Confusion with clearblue OPKs- again!!

[Wishingfor2021]

Morning,

So I started using the clearblue advanced digital ovulation tests last month, had 5 days of negative and then jumped straight to a static smiley (although wasn’t a successful month otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this now!)

I’m now CD9 of this month, started yesterday on CD8 and had a negative but today I’ve got a flashing smiley. Sorry if I sound a little dumb but I’m just confused by it all because I didn’t have any flashing smiley days last month, but are you meant to DTD every day you get a flashing smiley or stick to every other day?!

We’re giving SMEP a go this month and started this yesterday, so that’s why I’m questioning if we now need to DTD or stick to every other day, if I’m going by SMEP then I’d be giving today a miss but I don’t want to risk missing our chance?!

Thanks ladies! Xx

Morning,

There's a helpful graph on the CB website which may answer your question (pic attached). Going by this I would say every other day through the flashing until the static smiley, then 3 days in a row from the day you get your static? You can have a flashing smiley for a number of days before it changes to a static.

Good luck for this month!

Ah thank you @Daffodil21 that’s very helpful! Guess I shall carry on with the every other day for the mean time Thank you!

I mean I've been trying for 18 months so I am by no means an expert! We are going to be trying SMEP this month too. It's pretty much the only thing we haven't yet tried

@Wishingfor2021 is that how you would read it? I just bought more OPKs but I bought the pink CB ones as I figured they show enough for SMEP rather than the CB blue 4 fertile day ones?

@Daffodil21 it’s our first month trying SMEP too! Good luck to you for this month I’ve also got cheapy OPKS to do along side the CBD and so far they have been completely negative even though I’m getting a flashing smiley on CBD, I’m guessing that means I’m still a couple of day’s away from my peak, so I suppose that would mean that it’s okay to stick to every other day on the flashing smiley days! Once I get the static I will move onto the 3 days in a row though

@Daffodil21 hopefully this month is your month so you won't need this info but I wouldn't buy the pink CB one again because they test one hormone it's really easy to miss the LH surge. This happened to be last month so I had to BD for the whole month- exhausting!

The flashing detects the estrogen and then the static means it has detected both so it's easier.

I also test twice a day once I see the flashing smiley.

Thank God this month I got the flashing on CD10 and static on CD11 to recover a bit😂

Oh no @serialplanner I just bought a pack of 20 as well! Maybe I'll test twice a day closer to expected ovulation to use them up and just buy the expensive ones again after.

What cheapies do you use? I've got a weird thing about peeing in a cup to dip a stick in it... I'm just not a fan, I'd rather just POAS. Do you know of any cheapies you can just pee on? I've always used the clear blue 4 fertile day ones (except for the pinks I just bought!) but was planning on buying some cheapies to use alongside so I don't miss the surge..

@Wishingfor2021 we've done similar to SMEP, but with fewer breaks, so tbh the breaks will be welcome!!

Good luck to both of you!

@Daffodil21 yes defo test twice! Don't be sad though those 20 could be for your month!

I only use CB because I can't take the stress of interpreting lines. Expensive though so can't always test twice have to be tactical!

X

@serialplanner Yeah that's the reason I use them too. I know they're expensive but I just figure that's my wine money 😂

A static smiley on CD11? Wow, it's normally like CD21 for me! I have an average 36 day cycle so I figured with SMEP we'd just dtd every other day from after my period until
the static smiley? Do you know if the 8th day is significant to start, or is it just assuming women have a period for a week?

@Daffodil21 I know I was shocked! I wonder if it will be the same!

I can't see this post as I write it!!!

Oh there we go I scrolled down😂 I think day 8 if just like you say because your period would be most of those days. If you just want to BD every other day then no harm! X

@serialplanner @Wishingfor2021 how did you get on??

I didn't get a smiley at all this month 😒 I tested twice a day on 'off' days so I didn't miss the surge, but I didn't bother with 'on' days as I figured we'd be dtd anyway... currently on CD29 and still dtd every other day. It's sort of nice not really being in the TWW though! Still testing on Clearblue and on my third box. Definitely not doing them again next month!!

Hi @Daffodil21 thanks for checking in with me!

I got my BFP last week and I’m 5 weeks today, this was my 7th cycle TTC, second month using clearblue OPK’s. I got my static smiley at CD13 and followed SMEP to a T, also used the conceive plus lubricant twice in my peak fertility window.

Sorry to hear you didn’t have any luck with the clearblue OPK’s this month, if it helps at all I was using cheapy opk’s along side and they matched perfectly so you could maybe give them a go next month?

Fingers crossed for you that next month is your month! Xxxx

@Wishingfor2021 that's amazing!!!! I'm so happy for you! Congratulations!!!!

I'm not going to do OPKs anymore. I think it helps not knowing when I'm in my TWW etc. We'll just dtd every other throughout and maybe throw in a couple of extras just for good measure. We're also using conceive plus which helps with the frequency!!!

This is our 19th month of TTC 🙄

@Daffodil21 thank you so much 🥰

That sounds like a good idea, I do think sometimes OPKs can really take the fun out of it, I know that my partner didn’t like the added pressure!

How long have you been using conceive plus for?

@Wishingfor2021 I just feel like I really stress out during the TWW, and if i don't know exactly when that is then I can't stress so much... my cycles vary a bit so I can never be sure when to expect AF unless I use OPKs.

We've only used conceive plus this month and last month, so not very long. We did use Tesco equivalent of pre-seed, and I bought some actual pre-seed for this month, but we haven't actually used the pre-seed yet as we've just been using the conceive plus when needed..! It feels a little more spontaneous that way, even though we both know we're dtd every other day so it's not really!