OPK (cheapies)

[Josico58]

Have been using these pretty consistently since August and I'm yet to have a positive!!

What am I doing wrong? Usually test between 2-3pm, hold it in for 10-12 secs, dont go over the mark line, etc etc.

Starting to get really frustrated!

I am pretty sure i do ovulate as I get the other symptoms (EWCM etc), just haven't managed to successfully get a positive using these.

OPKs dont work for everyone and the are known to be unreliable. Probably best to go off your EWCM.

Also I am also extra wary about the cheapies too. Never got a darker line than the control line with the cheapies, only a line the same colour, whereas with the pricey ones I got v v dark lines or a smiley face which made it clear.

Are you doing it twice a day btw? OPKs are recommended to be used twice a day (every 12 hours) to spot the surge as it can be a case of you just miss it. Mine goes from negative in morning, positive in evening and negative again next morning.

Thank you, I’m not doing twice a day, just once a day at roughly the same time every day. I’ll give twice a day a go.

I also have only ever had a vvvv faint line, which according to the back of the packet is negitive.

Might just invest in a branded OPK. I really want to nail down my OV date as I’m tracking with a couple of different apps and both are telling me different dates... confused :-(

Have only been trying a few months but it’s disheartening to think I could be missing my OV date because I haven’t got the knack of testing correctly.

I didn’t manage to get anything when I first started using them, was advised to use them three times a day in the few days before ovulation was due to occur in order to catch it. But I have been told they don’t work for everyone, as it assumes the hormone surge will reach a certain level, which may not be high enough to detect in everyone.

Hey OP, try twice a day - for some the surge is seen and quickly goes, twice just means you're more likely to catch it.
Last month I had a negative at 11am, a positive at 7pm, followed by a negative in the morning so without the evening test, I would've assumed I didn't ovulate. PP is also right about EWCM, this is the best method but I think keep trying for positive OPKs too as it potentially sounds like you're just missing it as you only try once a day.

Thanks ladies.

What time would you suggest testing? I understand that morning isn't the best time?

Thanks again!

Morning would be ok to test just not with FMU. Make sure you aren’t drinking a lot in the 2 hours before taking the test and I always try and not to go to the loo for that long before as well, both dilute the urine. I test at 2pm and as the line gets darker I test again at 6pm to catch it. If you find you aren’t getting any second line at all I’d try one of the more expensive digitials for a cycle as they are so much easier to read. Or use the glow app to monitor them as they get darker as they take a photo and confirm when positive etc