OPK and whether im ovulating

[brummieyummymummy]

hi everyone!
TTC here
So I am using Clearblue digital Ovulation Tests. We dtd on the evening of the day i got my peak. The 2 days before, I got flashing smileys. Then on the Saturday of that week, I got a solid in the morning, and we did it that afternoon. That was 10 days ago. But I got a BFN today! and I have had mild cramps, but could be AF coming? I just wanted to ask - is my timing way off? I am unclear of when I would have ovulated but thought if i did it on peak day I should have a good chance. now panicking and feeling a bit low!

Even timing it perfectly doesn’t mean you will fall pregnant right away. It’s normal to take up to a year for a healthy young couple with no fertility issues to conceive even timing it right every cycle.

Each cycle you have 20-25% ish chance to conceive (depending on age or can be less than this even) which means 75-80% chance of not conceiving then it resets every month. It’s like a roll of a dice each time and seeing if it lands on your number.

Ovulation happens around 12-36 hours after peak and you’re fertile from 5 days before ovulation and 12-24 hours after ovulation.

from what you’ve said above did you only dtd on peak day (static smiley day)? If so then although it’s possible to conceive after dtd just once (I did with my daughter) you could up your chances by dtd in the 5 days before peak too. I used to start dtd on CD 8/9 every other day to get some extra goes in. I’m now nearly 11 weeks pregnant.

If I were you I’d combine the OPKS with temping. That will take the guess work out of ovulation.

Also if you got your peak 10 days ago then you’re only 8/9dpo so could still be too early to test positive

Thank you everyone!
So I dtd only once, after my peak smiley...
So I hoped that it had worked! We dtd 10 days ago, that is correct. So perhaps only 8-9 dpo! I keep getting cramps like AF.. and I have usual symptoms except, last few months my boobs really hurt between ovulation and AF, and this month they don't hurt at all.
What that means I don't know!

Don’t symptom spot things like that as when we ttc we push ideas into our heads. I thought I was pregnant a few cycles in a row as different symptoms but I wasn’t then when I did get pregnant I had no different symptoms than I do before AF.

it may have worked, it can take just once sometimes but don’t be disappointed if it hasn’t as that would be totally normal too.

I always found my actual peak is a day or 2 after the clearblue gives me a static smiley, so you could just be really early hence the bfn so far! But yes agree even with perfect timing it wouldn’t happen every month so don’t be too disheartened if it doesn’t!

Thanks everyone. Well, I feel a bit blue as tested with FRER today with FMU and got a BFN. I am assuming I am between 9-11 DPO (got my solid peak 11 days ago and 11 days since I DTD). I also have period type cramps :/
appreciate everyone's response as always

If your peak was 11 days ago you're likely 9/10 dpo today.

I didn't get a sniff of a line till 11 dpo on a FRER and it wasn't until evening at 12dpo I could tell it wasn't the indent. Xx

thank you. the last time i conceived, it was positive by 10 days after the first positive!! perhaps its just different this time. im really hoping !

Don’t rule yourself out, early cramps are a positive sign ime. DC1 was conceived DTD 5 days before OV and DC2 on OV itself (if my charting was accurate). DC1 was a dud stealer at 12dpo, DC2 was hardly visible at 13dpo (and totally negative at 10po).

Thank you @PurBal

Really appreciate you sharing this. I'm hoping my situation is the same!

@PurBal did you test with frer? Id be 11-12 dpo today as I think i ovulated on peak day. But negative
On frer.
I'm also on cycle day 26but my cycles varies from 30-35 days

@brummieyummymummy I did. If you have long cycles could you have ovulated later?

ok thank you. well tahts good to know! I looked up my old dates for when i last conceived. I had a BFP 10 days after my PEAK OPK. But now... I am 12 days after my PEAK OPK. and its BFN :(

@brummieyummymummy every pregnancy is different. You wouldn’t always implant on the same dpo so won’t get bfp on the same dpo

It could be that you’re not pregnant. Don’t be too disappointed (hard I know) but it doesn’t always happen first cycle trying. It’s normal to take up to a year even if nothing wrong. It’s all down to chance. I took until cycle 5 to get pregnant this time then got pregnant 3 cycles in a row! (2 chemicals). With my daughter I wasn’t even trying so pregnant on a one off. Trust me I know it’s disappointing but there’s more chance of it not happening first month than it happening first month. It will happen 😊

Thank you @allgoodthings84
Very kind of you to share and be so encouraging
Is it possible to ovulate later after the PEAK on each cycle? Ie is it possible that I
Ovulated within 24 hours one month and another within 48? Weirdly when I deconstructed the stick from the clear blue digital, it didn't look like it was a positive opk (ie the control line was a lot darker than the test line). I'm wondering now if I actually didn't ovulate-it's weird I can't get these tests right!

@brummieyummymummy those tests shouldn’t be read out of the case as they don’t work quite the same as far as I’m aware. Some people on here use cheapie strip opk’s alongside the digitalis. I only used the cheapie strip ones as they worked for me.

most people ovulate following day but yep could be up to 48 hours sometimes. Only doing BBT will confirm it.

Best thing for you to do from now on is wait until closer to your AF is due (or after if possible) as I can tell this is stressing you out getting the bfn’s. I only ever tested day after AF was due and then you know for definite either way

Hi OP, I don’t know how the clear blue ones work but I use OPKs like the easy at home ones that measure LH levels, you taken a photo and it tracks it in a graph on the app. You can see the LH rise and peak, you then ovulate just after the peak. But knowing it’s on the rise means you know to DTD before actual ovulation, after is generally too late.

Ive found these tests really useful and we got pregnant on the second month using these. Hoping for the same this time round!

Also I’ve given up testing before my period is due and I really try not to symptom spot. It just causes more anguish and upset as you still don’t know for sure until your period comes if it is negative.

Thank you everyone.
my app tells me that AF is due on Saturday, on the basis that it thinks (as per the OPK on Saturday 2 weeks ago), that I ovulated then. However, that would mean a 27 day cycle, which is unusual for me. Norm Im at least 32 days. So im a bit confused as to when AF is due

@brummieyummymummy as you’ve only just started the app will base it on you starting your period 2 weeks from ovulation. You may have a longer luteal phase than that. The app uses guess work. It always guessed I would start my period a day after I always did as I start my period 13 days from ovulation and I was tracking for 9 cycles as started tracking before ttc.

also all women occasionally ovulate earlier or later than usual. This could be one of those cycles for you. If you ovulate early or late your period will come early or late. At least after this cycle you will know what your Luteal phase is and it’s always around the same

So it's 13 days since my positive opk and I broke and did a frer which was negative! I'm guessing this means I am out? App says af due tomorrow but I don't have any symptoms. Still-who knows what's going on! I'm 40 so
Wonder if this is it

@brummieyummymummy I would say that at 13dpo I would expect to see at least a faint line on most tests, especially a frer if I was to be pregnant. There are rare cases of people implanting on 12dpo which would mean a positive 1-2 days later. I would say if you’re negative tomorrow then likely to be out this cycle. I’m sorry.

It could be your age but maybe not as no matter what age there’s more chance of you not getting pregnant first cycle than there is of you getting pregnant first cycle. You shouldn’t be thinking it’s because of your age yet. It’s only your first cycle trying.

Thank you as always x

In case anyone else ever follows this/ in a similar situation- in my position my AF is late but my frer negative which tells me it's definitely not happened this month. Just hope AF hurried up so I can try next month! Take care