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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Do OPKs even work? Success (or not) stories please.

67 replies

tryingfornumber2 · 08/04/2009 09:03

I am a regular but have name changed for this.

Dh and I are ttc #2. We are on cycle 2. As we don't BD (gawd, I hate that term) as much as we did when we were ttc dd, we are trying to take a more targeted approach. Which basically means we are trying to BD when we think we are most fertile, romantic devils that we are.

So, last month, we were unsuccessful, and I really have the bit between my teeth now. I conceived dd in cycle 2, she is 2 next month, and I really don't want a big age gap, as I am an only, and hated it.

We decided to try OPKs this month, and I am now on CD11, I started testing on CD8, as per the instructions on the pack. However, I still haven't got a +ve, or rather my faces are not smiley! I only have a 25 day cycle, surely I should have ovulated by now?

The method that we used with dd was just to BD when I had the most EWCM, which I had loads of yesterday, and expected a +ve test today, but it was negative.

Now I am worried that I'm not ovulating. Can someone help explain it all to me?

OP posts:
Original poster
tryingfornumber2 · 08/04/2009 09:16

No one?

OP posts:
DawnAS · 08/04/2009 09:28

I didn't use the smiley face ones, just the ones with the lines, but the month that I got PG, I didn't get a positive line!!

The ones with the lines say that the line has to be DARKER than the test line and all of mine were lighter, but I obviously OVd because I'm now 31 weeks PG!!

So no, I think sometimes they don't work. I would rely on EWCM and if you don't get much of that, maybe next month start temping. That also helps, although it's a combination of all things that we used.

Good luck hun!!

xxx

DawnAS · 08/04/2009 09:29

Of course, alternative is to BD every other day from when your AF finishes - that's a sure fire way to make sure you get the right day!!

Bear in mind though (and I didn't know this until I started TTC) that you don't always OV every month...

xxx

Neeko · 08/04/2009 09:29

Sorry I can't help as I haven't used OPKs before but I'm really interested to see responses. I'm waiting on my AF after a MMC and am planning on using them then. I have one friend in RL who used them and she is pg now!

Original poster
tryingfornumber2 · 08/04/2009 09:32

I have quite a lot of EWCM today so I will BD tonight, I think and still test tomorrow. I am really wondering why I bought them, I never used them when ttc dd, they are just stressing me out!!

OP posts:
Wheelybug · 08/04/2009 09:34

i didn't get a smiley face the month I conceived

DawnAS · 08/04/2009 09:34

They do stress you out... Maybe go for the line ones if you do still want to try some. I bought mine off of Ebay, cheap and cheerful but my bump is here to remind me that cheap isn't necessarily a bad thing!!

FifiOK · 08/04/2009 09:37

From what I have read on MN you are supposed to test around 2.30, and concentrate your urine by not weeing / drinking for around 3/4 hours before you test.

Good Luck.

Original poster
tryingfornumber2 · 08/04/2009 09:40

I've been testing first thing in the morning, so haven't weed or drank all night.

OP posts:
FifiOK · 08/04/2009 09:57

Apparently the LH surge happens in the afternoon. I also assumed that you would have to test first thing until but apparently not. If you can't test at 2.30 because of work, then, they say test as soon as you get home.

Original poster
tryingfornumber2 · 08/04/2009 10:01

The directions don't say that though, it just says test at the same time every day. Surely if that was the case, it would say so?

OP posts:
ForeverOptimistic · 08/04/2009 10:01

I have been using them since July and they haven't yet detected a surge. I am awaiting the results of a blood test to find out if I am actually ovulating.

FifiOK · 08/04/2009 10:10

I used the cheapie e-bay sticks which came with no instructions, so I googled how to use them and came across a lot of advice / threads that said to test in the afternoon. I have not used the clear blue type, maybe these are more sensitive, so you can use them at any time - but may be worth a try with afternoon urine as there seems to be a lot of info indicating this can give a more accurate result. Yes you would have thought they would print this in the instructions.

rubles · 08/04/2009 10:13

I read that the surge happens in the day so testing as Fifi said in the afternoon is the best. It was years ago that I read that though, so I can't really remember the details. Also, some women have slower surges and others have shorter quicker surges, so if you are in the latter group you would need to make sure you test at the right time for you so that you hit the right moment. I think www.peeonastick.co.uk/com might have the relevant info on this.

