We’re ‘old schooling’ it up! Ovulation test sticks…

[Yolo23]

Hello everyone!

Ive had pretty great experiences using digital ovulation tests, it resulted in our only 1 chemical - so after years and years, I see this as a success 😂 small wins hey…

As we all know, these are super expensive and so I’ve gone back to ‘old schooling it’ with the test strips but it’s so hard to know what I’m looking for in black and white…

My Flo app says I ovulate on the 19th so we’re a bit early. My test strip is getting darker so assumedly I’m on my way but does anyone have any tips around what to look out for or perhaps we could use this thread as a line thread for test strips!? Happy to see what happens. Just thought there may be others in similar confusing situations with ovulation testing that could do with a buddy 🥰🤪

I am 31, TTC #1 !!! xx

@Yolo23 the test line needs to be the same or darker…that’s when you’re ovulating

@Yolo23 this is the thread I’ve been looking for! 😂
TTC number 2. Tried to use the sticks first time round but didn’t buy enough and gave up after one month, but luckily got pregnant the next!
This time round I’m going to try them again! Bought 25 this time and started testing yesterday and as they get darker will test twice a day is the plan! I’ve just been testing around 10am as I read not to use first wee of the day? Dunno if that’s right or not. I’m currently just winging it 😂

@Yolo23 forgot to say Natural Cycles saying I’m due to ovulate on Monday so still a week away and my tests are still so light so see what happens this week!

Ohh we used ovulation sticks!

Used the easy@home along with the Premom app as it tells you your peak as to add photos to the app, highly recommend!!

I used to have a couple days of it ramping up and then suddenly a day of blazing positive and then the next day be faint again!

@Mama09876 haha! I knew there would be others out there 🤣

I love the digi ones but at £30 a pop… it’s an expensive habit! I’m going to try these although I think I’m due to ovulate very soon so any business is good business but my other half is currently flat out 😱😅 so there’ll be no getting busy this eve 🙃😅

It sounds as though things happened super quick for you last time! That’s amazing. Hopefully it’ll be as quick this time around 🥰

My tests are similar to yours right now! Although day before yest it was a clear negative and then it’s got darker - I just worry I’ll miss the peak time! So hoping it’s REALLY clear on the test so I don’t doubt it. One good thing with the digis that I didn’t have to worry about! Xx

@Boymamaxx ooo these sound good! I’ll keep an eye out for those as I struggle when things aren’t 100% black and white. From the digitals I figured that I have a very small ovulation window - so it’ll be interesting to see if this shows the same thing. Do you also test BBT? Or would you recommend to do this too with these strips? Xx

That's the same as myself and I found it really helpful looking back at my cycle from when TTC with my son for this time ttc number 2. It stored all my info from back then. Took 9 cycles but due to long cycles, was actually 12 months worth of data. Also at the time was nice to compare cycle to cycle and figure my pattern!

This time round, I was looking forwards to doing them, checked back to see roughly when I ovulated etc and then (very lucky I know) fell pregnant first month this time!

I've ever done bbt, purely because I'd forget.. I automatically wake up and run for a wee 🤣 I purely relied on the opk and soon started to notice my own ovulation symptoms which I'd of never of noticed had I not been doing the sticks!

@Boymamaxx aww amazing news congratulations! 🥰🥰 That’s really helpful to know your background too - I agree, knowing your cycles can be so helpful.

Ive tried so many things - I’m not obsessed thankfully 😅 but I am trying vitamins and testing during ovulation etc.

We are on the list for IVF a however this could take another 6 months or so, meaning I want to try between now and then as I still hope to not have to go through the rigmarole of it all! That being said, the fact my OH is currently sleeping and the lack of faith I have with these strips and DTD at the right time… I may fall back on digitals to be sure next month 😂 I’m not feeling too hopeful right now lol xx

Morning ladies!
@Yolo23 how are your sticks looking today? Any stronger? I messed up and didn’t do it right this morning so need to try again later today. Giving it a few hours and will try.

