Quick question re OPKs

[Eleveld]

Morning ladies

Aplogies in advance if this is a stupid question, am new to all this.....

I got some of those OPKs (they were cheap ones of ebay).

Did a couple about 5/6 days ago (I knew they would be negative but I just wanted to test them/see how they worked/see if they were accurate!).

Anyway did one about 2pm yestrday and it was definitely positive (the test line was very thick and darker than the control line).

What I wanted to know is, when these OPKS first test positive how many days do they then stay testing positive (ie are they only positive when you first get the LH surge or do they then stay positive if you tested every day right through to when you ovulate/day after? - I assume they probably do?)

Reason I ask is I didn't do one for a couple of days before yesterday so am just trying to judge how far before ovulation I am (or could ovulation have happened yesterday?).

Today is CD 13 (if you don't count the couple of days of spotting before last AF) but last month was an unusually long cycle at about 33/34 day.)

Hope the above makes sense, I'm not sure I've explained it very well!

Thanks in advance

...also

Does the detection of LH surge mean that I will definitely ovulate?

Thanks

As a general rule, you should ovulate within 24-48 hours after a +.

If I remember right it is possible to get a + for a couple of days, so that would suggest that the LH remains in your system until you actually ovulate. But I am happy to be put right

The best person to set you right would be Attila, who really knows her stuff I suspect she'd say that a + on an OPK doesn't mean 100% that you will ovulate, since there are other factors that can affect hormones etc.

But. If you have a relatively normal cycle, with no problems such as PCOS etc, then it is likely that a + on CD13 means you could ovulate tomorrow or the next day... so get busy

HTH

Ready, you're too kind

A positive OPK does not necessarily mean that ovulation is imminent, women can actually have more than one LH surge every month. Ovulation is not an exact science and women can ovulate earlier, later or not at all in any given cycle.

If your cycles are in any way irregular in nature OPK's are actually best avoided.

Thanks Ready

Normally I have a regular cycle but I do have endometriosis so I don't know how that may affect the OPK or whether I ovulate or not?

Hi Elveid !
Agree with ladies below. This may be first or second day of LH surge, either way it means ov is about to happen over the next day or 2 so you haven't missed the egg ! Get bd'ing
The LH surge will stop once you have ov'd so you'll get -ve opks.
I don't know if endo affects opks (I don't think so), but PCOS can as PCOSers have higher levels of LH so can appear to have several surges in a cycle.
Your cycles sound pretty standard so you can probably assume the egg is about to hatch

Thanks Mibbes

Managed to BD on Thurs and Fri and last night (! quite unusual for me!) so will carry on for the next few days

Hope you get +ve OPK soon - we need to remain CBs!

Er... y'see Attila is so much more eloquent about the OPKs

I don't know if endo would affect the OPKs - what I think you should do is watch for any other signs (temperature shift, ewcm, ov pain) that occur and will tally with the +... more importantly though, just keep dh/dp busy

Good luck

Can I crash?? I had ewcm, SHOW cervix and what felt like OV pain yesterday (and faint +ve opk) but I am still get faint +ve on OPK's...

wait!! I've just re-read the instructions and there is no such thing as a 'faint +ve on OPKs!! I did have a proper 'darker line' positive later in the evening last night...

I will go and rake the bin and have a look...