OPKs are driving me mad, please help

[SarahFlower]

Hi all,

I am 32 years old and currently TTC #1 and this is my 1st month. I had previously tracked my cycles in June and July to understand when I do and don’t ovulate, my cycles are typically 35 days and I ovulate on day 22. I am currently on day 25 and on day 6 of flashing smiley on CB. I usually get 5 days of flashing smiley starting on 16th however my first was on day 19 this month. I am also testing with Easy @ home and neither are saying that I have peaked yet. On day 23 Easy @ home was higher than it had been but has now dipped dramatically.

I needed to start a new packet of CB today so along with my usual CB test I thought I’d see what it says. Usual CB was still flashing, I did 2 tests with my new CB, first was baseline and second was indicating low fertility with a O.

Is there a chance that I am not ovulating this month? Or have missed it? Or I still ovulated but my LH surge was not high enough? I have been testing CB 1 x daily and E@H 2 x daily.

Has anyone got pregnant the month they got no peak.

I’d say C23 looks pretty close! And you may just of missed peak testing over night?

We DTD on days 16, 19, 22 & 24. Was going to tonight aswell, do you think there is much point today?

Definitely use your original clearblue holder if you're continuing to test with a new pack of strips. Don't use the new holder - it won't be calibrated to your hormone levels so far this month.

I’m not to clued up on the CB tests to be perfectly honest but I do take the LH & they look like they were gradually getting darker on CD 22/23 then dipped after so I would make a guess that it was maybe peak at night? I think if that’s the case and you DTD 22 & 24 you maybe ok.
do you take your BBT as well? Just wondering if that confirmed ovulation.

No harm (apart from the cost 😂) in keep testing though to make sure

Thank you. I don't take BBT, I travel for work (flight attendant) and I've been told that travelling causes you temperature to rise and fall

Thanks, I'll keep using the original holder 🙂

Anyone else had a peak like this and got a positive pregnancy test?

I hope this doesn’t come across as rude, but I think it’s a bit mad to be using OPKs when you're on your first cycle. Like you say, they are driving you mad already and that’s not the best environment for ttc. Sometimes reading MN makes you think this is what you need to do, but I’d say to start off then just have lots of sex and lots of fun. In my mind these tests are for when it’s not happening and you need to be more precise - even then not always a great idea though!

I decided to use them because I travel for work and my husband is a shift worker. We don't have the luxury of both being home every night at the same time hence why I did them because timing for us is key.

I have read lots of reviews of people using them first cycle and my friends recommend them because they were trying for a while without and was successful with.

I guess we are all on the same journey but with different circumstances. Thank you for your reply though 🙂

I'd say day 23 was probably your peak, you might have to just missed it with the testing. Statistically there's only about a 25% chance of pregnancy each cycle for someone healthy and young so please don't expect too much. A year is normal. Best to just have sex as much as you can throughout the middle of your cycle, and not obsess too much with the timing. There's a lot of anecdotal evidence that people get pregnant the months they don't track!

Thank you.

We were going to DTD on CD23 but decided not to as we were tired, gutted I missed it ☹️

The exact same reason I had/have to be tracking and knowning when I’m ovulating. With a husband that works away and only back at certain time there’s no luxury of just having loads of sex (unfortunately 😂) just do whatever is needed for your circumstances!

The logistics aren't simple are they!? 😂

Another one who agrees with ditch the testing and make relaxation & intimacy a priority. There are people who try for years with no success then adopt a child. The next thing they know they are pregnant simply because they forgot about it and removed the stress. It's obviously not the case for those who have been diagnosed with a physical reason although in many cases it's a known fact where there is absolutely no apparent reason. FWIW having an orgasm either during or straight after sex is another thing which contributes to conceiving.

The best way is to check BBT and discharge !
:)

Day 28/35 and my OPK this morning is darker but not peak, CB still flashing. I'm so confused

Looks like it’s nearly there though! I’d try again tonight & tomorrow. I got my peak this morning with those LH tests. I normally test 3 times a day when it gets darker.
id probably just start DTD cause looks like it’s close from your tests.

I fell first cycle using ovulation testing so absolutely no harm in doing so - unless it's making you anxious! I just found it exciting to test, a bit like doing a pregnancy test😃
Good luck!

Hi @SarahFlower

I’ve attached a screenshot of my premom LH “peak” for what is my now 7 month old daughter. I never got a good result and I used to hold my pee for hours. I think some of us just don’t have an obvious LH peak or it happens very fast when we’re sleeping. I even made a thread about this (under a different username) and people said I hadn’t ovulated yet. They also said I wasn’t being consistent with the lighting I took the pictures in (usually my bathroom and the work’s loo) which is a great point but I could take a picture of the same stick in various lights and still get the same (low) reading. Anyway, don’t give up hope. I really believed I wasn’t ovulating! Good luck!

Thank you so much for your reply. Definitely feeling more reassured now 😊

29/35 day update. I finally have a static smiley and a positive OPK. My period is due in 6 days 🙈

Today

@SarahFlower If you're only ovulating now then your period shouldn't be coming in 6 days - your luteal phase is a fairly fixed length (usually between 11 - 14 days) and starts once you've ovulated.

My cycles are usually 35 days and my period comes 12 days after .... so I can expect a delayed period this month?