BD enough + stupid tesco OPKs

[rainbowss]

I'm newly ttc and with DH being new to even the concept of ttc, am finding it a bit hard to maximise our chances during my O week. The question is; are we doing enough??

according to the chart this week gone has been my fertile week, with ovulation yesterday.

(sorry if tmi) we BD-ed only twice this week; tuesday morn and sat morn.

On saturday i was interested to see if i had o-ed yet, and did some tesco OPKs. They were rubbish; i used the second wee of the morning and they came up a strong positive on saturday and sunday. However on both days they were a negative in the afternoon (even though i didn't drink etc.)

i assume this means they're negative, so maybe i o-ed a bit earlier. so it looks like i've probably missed the boat this week...

thoughts??? anyone!

Maybe they were neg due to your urine being more diluted? Not sure tbh, haven't used them!

Have you checked your cervical mucus? It changes throughout your cycle, but it is usually a good indicator of ovulation, because it is very distinctive when you ovulate.

www.bellybelly.com.au/articles/conception/cervical-mucus-can-indicate-ovulation-fertile

and

www.mumsnet.com/Pub?call=com.mumsnet.member.OvulationCalculatorPage To give you a general idea of your ovulation dates.

from what I understand about using OPKs.... test after 12pm, do not drink for a couple of hours before you test (to prevent overdilution of urine) and if you consistently get negatives then switch your testing time to later in the day.... phew!

How long is your cycle? If you have a 28 day cycle then test from around 4pm (having not drank anything from 2pm) on day 11 and keep testing every day until you see a +ve, test twice a day if the 4pm is -ve... at 8pm, 10pm etc.
If you have a 29 day cycle then start testing on day 11 - you get the picture?

I think they're only useful if used with other methods of checking your ovulation pattern, so are you taking your temps? Checking for cervical mucus (look for egg white or watery discharge) There's a website called fertility friends that has got LOADS of information (too much perhaps!) about TTC.
Another method is just to have sex every day from day 8 to day 16-17 (again if you have a 28 day cycle) but I know that's not always possible.

Good Luck!

You are newly ttc and are already using the OPK's. These are beset with problems at the best of times (these work on the misleading principles that women only have one LH surge each month and that such a surge is followed by ovulation - not true!!!). I would advise you to refrain from using them as of now as they can stress you out and cause you even more worry.

Do not put undue pressure on yourselves and refrain too from thinking about "maximising chances". It really does not work like that at all. I would suggest you make love when you both feel like it, not when you think its "ovulation time". Two or three times a week throughout the month is okay. It is not necessary or even desireable to have sex every day unless you both want to. If one person wants sex and the other does not it can cause problems. Ovulation is not an exact science and it is all too easy to get the day wrong.

Ovulation can occur earlier, later or not at all in any given cycle and it is also quite possible to have periods without ovulating. Even normally fertile women have the occasional anovulatory cycle.

Thanks for the advice/thoughts! really very much appreciated.

mrs gubbins + differentnameforthis --> thanks for links. must admit i've already scowered them for info ;)

mrsgubbins my cycle is 34 days, i'll find out this month if that's regular but i'm pretty sure it is. I would like to temp but there's NO WAY DH would allow it!!! He doesn't like even knowing that we're BD-ing more in my O week. Had a bit of a heated discussion about that this week, I think he's only just realising how important all this is to me.

I must say, attila, half of me does agree with you. We're only in our second month of trying and while i realise it's not really time yet for obsessing, i'm also worried that if we don't give it our 'best chances' now that 6, 8, 12 months down the line we'll be at panic point, even though we never really tried properly... if that makes any sense.

I'm in my 30's, DH is much younger, over our five or so years together I've been on a low dosage oestrogen only pill which I'm supposed to take same time every day. Well, i haven't ever done that, and sometimes I'd miss days, even weeks at a time. We've taken a lot of risks, and never have we fell PG; so I am worried this might take a while.

I am trying to hold back obsessive tendancies. It's hard!

rainbowss,

Forget all about "best chances" as well; ovulation and conception really does not work in that way at all.

A "normal" cycle is a cycle of between 21 and 35 days OR with less than 4 days of variation from month to month

Re your comment:-
"He doesn't like even knowing that we're BD-ing more in my O week. Had a bit of a heated discussion about that this week, I think he's only just realising how important all this is to me".

This is also very telling and you must take the pressure off both of you. Would urge you also to think and do things together as a couple instead of the supposed "ovulation week". It is all too easy to get hung up on such things and you must keep talking to each other openly and without rancour. If you continue to put pressure on as you are then sex will become a chore and no longer enjoyable to either of you.

I really do think that you should not use anything like OPK's or chart as this is clearly adding to the pressure you're putting yourselves under.

Most couples will conceive within a year of trying. I would suggest going to the GP earlier if your cycle changes in that it becomes and stays longer or if periods becomes more painful and or heavy over time.