When the heck should I do opk tests

[FirstTimeMumma2021]

Hello 👋

I am really irregular with cycles ranging from 19 days to about 35 and ivulation days just as erratic. In August, had my coil removed to TTC and had a very short bleed 3 days later which wasn't the norm as usually very heavy and painful and last about 5-7 days and this only lasted 3 days. Used opks and got a positive on day 23 though had very little ewcm. Had a lot of cramping and hormones from about 7-8dpo and that's subsided but absolutely no sign AF is even on the way and normally get a lot of signs!
Should I still be testing for ovulation? Second baby but cycles are worse than before so have no idea and currently on cycle day 38 🙈

Bumping in hope someone can shed some light. 18dpo, bfn so no idea

Hey, my cycles are regular but I’ve recently started using opks the last few cycles and decided to test throughout the whole month to see how they change and get an idea of a pattern etc. If I was you I would do the same, test for the whole month. Do you use the Premom app? I use easy@home opk tests and put them all in the Premom app. It tells you when you are most likely to have ovulated. I have had 3 positive opks this month… CD8/9, CD14 and then today at CD17. I had negative tests inbetween those positives. I believe I ovulated CD16 due to EWCM and cramping but if I had taken the first positive as ovulation on CD8 I could have missed dtd at the right time.

the best way to tell really is to take your temperatures. You should get a positive opk to tell you ovulation is on its way and then a dip in temperature a day or so later to confirm ovulation has happened. Sometimes your hormones can surge but not actually ovulate. so the opk can be positive showing it is about to happen but then it not actually happen. Taking temperature will confirm it has.

I tried temping but you have to do it as soon as you wake up for accurate results and I kept forgetting to do it so my results were all over the place.

I’ve attached photos of my Premom app this cycle you can see the changes. I don’t think mine is normal though. People usually have one surge/peak and then it goes back down and stays down. But if I was you I would test for a whole month incase you have more than one peak and you’re missing the day, especially if you have irregular cycles.

I also use the flo app to log symptoms, when I had unprotected sex and periods etc.

fertility friend is probably the best app to use if you decide to start taking your temperature.

Sorry forgot to add pics…

The best approach for the first few months is simply to have sec every 2-3 days, don't try and second guess "the right time" women conceived without tests before they were invented.

If after 6 months you haven't conceived then it's time to start looking at interventions but you only had your coil removed last month, let your body settle a bit before worrying.

I have been using the same approach as gogomoto suggested since I have had multiple positive opks. Dtd every 2 days throughout the cycle and then extra around the days of positive opks.

Thanks all, AF arrived after 48 days

I should have clarified that we DTD every second day but there are cycles when I don't ovulate even before the coil so it's the only way I can keep sane rather than waiting to test x