Ov kit positive - how long have I got!?

[Nappyhead]

Hi all - We've been ttc no2 for a while now and have been doing the deed every 2 days over the couple of weeks mid-cycle.

I don't put a lot of faith in ov kits, but I have tried one this month and today (about 3 hours ago) I got a very clear +ve result. How much longer does that mean I'm fertile for? Has the egg already been released or is now the optimum window of opportunity?

Should I get DH home from work? Hee hee.
x

Go for it NappyH- if I remember rightly you have a window of about 5 days from ovulation till the egg starts deteriorating when unimplanted. If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will be along to correct me soon! (& anyway it'll be fun rying for you won't it-drag him out of work now )

That's right starlight it's all coming back to me now...up to 2 days up to ovulation & then another 2-3 days

NappyH is here nothing on the bumpf in the kit? They usually have lots of details in those bits of paper they stuff in with everything these days!

It depends what Ov Kit you use but as far as I am aware they all detect the LH surge which causes ovulation. You get the LH surge about 24 - 36 hours before you ovulate. Once you ovulate the egg only lives about 6 - 12 hours (sometimes up to 24). So basically your OPK gives you a 24 hour alert so that you can get BD'ing so that your DH's sperm are lying in wait for your egg to be hatched. I know because I had the same panic when I got my positive OPK last month and lots of helpful ladies told me.

Your usually fertile for a few days before you ovulate ie your CM is sperm friendly so that when you do have sex the sperm can survive for sometimes up to 5 days but its normally 2 - 3 days. If you've had sex in the last 24 hours you may have done all you need to but if I were you I'd go again tonight and maybe again tomorrow to be on the safe side.

Be aware though that because all the OPK's do is pick up the LH surge they don't tell you that you've acctually ovulated. Some women find that every now and then they get the surge but don't ovulate. Keep you eyes peeled for other signs like one sided pain and strange feelings in your boobs. I know I get sore nips the day I ovulate.

Sorry if this is all stuff that you know but its all kinda new to me and I like to share good luck x hope this is your month.

That's the way I look at it yes. If your BD'ing every other day anyway your safe. If like me you don't BD every other day then your OPK's give you that warning.

Lots of ladies look out for Egg White CM or Stretchy CM because you tend to get this about 4 or 5 days before you ovulate givig you more of a warning. Somet Ladies play cervical persuit, where you check your cervix daily and wheather its high, low, hard or soft also gives you an indication of when your about to ovulate.

A good book to read is Taking Charge of your Fertility by Toni Weschler. Apparently, I haven't read it yet (I have it on order) but its supposed to be really informative.

That is right, you get LH surge 24-36 hours before ov, then egg lives for 6-12 hours (and max of 24). Sometimes apparently you can ovulate a second time a day later too (or so the books say). But LH surge can last for 1 or 2 days, so sometimes you can test +ve 2 days in a row - try testing tomorrow and if still +ve then keep trying tomorrow too. Am told for some reason LH surge usually starts around noon - so you can get neg test in morning, then + test in afternoon. So could be you just started and don't ov for another 2 days. So you may have 2-3 more fertile days, but can't be sure so to maximise your chances best to start trying today and every day for the next 3 days!

sorry my spelling is terrible.

Have read Taking Charge of Your Fertility also and found it very helpful, explains everything very clearly and shows how to pick up different signs that you are fertile. Just started applying it this cycle so can't tell if it worked yet.

So helpful - thank you!! I'm hoping my DHs swimmers are still swimming from our last encounter which was nearly 48 hours ago and I'll be informing him of his duties when he walks through the door tonight!

Seems that the consensus is to try again tonight and tomorrow night and hope for the best!

Then that's it for this month - phew! This ttc business is like a full-time job....

x

It certainly is a full time job. I came off the pill in February and was just going to let nature take its course, eight months on I'm a raving loony and I'm starting to think I know more about fertility than my GP.

Are you ttc no 1 pixie or are there some mini-pixies already?

Pixie - pls tell me more about the one sided pain. Is this the egg being released, or it travelling down the fallopian tube?

Am I the only one who doesnt know how to do this/has never knowingly done this?

"Some Ladies play cervical persuit, where you check your cervix daily and wheather its high, low, hard or soft also gives you an indication of when your about to ovulate."

Sorry Nappyhead & coleyboy I didn't reply to your posts. This is the first little pixie that I'm tring for and I've always thought the one sided pain I get is from the egg being released.

Carolbrad You are certainly not the only one. I only started playing cervical persuit this month. It's a quick and easy way of checking your fertility. The theory is if you cervix is high in your vagina and it feels soft and open then your fertile. If it feels low, closed and hard then your are not fertile. It takes about a month apparently to know what's high whats low ect but once you've gotten used to doing it, it can help you understand the different stages of your cycle.

The way I see it is the more you know about what's going on with your body the more likley your BDing efforts will pay off.

I now check my cervix daily and my CM, I use OPK's and I chart different symptoms ie when I get headaches or cramps ect. I haven't gone into temping yet.