My temps are still really low but getting EWMC today! So signs of ovulation week have begun!

I’m feeling much more excited about this month hopefully won’t be to stressful 😂 I’m so busy end of this month/start of Nov I’m hoping it will distract me!

Sorry I forgot to say, I’ve heard so many friends of friends story’s were they were about to start or were waiting for IVF/tests etc and got there BFP! So I have everything crossed for you 🥰

Todays is lighter than the other two 😂 these OPK blag my head. Let’s see tomorrow! To be fair I expect them to be light and hopefully get darker by weekend? I just thought I might see it get darker as the days go on. May of been the time I took it as well maybe?

@Mama09876 at first I thought my stick this morning (I’ve only done PM tests up to this point) was lighter than yest but upon further inspection 🧐 it looks about the same or darker - god knows 😂 Im the same as you really… who knows!?
Ive also got CM but I’ve had it the past few days on and off so I’m kicking myself that me and OH didn’t get the chance yesterday and we’ve not been great this fertile week so far 🤣 but I am trying to keep the pressure off and going with the flow - I’ll have to set up my game later 😈
Flo says Ovulation is due (oh Christ) tomorrow!!! So there really is no time like the present if we haven’t missed it already…

I will say that I feel more in control with the digitals but they’re just so expensive so I have to try this method! I also don’t want to fall into the trap of .. less trying because we have IVF to fall back on (which I think is my partners mindset) - it’s ok for him he doesn’t have to do all the meds and injections 😂😂😅 so my only plan today and tomorrow will be to get busy. To salvage our fertile week 🙃

I am taking fish oil tablets and folic acid with vitamin D this month so I have an extremely positive mindset whenever I try something different 😂 that goes down the drain the nearer to AF I get lol 😆

@Yolo23 that’s a good way to go about it, keeping the pressure off and relaxed! I’m trying to take the relaxed approach 😂 I’m not telling my OH that’s I’m doing ovulation test don’t want to feel like it’s a chore 😂

ive never tried the digital ones before but I’m tempted cause I dunno what’s happening with mine but the line seems to be getting lighter 🤦🏼‍♀️ as I said I’m not suppose to ovulate till Monday but when I’ve seen ladies on here there lines get darker closer to ovulation? Maybe I’m just not getting it at the right time.
I wonder if drinking water makes a difference? Cause I do drink a lot in the day 3L probably by the end.
My BBT isn’t rising either (like it normal does) so really who knows what the hell is happening this month 😂

@Mama09876 Im having a right Debbie Downer 🤣 same as you… my test strip today is basically non existent. I’ve no clue whether I’m 100% due to be even ovulating today as it’s based on my normal 25-28 day cycle when last month it was 33 days meaning I’d ovulate way later…. If it were to happen again…

I went and spent another £32 on digital tests - like a nutter and it was a clear NO to ovulation today. I’m also annoyed because me and OH can’t seem to do the simplest of deeds at the right time which is worrying me given we’re down for IVF - I want to be 100% sure we’ve given it the best possible chance of it happening naturally …

My OH also don’t know I’m doing tests 🤣 I tell him via our calendar on the fridge that it’s a good week 😏 but we’ve just been so busy. I’m going to need to sit down and have a honest convo about it all though I think 😬😬😬 it can’t just be me trying to ghost the right timeframes 😅 aaaaaah!! Relaxed approach clearly isn’t working lol xx

Catch* not ghost 😂

@Yolo23 this is so much harder than I thought it would be 😂 I thought I’d just see a nice progression on the line and I’ll know exactly. How naive was I!

I’m not sure I’m the best person (in fact I know I’m not 😂) given I have no idea what’s going on with mine. But maybe just keep testing with them and possibly this month you might have a longer cycle if last one was 33 days? It might not be that you’ve missed it might be that you’ve not ovulated yet?
So I’m going to do them twice a day on the weekend as I’m predicted to ovulate on Monday. I’m kinda hoping to see it be darker? At this point I’d just be thankful for a line that isn’t basically faint as the ones above 😂

can you use the digital ones again? Is it those ones that give smiley faces etc?

