No LH surge detected

[Sarah1417]

We are currently TTC and have been now for 5 months. I know this is fairly early on in the process however I have been using ovulation tests this time round as with our little boy we didnt even really try and it just happened.

The problem is I have been using them every day from day 8 onwards and I never get a positive result. I can see the tests strip go from literally no result and start to increase. I see them starting to get darker by day 11 and I experience some pains on this day always. The tests increase in colour but never get as dark as the control strip. Could my LH surge be there but low? Could the test not be showing this as it's not strong enough?

If my LH surge is low does that mean I am not ovulating. I have a lot of questions and I'm not sure where to go for advise.

Hi! I’m using OPK sticks too! I had a positive result last month but this month I haven’t! I’m wondering if we could miss the surge as I’ve read some people’s can last a matter of hours! 🤷🏻‍♀️

How many times a day are you testing? I never used to do them twice a day and never get a positive, I started to do them 3 times a day, morning, noon (about 2pm) and night and now I get a positive every month. Yesterday's was positive at 8am and nearly positive the night before and a few hours later. All the guides say LH is lower first thing but for me it's not. If I didn't do them first thing then I'd miss it.

My LH can happen anytime from cd12 to CD 16

That should say CD 11 to 16

So my cycle is between 26 and 28 days. I've been testing twice a day from day 8 to 14. It gets darker but not darker then the control like on day 11 so I tested 3 times that day 6AM, 3PM and 6PM. I never got a full positive result. Then from day 12 the line based got lighter and is almost not there at all now.

I got test strips from ebay and I'm wondering if my LH surge is there but not strong enough to be detected by the ones I have so I have brought (supposedly) the ultra sensitive ones now which I'm waiting for in the post. I'm almost certain that my surge should have happened on cycle day 11 but its bugging me that I didn't get a positive result.

I'm going to try and test more in the afternoon and evening now as I'm not getting very good results in the morning. I know we have only been trying for 5 months but it seems like forever to me :(

@Sarah1417 my cycles are similar to yours and I get my surge on CD15, sometimes CD16 so you might be stopping testing a bit too early x try to test until CD18 and see if you get a surge x

Oh gosh I never even thought I might be stopping testing too soon. I'll continue doing them today as I would normally stop and see how that goes too. Thank you for the advice _

I used the strips when I was TTC #1 and never got a positive! I found tracking CM and temping much more effective and less stressful. I even had an ultrasound to see if I was ovulating and all came back fine. DS is now 18 months. I also found acupuncture really helpful. Good luck x

Same as above, I never once got a positive OPK but conceived anyway.

I would wholeheartedly recommend the Clear Blue Advanced Fertility Monitor. Its like a small handheld computer thing and it takes away all the guess work.

In this phase of trying to work out your cycle I’d recommend testing every 4 hours from day 8 to day 18 (or until you get a positive) on your next couple of cycles.

Use the Internet cheapy OPKs like one step.

My lines followed a pattern of getting gradually darker from day 9 then on day 12 would disappear to nearly nothing and then I’d get my surge on day 14. It isn’t necessarily a straightforward gradual progression...

I had no idea that they could completely disappear then have the surge!

I have only stopped this morning so I should be able to continue on now and the new set of strips will come soon. Hopefully monitoring more days will help me to see a positive.

Its also helpful knowing that people have conceived without getting a positive result.

Am I right in thinking that every other day is a reasonable enough amount of "trying". Every day was seeming to get to be a chore for lack of a better word

Yes. I’d say it’s better that way to stop it becoming a chore. Once you have worked out your cycle and can identify your LH surge I’d go as far as saying that you could just choose to DTD 24-36h after the LH surge as that’s your optimum timing and otherwise not force it!

@Letsallscreamatthesistene how much does the monitor cost? Did it help you to conceive do you think? X

Hi @Grace2296

It cost me about £90, but then you have to buy the test strips separately which are about £10 each time. It wasnt a cheap option by any means, but I conceived with the second month of using it. It was 100% the reason I conceived.

We used the Clearblue digital ovulation test (£34 on amazon) and got pregnant the first month using it. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I know it may sound stupid/wasteful but I started tracking as soon as my period stopped and I’m glad I did because I was ovulating much earlier than my app tracker was telling me I would - only 6 days after the end of my period!

Good luck ❤️

@Gigitree I got the Clear Blue ovulation tests this month with the smiley face and I still got a negative result but I was using them in the morning not the evening.

I believe I ovulate on day 11 of my cycle which like yourself is just 6 days after the end of my period too. My apps suggest I should ovulate on day 14 as a standard and I believe this is because I have not yet recorded a positive result from my testing!

We will continue on and I will try the other version of Clear Blue if I need them next month. I'll keep hoping that by some miracle we have managed to catch my surge this month without knowing about it haha fingers crossed

I got the Clear Blue ovulation tests this month with the smiley face and I still got a negative result but I was using them in the morning not the evening.

I used them too, but didnt work for me either! Thats why I indulged and got the monitor and it was the only thing that worked for me.

DO NOT buy the Ava watch though, its ridiculously expensive and not worth the dolla