Idiots guide to ovulation sticks

[BiscuitLover3678]

Could someone please treat me like an idiot and explain how they work? Really can’t afford to buy those clear blue smiley ones again. I just have those strips.

From what I can remember, you are ovulating (or about to) once the test line is as dark or darker than the control line

Hi op
Test every morning with your first pee
Two lines start to snow up the closer you get to ovulation when the lines are same colour your about to ovulate and have sex then ! I use the strips too

Opks measure lh (luteinising hormone) which gradually increases as you approach ovulation. LH spike or peak is triggered by rising estrogen level. As estrogen rises, it hits a peak level and triggers the LH surge which can be seen on ovulation tests as the ‘as dark or darker line’ on ovulation tests. Signs of increasing estrogen include, lots of ewcm, open cervix and increased libido.

The smiley face opks are pricey so what list of women do if they need to (particularly if you’ve been trying for years..!) is use a combination of the cheapies and the clear blue ones. Start using cheapies twice a day from day 7 or 8 (morning and evening). Once they start to get much darker, or close to as dark, you can use a clearblue smiley one. Usually use 1 or 2, max 3 instead of a whole pack.. It saves you having the frustrating and annoying is it or isn’t it debate with the cheapies and get a definitive yes or no from
the good ones without breaking the bank. Get them from amazon as usually have a deal and use sparingly!
Good luck!!!

Thanks so much

@BiscuitLover3678 I've just started tracking my ovulation this week and I'm shocked at how mine have worked so quickly (if they have 🤣🤣)
I'll attach a photo of them for you to see.
I'm using the easy@home strips and using the premom app to upload them xx

You shouldn't use FMU.
Test between 12pm and 8pm on a pee hold of 4 hours.
As you get darker, test you can test twice a day.
The peak can come and go quite quickly.
Start around CD8.

@pinkpirlie yeah it tells you on the leaflet not to use FMU, thank goodness I read it lol

Can your LH come and go?? I felt a little crampy after midnight so took a test. I felt crampy again this evening and my levels have slightly rose again, is this normal?
I'm a total beginner with OPKs
TIA xx

@pinkpirlie @GingerbreadTM I think the clear blue digital one say you use FMU.

@BiscuitLover3678 which ever brand you use, check the instructions about when you should test. The instructions usually are pretty detailed.

@czycoup easy@home are the ones I'm using.
They are really straight forward and I'm glad I took advice from the lovely people on here xx

Yeah they are alright them ones. I tended to test a couple of times a day. What test did u take after midnight?

@czycoup I took an ovulation test (LH)
Only did because I was cramping on the left side of my abdomen. I was thinking king it could be ovulation making a start
But I suppose I'm not doing it long enough to really know, maybe next cycle I'll get the hang of it better 🤞🏼xx

I never got on with them, never got a dark line, despite the fact that I do ovulate!

I bought a 'maybe baby' which is a re-usable OPK. Its a small microscope, you put saliva on it and once dried, look at it through a light. A fern pattern means peak where as blob shapes mean you aren't fertile. You can buy them online and there are other brands. The cost was much less than years of buying those sticks! (I've been TTC 10yrs so they add up!)

I'm going to ask possibly an idiots question too.. can I just hold it under me whilst I wee or do I need to wee into a cup and dip? I was looking at buying the easy@home pack. Also I was thinking of doing it at work if they can't be done in a morning. How long do you have to wait for the lines to work? Would it be hard to do in a cubical or is it worth waiting till 6pm each night.

@Cookiedough123 It's better to dip unfortunately
But you can still do it at work.
Bring a small plastic container with you that you can put into your handbag, eg a cough bottle measuring cup - that's my plan for being in the office next week anyway lol that way you can wash it put in the sink without anyone thinking anything of it lol
Keep it in a food bag to protect your handbag contents xx

@Hairyfriend

I never got on with them, never got a dark line, despite the fact that I do ovulate!

I bought a 'maybe baby' which is a re-usable OPK. Its a small microscope, you put saliva on it and once dried, look at it through a light. A fern pattern means peak where as blob shapes mean you aren't fertile. You can buy them online and there are other brands. The cost was much less than years of buying those sticks! (I've been TTC 10yrs so they add up!)

Sorry to hear you've been going through TTC for 10 years. Wishing you all the luck 🍀 for your dream. I'm entering into my second year now so I know to a certain extent how you feel xx