TTC at 37 - questions about OPK

[pinkpirlie]

I'm TTC aged 37.

I never thought I wanted children. Then my partner when a little drunk last July and said he desperately wanted a baby. Then the next day he said he didn't know where it had come from and he wasn't ready. I was so disappointed and realised I really did want one.
We have spent the past 6 months discussing whether or not it is the right choice for us, and we decided over Christmas that now is the time.

I am currently on CD 13. I started doing daily OPKs at CD8 (I don't know my cycle length, I've never paid it much attention but it is fairly regular, 30 days give or take I would say), which I know was probably too early but I didn't have a clue so thought earlier is better than late.

On no test yet has there even been a hint of a second line. Is this something to be concerned about? Could I be doing something wrong? Or is it just too early.
Looking at posts of other people doing them, they seem to be showing lines from around CD12.

Most likely too early, my cycle is usually around 30 days too and I am also on CD13 today! Tested today with standard OPK and very faint but CB dual hormone has been saying high (flashing smiley - oestrogen rise) for a few days.

I usually ovulate around CD15/16 so assume you would be similar with 30 day cycle (assuming 14 day average luteal phase), although it can differ. I am expecting peak on standard OPK on Sunday. The surge is short and sharp rather than a steady increase, so until it happens you will be getting very faint lines :) x

Okay thank you. I thought it would gradually rise rather than sudden.
Better do some more reading - it's all so new and a lot to take in.
Good luck!!
First month trying for us so I'm not expecting anything, but it's nice to be on the journey.

hi @pinkpirlie - I'm TTC at 39, first time, and first month using OPK, so I thought I'd jump in and say hello. I'm only on CD8 (on a usually 25 day cycle), and using Clearblue OPK I haven't had a smiley face yet. I was just wondering at what time of day you are taking the test, and are you doing it multiple times a day? The leaflet says it can be done at any time of the day, once a day, but I have read other online advice that says people often take it every 12 hours, and that it isn't best to use first thing in the morning, as LH peaks are usually between 12-8pm.

I have been taking them once a day around lunch time. I have a drink first thing and then hold on as long as possible. I read to try and not drink for 4 hours before, and between 2 and 2.30 is the optimum time.
I'm going to start twice a day now as I get closer to my ovulation date.
I only got the cheap femometer sticks off Amazon, I figured I would try with those for a couple of months and see what happens. And if I don't conceive or get good data, invest in more expensive ones later on and see if they are more helpful.

I have never tracked before and AF came when AF came. I couldn't even tell you when my December period came that's how little notice I took. Now I'm wishing I had paid more attention.

I have my fingers crossed for you!

Definitely is a lot to take in. I am 35, have 1 son who is nearly 3 and had MMC last year so am just back TTC after a break.

I have attached a chart which shows hormones through cycle. Oestrogen steadily increases and precedes LH surge (which is short and sharp and happens about 12-36 hours before ovulation). Clearblue dual hormone OPKs pick up the oestrogen increase as well as the LH surge, so gives you a broader fertile window as you are most fertile 5 days before and day of ovulation.

Hope that is of some help...! Good luck! x

Chart ...

@Amz6219 thank you so much. Really informative. Will see what happens this month and then look at the clear blue tests.

@Amz6219 sorry to hear about the MC. I wish you all the luck in the world this time.

Thank you @Amz6219 that's really helpful. And I'm sorry about your MC .
I think I'll switch to afternoons too, @pinkpirlie as it sounds like I'll get better results. I am not sure if I can avoid having a wee for 4 hours, but I'll give it a go! I am using the pink Clearblue ones, which only detect LH and a 2-day fertile window. If I don't have any luck this month I think I'll switch to the upgrade.

@Pinkpirlie
Similar to you, i'm 37 and my partner and I changed our minds on children at the end of last year.

I was testing for ovulation since few days after period in Dec none of which returned a result. My pregnancy test this week did though
I think looking back - I probably had already missed my LH surge when I was testing!

Good luck ! hope it works out for you soon.

@GeorgiePorge amazing!!! Congratulations on the pregnancy!!! So exciting for you.
Very quick conception for you, hope so for us too. 🥰

@TTCat39 let me know how you get on with the later tests.
I did one at 2.30 today and still nothing.
Yesterday I was very late in the day testing as I held my pee all morning and then was so desperste I forgot to collect some 😭

@GeorgiePorge congratulations!! That's brilliant.
We're currently on our third cycle TTC. Hope we're as lucky! x

@pinkpirlie Thanks! very early days, and i'm very nervous about it sticking, whilst trying to get my head around it. My OH keeps saying "you told me it would take a year!"

lots of luck to you both !.x

@TTCat39

Thank you! Third time will be a charm for you I hope!

