how to "do" ovulation tests

[Allthe7s]

Hi Ladies

we are beginning to track my DW ovulation this month ahead of our fertility journey as a same sex couple, I have been looking at the clearblue tests (the ones with a flashing smiley face)

do you just pee on them like a pregnancy test? once a day with FMU or several times a day?

do you think for while we are just checking she is actually ovulating and that its at the expected standard time in the month we could just do once a day if its meant to be more?

thank you

The clear blue digital 'smiley face' tests, from what I can remember, work by using FMU once a day a few days before you're expected ovulation date. After a few days' use, they kind of lock you out, as in, you can only use them a few mornings month before they stop giving you a reading, then they sort of time out for about 28 days.

For that reason, I used Internet cheapie OPK sticks from the day after my period, using FMU and about mid afternoon (apparently that's the most accurate time to catch a peak) throughout the cycle, using the digital as the tests got darker to pinpoint impending ovulation more specifically.

Having said that, for about a year or 2 prior to TTC, I tracked ovulation via monitoring by BBT and changes in cervical fluid, and I would 100% suggest using these methods alongside the OPK's to help identify a baseline.

So I would use cheap OPK's every day, then digitals nearer to what I thought was impending ovulation, then BBT every day to confirm ovulation. This is because, although I had a period every month, my ovulation date varied due to PCOS, shift work etc. It helped to be able to see on my chart that, when TTA, my period wasn't 'late' I just ovulated later that cycle, and when TTC, when to time sex. From this, I learnt that I ovulate every month, usually about day 18, and my post ovulation phase is long enough and healthy enough to support a pregnancy should it occur.

We conceived first time, both times. Sadly miscarried our first pregnancy at 6 weeks, but now have a 7mo baby boy.

Also, it's possible to have periods where you haven't ovulated, which is why I think BBT is so valuable, as you can have anovulatory bleeds, and hormone surges detected by OPK's where the body attempts to ovulate but doesn't for whatever reason. This could lead to frustration around timing of sex/insemination which would ultimately be unsuccessful of ovulation isn't actually being confirmed. The easiest way to do this I found was with BBT measurement. Blood tests are available but they're time consuming, costly if you're doing them privately, and could provide misleading results of you don't already have a basic understanding of your cycle. For example, progesterone testing needs to be done at a certain time of cycle. Most docs take the standard 28 day cycle, day 14 ovulation for the timing of these tests which rendered my results useless, as I was ovulating later than day 14.

I've never had a clear blue lock me out 🤷‍♀️ sometimes it's been a while until it detects ovulation. I've always found them quite good as no room for wondering like the opk strips. I would agree though that bbt is a much more accurate way of knowing if you have actually ovulated.

I use the internet cheapies once a day after my period finishes (no specific time, just whenever I can) and then when I start to see the line darken I use them twice a day until I get a peak.

I also monitor BBT via my Apple Watch, which then ties in with the OPKs to confirm ovulation - as PP says, the BBT is key to making sure ovulation is actually happening.

I could actually probably go without the OPKs now because I've been monitoring for so long (😩) and my cycle is pretty consistent, but I still do them around ovulation just to be sure.