How Reliable Are Ovulation Tests?

[VixenAndCub]

Hi, I've been TTC for Baby #2 for 7 months now, this is currently my 8th attempt.
I was very lucky with my son, got pregnant on my 3rd attempt so I didn't have to do so many things, I only used apps to help me find my fertile window.

Well, clearly it's not worked here. I use two apps and DTD a little early and later than they recommend just to increase chances.
I've also been recommended lubrication that can help sperm apparently? Nothing.

So I'm currently using strips to try and narrow things down. The apps told me my window and egg release, but the strips haven't changed at all. Still incredibly faint. I've been getting ovulation cramps, as I do every month, but I can't tell if the strips aren't picking up the hormone - or I'm just not releasing enough of the hormones.
This current cycles window/release day has come and gone and the lines haven't changed.

Is there anything else I could try?
I'll keep going with the strips for next month, and still DTD in the window just in case, but I'm beginning to lose hope the more this goes on. And the doctors won't look into it until it's been well over a year.

Hello @VixenAndCub

I’m only on cycle 3 of ttc #1 so not a lot of experience but my app has been wrong every time. Last cycle my app said I would ovulate and I got my peak strip 5 days later.

I was testing about 3 times a day because I’ve heard your peak can come and go really fast so Id recommend testing 2/3 times a day early and later, keep testing because the apps are wrong a lot and you might ovulate later than they say, make sure your urine isnt too diluted. I noticed I don’t get good readings when it is. I have to try to drink less and try my best to hold my urine for 2-4 hours and then test. You could try that.

Also perhaps try and start tracking your temperatures (BBT) to confirm your ovulation. I’ve started doing that this cycle.

Also if you feel something is wrong try and be really pushy with the GP. Ask for second opinions etc because I know people who have been pushy and had help at 6 months.

Sending you lots of luck and baby dust ✨

I thought it might be worth jumping on here and mentioning this for anyone who may search this thread in future. I found something interesting this cycle. It may just be a one off- maybe my egg just had trouble getting out of the gate lol or maybe it’s just how my body works. I won’t know until I either get a bfp in a few days (hopefully 🤞🏼) or track with bbt and opks again for a few more cycles (I’m 8dpo today- Thursday and this is cycle 3 for me ttc baby #1).

This is my BBT chart. The green + is when I had positive/peak opks (CD14 Sunday). They dropped back down to - negative the next day (CD15 Monday) but that big dip you can see in my chart is ovulation happening (CD17 Wednesday) and the big rise is 24 hours after ovulation (CD18 Thursday).

If I hadn’t have tracked my BBT this cycle I probably would have stopped dtd too early and assumed I ovulated on CD15 (when opks dropped back down to negative) rather than CD17 when I ovulated.

So for me this cycle I ovulated 3 days after my positive opks (2 days after they turned negative).

Perhaps something to check if you’re trying and not getting bfps maybe you ovulate later than you think like I did.

Sending everyone baby dust 😊✨