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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.

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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:

eeyore2 · 26/04/2010 10:39

Hi there, I used the Clearblue smiley face ones and got pregnant the first time they indicated that I ovulated. I found it very helpful as I liked having a vague target for when to 'try'. I just found it a bit stressful trying to have sex every other day for such a long period of time as that just isn't the natural rhythm of my relationship. So I actually liked it more because it gave me 'permission' to take a night off than for any other reason.

haggisaggis · 26/04/2010 10:48

My dc are now 10 and 7 so the kits may have changed - but I ONLY conceived when we used teh kits. 1 healthy pregnancy, 1 m/c , 2nd healthy pregnancy all conceived while using OP kits.

mummc2 · 26/04/2010 10:49

i just used the line ones and conceived 2nd month both times. First month i tried using sticks in mornings and never got a positive so changed to tea time and found it worked better.

tigersmummy · 04/05/2010 20:58

I used Clearblue when TTC DS now 2.3 yrs and conceived in cycle 3 - for me I felt I had to be in control of something! With DS we were trying for 5 months, so when I didn't fall pregnant within 2 cycles I reverted to the kits. And have used them on one cycle now we are TTC again, although not successful so far but I'm not worried. Used the digital kit for one cycle but didn't find useful, prefer the 'manual' ones! Good luck to everyone using them, or not!

userpin11 · 17/05/2010 14:47

I've found OPKs are a bit of mixed blessing - they can be really reassuring in showing you that you are ovulating, but until that smiley face appears in the window (which can take days, as many posters have also found) the anxiety can mount. They can be a bit hard to use and as women all have cycles of different lengths there's no single rule for when you ovulate (I always seem to ovulate on day 17, way later than 'normal').

The other problem I have with OPK's is that it can give you the feeling that you should definitely conceive if you have sex on those days, and the sense of failure is even stronger as you know you've done everything 'right'. I have been TTC for seven months and in spite of temping, recording cervical mucus and using the OPKs it hasn't happened.

It's all got a bit much so I'm chucking it all out...

mandy1971 · 29/07/2010 12:18

I used the tesco ones earlier in the yr and fell preg but lost the baby at 5 wks. then started using much cheapervariety from amazon. reverted back to tesco now as much more accurate when tested side by side,had 2 lines on tesco stick though test line faint and nothing on amazon stick.next day had 2 lines on tesco stick.
tesco 7 for £7.
hope this helps.

emmiegirl · 29/07/2010 18:58

This is my first month TTC (and working out these abbreviations!). I brought the ones from Superdrug as they were on BOGOF. That gave me 10 and although several had a a faint line (which is a -ve according to the box), when I had my EWCM, there wasn't a faint line no matter what light you looked at them in! I don't think I will be buying them again.

rosieroseanna · 30/07/2010 08:10

I've been using them too, I started off doing it in the morning and didn't get anything and then both months when I tested about 3 ish I got a smiley face. I also hadn't been to the loo for about 3 hours so think the urine was more concentrated.

bluepumpkin · 02/08/2010 17:15

I got the cheap ones from Amazon (£15 for 90 - I'm expecting it to take a while!) and got a positive, I think, on the first day I tested - day 11. Carried on testing for another five days and they got more and more weak. So do I ovulate on day 11 then? I was expecting it to be much later.

Pinkjenny · 18/11/2010 16:13

I've just found this thread, and see that it carried on into August 10. I was 'tryingfornumber2' and my ds was 9 months old in August when people were still posting on this thread!

I fell pg that night, as far as I know.

nickstermum · 18/11/2010 21:07

The cheapies you get on line are fine to use, youjust have to make sure youdo it twice a day/concentrated wee etc

If you are frustrated with OPKS, try charting temps, its much more effective at pinpointing OV dates :)

lolcat71 · 16/01/2011 22:20

I used the amazon cheapies so that I could use 3 times a day, and then confirm with clearblue digital, well on cd 14 I had a line lighter than my control and for some reason i got out my digital ( I thought I was wasting my time and nealy put It back). It came out with smiley face:) I neally fell over.. So if I had not confirmed with the digital I would had missed It as it was neg 12 hours later. So no sometimes the control line is not always darker. Oh also when I retested 9 hours later clearblue was still postive while cheap test was back to one line. :)

eeyore2 · 17/01/2011 16:42

I used teh smiley face ones when TTC DS. The first cycle I didn't get a positive but the second I did. And nine months later, there he was. You can also look out for other signs that you are fertile - take a look at Fertility Friend for more info. It basically involves checking your knickers!! Embarrassing but true.

FXXX · 18/01/2011 20:43

But what if you get the smiley face regularly ( for 10 months), dtd following it for two, three, four days in a row and still not fall pregnant? How common is that? Fertility checks all fine- where do you go from there?

Mamonaku · 10/02/2011 00:31

FXXX - I've read on other forums that lots of people have had success using a sperm friendly lubricant like Preseed or Conceive Plus helps.

greenlizard · 04/11/2012 21:05

Hi, I have been ttc for 5 months now and have used OPKs for last two months. I have a 26 day cycle and have got a both months on day 13. The first month my OH was away (I was not happy!) but this time we have BD 3 days before, on day of and 1 day after so far...hoping that works! After lots of research I think its best to use them as a guide only and try not to use them as the only sign of ovulation because as has been said a positive doesn't mean ovulation and and no sign doesn't mean you haven't!

MrsBri · 05/11/2012 07:16

While I have got pregnant using Clearblue OPKs, the month I fell is the month I used them to tell me when to stop DTD, not start!

We DTD on CDs 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 16 with the smilie on CD15. The only reason we didn't DTD on smilie day is we went to London for the day, getting up at 7 and back at 3 the next morning!

It's better to have swimmers waiting for the egg, especially as fresh sperm can't get you pregnant as it needs to go through a ten or so hour process called capacitation before it is capable of fertilising an egg.

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