Fwiw, I used the cheap ones with lines and I did not get a clear positive the month i conceived my daughter.

I think you sound like it is stressing you out too much already. Shagging is the only way to get pregnant, so once you have a rough idea of when you ovulate maybe the best way would be to try and get some genuine oomf back into your love life and do it more at roughly the right-ish time and then ditch the sticks. (Also, I think that there is still plenty of time for you to ovulate if you have a 25 day cycle.)

One final thing in what has turned out to be quite a long posting, I was like you and wanted a similar gap to you. It adds to the stress sooo much to have such fixed ideas. In the end mine are 3 yrs 4 months apart, which is MUCH more than I wanted but is just a brilliant gap as they get on fabulously and I now feel very grateful it worked out as it did.
I am just trying to reassure you that even if it takes slightly longer, what is the odd month really in the scheme of things? And even if it takes as long as i did, it is not the end of the world, bigger gaps are ace too. So whatever the gap between your two children will be your family shape, there is no magic combination that says they are going to get on or not. Try to take that out of the equation and go have some really good nooky with your husband!

sleepysox · 08/04/2009 10:20

We used the targetted approach for ttc baby no. 2 (I'm currently 3 months pregnant after 3 m/cs).

The OPKs on sale in shops didn't work for me at all, so I went for a blood test and I was ovulating. I ended up buying these super sensitive professional OPKs from accessdiagnostics.co.uk They do work, although I still only get a very feint line. I just used them when I saw I had EWCM to make sure this was the right time to try.

I tested at around 3pm and tried not to drink too much for 2 hours before so my urine was concentrated enough.

HTH

Sleepy

Original poster
tryingfornumber2 · 08/04/2009 10:23

When you take the test out of the holder, and ignore the smiley face bit, there is a faint blue line next to the test line. Oh f*ck it, I'm just going to start BDing tonight.

OP posts:
fizzpops · 08/04/2009 10:34

They definitely work! We TTC for two months - first month had sex once (no OPK) and no baby (we got off to a slow start), second month OPK (smiley face) had sex twice and bingo! Felt a bit sorry for my DH as I'm sure he thought it would take more than 3 tries. Tried with OPK from CD11 and got a a few days later - can't remember now, I have a 30 day cycle. I tested in the morning as it was more practical for me.

Divvy · 08/04/2009 11:10

Test at 11am and 4pm, and dont treat them like preg tests, you dont need to have not weed for a while.

helsbels4 · 08/04/2009 11:25

I know I'm incredibly naive but was does BDing mean
I've used OPK and the first time we were ttc, I fell pregnant on the third month of trying and the second time we were ttc, I became pregnant on the second month, so I would say they definitely helped us.
The ones I used were just ordinary line appearing type ones - nothing fancy - but sometimes I did find that I was ovulating later than I thought I would. I used to sometimes test in the afternoon but the thought of not being able to go to the loo for a few hours made me want to go, so I started testing first thing in the morning and that was fine.
Good luck and I hope it happens soon for you

Pinkjenny · 08/04/2009 11:27

Baby Dancing [boak]

helsbels4 · 08/04/2009 11:30

Oh right!!! [yuk ]

Original poster
tryingfornumber2 · 08/04/2009 11:35

rubles - thank you for that genuinely lovely post.

OP posts:
LaDiDaDi · 08/04/2009 11:40

I've been using them this month (cycle 4 of ttc dc2) and so far no positive line. I've stopped using them now as I'm D15 and my cycles are 21-26 days long so I reckon I'm well past the window of opportunity so to speak. Will wait around 10 days to see if we've been successful.

Original poster
tryingfornumber2 · 08/04/2009 11:42

It's so frustrating. I posted on your other thread too LaDiDaDi as we are in the same boat!

OP posts:
LaDiDaDi · 10/04/2009 11:45

Yes, we are in it together tryingfornumber2.

I'm d17 today so going to try to forget about it for a week.