any experience shared would be greatly appreciated!

You dip them in urine, they detect a surge in LH hormones which your body produces when you ovulate.

I used to use them every day - as I was getting closer to ovulation I would use them twice a day

They are only positive when the test line is darker (or as dark) as the control line (you will quite often have 2 lines on the test but that doesn’t mean it’s positive- it’s not the same as a pregnancy test)

I found them useful to get to grips with my cycle and to pin point ovulation. I fell pregnant the 2nd month I used them!

Hi @HelloBrass it's my first month using them so am no expert! Do you know how long your cycles are? I was on the pill so had been tracking using an app then started opk. My cycles were averaging 25 days so I Google best time to start using them and it was cd8. I actually missed my surge and was upset as I thought it meant I hadn't ovulated but I'm also temping this month and I have. Ovulation was cycle day 11. I think if I don't conceive this month I will test 3x to try and catch the surge as mine was quick. Hope that helps :)

As @Wildlingofthewest said 🙂.

I use them every morning from a few days after AF finished. When they started to get darker in colour I did them twice a day (mid evening for the second).

I do tend to use A LOT of them when they get dark enough that I know I'm soon going to get a positive. Just in case I miss it but if I do then I mark the closest to positive one as my positive. I also usually do another test just for good measure then morning/evening after a positive to be sure the surge hasn't lasted longer. You should expect to ovulate from 12-48 hours after the positive. You might get some mild cramping with it. I also get a lot of EWCM when I'm nearing ovulation too 🙂.

Here's a wee pic of the lead up to my first positive - I was so chuffed haha!

First test is late afternoon, next before I went to bed and third first thing in the morning was the positive

Sorry @VenusStarr as you said also but I took so long to type that out that your comment only appeared after I posted lol!

Thank you!

So, the surge indicates you about to ovulate. If you "miss" the surge then you may have missed the boat, but if the OPKs have been getting increasingly darker presumably dtd during this time you may catch ovulation anyway?

My cycles are on average 30 days, but month to month can be a couple of days more or less. I have been taking note of cycle symptoms and I seem to get low level constant cramps for my entire fertility week. CM starts very thick and sticky for the first couple of days, then becomes more egg white. I use Clue to track.

I guss because my cycles aren't consistent, OPKs would help indentify ovulation more specifically.

Are all OPKs pretty much the same or are certain brands more user friendly/accurate?

Any other tips?

Thanks again!

Hiya make sure you have an app to track your cycle so you know what time of month you generally ovulate so you will only track your ovulation around that time each month. I buy the one step cheap ones off amazon and then work just fine. I also bought the clearblue ones (much more expensive) and when my second line is getting quite dark on the cheap opks I use the clearblue and I get a positive within a day or two. It just gives me extra comfort that it says you’re about to ovulate but it isn’t necessary as the one step ones are just fine. The first month I don’t think I ovulated as was just off the pill and I wasted about 15 of them, what a waste of money!

Sorry missed it when you said clue. Egg white ewcm is the most fertile stuff so dtd as soon as you have that

Thanks @stellarfox

I think Clue is pretty much bang on if cm is anything to go by, despite my slightly inconsistent cycle, which is encouraging.

I think I'll give OPKs ago on cycle 1, but then maybe relax a bit. I am worried about getting too anxious about it all.

FIngers crossed.