I think don’t be to hard on yourself you’re doing everything you can, it really is so hard to predict and even then it’s a miracle to get times/sperm meeting egg at the right time etc!

it’s funny cause my OH always goes ‘you must be ovulating’ cause any other time in the month I’m normally to tired for DTD 🤣

Hhaha im the exact same! When it’s ‘that time’ I normally don’t have the drive or energy either 😂

Thank you for your positivity! I agree - I’m going to keep testing and hopefully I’ve not missed anything and it’s just a longer cycle 😅 although tbh I’ve also given myself a talking to because we’ve been doing this for so long, even if we missed this month… let’s be fair, it probs was going to need to be a miracle as always 🤣 I’ve got the digital ones now too which does put my mind at rest - they’re expensive but it’s worth it for the reassurance in my eyes!

Eeeeek I hope that your tests get darker and make some sense as the weekend gets closer… we’re both pretty useless by the sounds using these 🤣😂😂 I can’t actually believe how much has to line up in order to get bloody pregnant. It’s insane! Are you TTC your first too? Xx

@Yolo23 keep that positivity! You never know what can happen! 🤞🏻least you feel better with the digital ones and that will help.

I defo feel like I have no idea what I’m looking for or doing 😂 I know it’s got to be darker than the other line but I feel like I’ll never get there! Although interestingly, I’ve just been reading another post and someone said the best time to test is early afternoon or in the evening so I thought I hadn’t drank in a few hours let’s just do another test tonight and I think it looks darker? I mean it’s no where near how dark it needs to be but is it darker or is it just my eyes now 😂

TTC our 2nd, we’ve got a little girl whose 2. If I was a bit younger (I’m 33) I’d of probably waited a bit longer but I just thought there’s never a right time and I didn’t want to take for granted how quick really we got pregnant first time round (month 3 of trying)
my friend is about to start IVF and she’s been talking to me a bit about it and honestly it just reconfirms how women are just super women to go through it all 💪🏻

What do we think bottom one darker? Or am I going insane 😂

Darker 👌🏼

@Yolo23 I'm also obsessed with digitals.. which ones are you using? I've been using the clear blue advanced and on Amazon they're a bit more reasonable x

@Yolo23 how you getting on? Any more success on the cheap OPK?

I think mine are starting to work 😂 did it again this morning and it’s getting darker so I’m hoping I’m able to catch it this weekend! Will do it twice a day today. Then if I remember three times tomorrow.

When I say twice today & three times tomorrow I mean peeing on OPK not DTD that much 😂 defo haven’t got that in me 🤣

Just a suggestion but have you tried the Premom app to input your daily tests and compare? The app gives you a reading too. Always try and take the pic at 10 mins though as they dry much darker here’s mine to give you an idea

@Mama09876 first of all - that’s definitely darker!!! 🥳 you need to get busy sometime soooon 😅 I agree with @MrBigsCat - I have tried premom this past week and I can see the benefit of using it to decipher but you still can’t beat the digitals to know 100%

@Mama09876 it’s lovely to hear you have a little girl 💖 I can’t believe we’re going to be moving onto IVF but on the flip side. I always knew deep down this may be the case eeeeek! So it’s exciting and terrifying at the same time.

Ugh, well my lines are god knows what stage still 😂 they’re probs lighter than previous days… although just thinking, I’ve not had sore boobs yet which normally happens during ovulation - this means I’m more likely to ovulate later and my dates on flo are wrong. Either that or I’m experiencing the menopause 🤣😉😅

@Nic17 im using the clear blue ones - I was savvy and ordered on Amazon previously but this month I’ve knee jerked into buying them ON THE DAY of expected ovulation 🤣 ended up paying over the odds which is a pain but it helps to reassure me!

xx