Best of luck x

@GeorgiePorge I can imagine my boyfriend saying the same 🤣

@pinkpirlie - I had a positive OPK this morning. Have you had one yet?

I had switched to afternoons for testing, as the general advice was that LH was likely to peak in the p.m. But this morning I had a really low BBT (0.9 degrees F lower) and EWCM, so I decided to test when I got up, and got a smiley face :-)
DTD yesterday, today, and plan to do the same for the next couple of days. So fingers crossed that the vitamins and the tracking have upped our chances this month!

@TTCat39 nothing for me yet. Still a very very feint line.

I started tracking BBT 4 days ago so not much to compare yet. Does a low BBT signal that ovulation is going to occur? Mine was lower today than the past three days. It was 35.9°C. I did it twice as I wasn't convinced it was right, as it seemed too low, but got the same again.

Hope DTD is successful for you; have fun 😜

@TTCat39 also, what vitamins are you taking?

I feel like I'm going to start rattling I've been taking so many. Some of them I found in a drawer and not sure why I even bought them but thought wth, may as well take them too.

Hi @pinkpirlie I'm taking Pregnacare, and OH is taking the Wellman ones (although not Wellman Conception because we couldn't find any, but they appear to be very similar in content). I am also taking an additional 1000mg a day of vitamin C, in the hope that it lengthens my luteal phase - My usual cycle is 25 days, which is quite short already but I was particularly worried last month when I had a 22 day cycle, as that might not be long enough for implantation after ovulation. I read that vitamin C can lengthen that phase, so thought I'd give it a go. I don't think excess vit C has any consequences (but I'm not a doctor!) so worse case scenario I just pee it out and it doesn't help.
I do tend to get a short cycle about once every six months (perhaps I just don't ovulate that month so AF comes early?) so hopefully that's over with for now and I go back to being a bi more hospitable for a good egg?!

Oops, didn't see your first post @pinkpirlie.
I am new to BBT, and was worried that my temp seemed consistently quite high. But today (CD11) there is a definite downwards spike. A lower temp is purported to happen immediately before ovulation, so I am taking that as a good sign. I did have a dip straight after AF finished (CD5) but it went back up again the next day, and I'm assuming that's too early for ovulation. OPK was negative that day as well - I started that far too early this month, but we live and learn!

Do other people get convinced that they aren't working properly, or is it just me?! I am a bit on the old side for this, especially as a first timer, but it makes me feel better to know more abut what to look out for, and much reassured when it seems to correlate with what's going on with me.

@pinkpirlie How many test you take a day?
I normally take 3 per day from my fertile window, as my peak only shows up for 12 hours.

This month I had a very strong positive at 9am (a night before was negative). The same day by 2pm it was negative and stayed like that. I suggest to get a cheap tests from Amazon and take them more often, as it is possible your LH surge only shows for a few hours. But it doesn`t mean you less fertile :) If I only take the test when suggested (between 12 and 2pm) I would definitely miss mine line.

Hi @Tina8800 - In that case, I'm really glad I took BBT and OPK this morning! I will have a look for the cheaper tests from Amazon, as if we are at this for a few months longer I'll be spending a fortune! Out of interest, do your peak fertile days vary much from month to month? I think I was too eager this month with starting OPK on day CD5, wondering if I could start later.

@TTCat39 thanks for that.
I take 1000mg of vitamin C, zinc, iron and vitamin D regularly anyway as I have had difficulties with my blood in the past, but I've also started taking folic acid and Q10. I'm also eating lots of sprouts and kale. 🤣

My boyfriend is just taking the zinc, vitamin C and D as normal. I hadn't thought to give him conception specific vitamins. Will have a look into it.

I use the Easy Home strips form amazon for 3 months now, and they are very good. It has a free app, and that is helps me a lot too.
Do you know around when you ovulate? Any symptoms? I got pregnant in September (unfortunately ended in miscarriage) and before I always knew when I ovulate from the amount of discharge. Since the mc, I completely dried out, so I had to start around CD6 too, as I had no idea if I was ovulating early or late. My LH surge shows up on CD15 every month now (only for 12 hours) and I think I ovulate on the CD17. I start to test 3 times a day from CD14.