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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Do ovualtion predictors work?

19 replies

flixx · 04/12/2008 18:27

I'm nearly due AF and still haven't had a positive result on the Ov predictor

Has anyone else experinced this and gone on to get BFP or does it means i'm not ovulationg?

I've posted this in conception too, sorry for two posts but didn't get any answers over there.

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whomovedmychocolate · 04/12/2008 19:44

I got negs all the way through the month I conceived DD - they aren't terribly accurate if you ovulate with substandard LH levels. I have 2 kids btw so it's not a fluke

OonaghBhuna · 04/12/2008 20:13

you need to test first thing in the morning and then at the same time the following day.You need to be consistent with them. I am sorry if you have already been doing it this way.
I found if I was consistent then eventually I got a positive result.

Tinasan · 04/12/2008 21:00

didn't work for me, got negs all the way through the cycle that I tried it (it was the digital one from clearblue) - was very surprised when I got a bfp that month! I heard it was better to test later in the day than in the morning, unlike pregnancy tests (although i had tested in the morning) so you should check this out - good luck x

asdmumandteacher · 04/12/2008 21:04

i got pg both times using persona (the opposite way around - ie shagging on red days)

I have 2 boys and think i got pg both times on first red day

BananaFruitBat · 04/12/2008 21:06

I was told to stop using predictors when I was ttc. You get too worked up about it which does nothing to help. If you're going to conceive, you're to conceive, regardless of any testing.

Does that make any sense?

MrsHappy · 04/12/2008 21:06

They often don't show positive for me, but I swear I can feel ovulation, so I am sure they are just wrong.

thegreatescape · 04/12/2008 21:07

I'm having the same problem - no smiley face and have used my week's 'allowance' of sticks. Sent dh out for another kit to keep going but was starting to worry. I have been testing in the morning.

MrsHappy · 04/12/2008 21:11

Don't worry, thegreatescape. You might just be a weirdo like me!

Or you might just ovulate later in your cycle than you thought. The other thing is that I have read that the best time to use OPKs is early afternoon, so you might want to do them later in the day.

thegreatescape · 04/12/2008 21:14

Thanks mrshappy, might try that - or maybe I should spend the money on champagne and fancy pants??

MrsHappy · 04/12/2008 21:16

That's a MUCH better idea.Just think what a lot of champagne and fancy pants I could have had if I hadn't spent all my money on sticks on which to pee!

NellyTheElephant · 04/12/2008 21:32

Hi, the one thing I would say about OPKs is don't use them first thing in the morning. For most people mid / late afternoon is the best time (although you do need to have gone 4 hrs or so without going to the loo!).

See this quote:

"Unlike pregnancy tests, morning is not the ideal time to take ovulation tests, as LH is synthesized in your body early in the morning. It will not show up in urine until later in the day. The ideal time to test is in the afternoon, around 2pm, though testing may safely take place from 10am to early evening."

I never got a +ve OPK in the morning (even though I knew I was ovulating as I was also taking my temp), but when I read that afternoon was better for testing the next month I used just one test stick on the day I was expecting I would be ovulating and sure enough it was +ve for first time ever.

Even if you get a +ve OPK it does not necessarily mean you have ovulated, only that you have had an LH surge (which may or may not be enough actually to release the egg). The only sure way to know if you have ovulated is temp taking, which is a bit of a faff, but not so bad once you get used to it. I used all of this (temp taking and OPKs) for about a year by the way (not to concieve but to avoid as I've had problems with most usual forms of contraception!). By the time I got around to wanting DC3 I was so aware of my ovulation paterns that we concieved first month luckily.

A good website for all this stuff is called Fertilty Friend (google it), although that way madness lies (it might get a bit compelling). Sometimes when you want a baby the best thing is to completely stop monitoring fertility as the stress involved can be counter productive.

OonaghBhuna · 04/12/2008 22:25

Sorry for the wrong advice, but it did work for me that way.....
However I was infertile for two years, tbh I would go with other peoples advice and not rely on them. The best thing to do is to work out your cycle and ensure you have sex everyday during the so called fertile time, you have to remember that sperm stays alive for a few days so the more you have the better really
If you are worried about ovulation go to your gp and you can be tested to see if you are ovulating.
I agree with Nelly the stress of conception can actually make it harder.

OonaghBhuna · 04/12/2008 22:25

Oh yes I definately go with the champers and fancy pants

bokki · 04/12/2008 22:57

i got pregnant the first time i used an ovulation test, it took a few more days than i thought to actually be ovulating and unfortunately for my boyfriend it was the only bit of action he got all month! one go and i was done! poor boy i think he thought hed get a whole lot more 'practice' in than that! we had been not using contraception for quite a few months and i had used the online things that tell you the right week, but that didnt work for me, but now im 8 weeks pregnant!

Funbags · 04/12/2008 23:51

I never got a true positive and am now 33 wks preg - they are not for everyone.

The fertility friend site is very good for advice but the whole charting business is to be avoided for those with a tenedancy to be obsessive, which i was after 2 MC's. Ended up not telling DP when I was on there as he started to get pissed off with my obsessive behaviour.

If you are not in any hurry I'd forget weeing on sticks and taking temps and just enjoy doing loads of shagging and it will happen soon enough, especially if ypu spend the money on nice pants instead. They are a bloody rip off. I bought cheap ones from a website called accessdiagnostics along with a bunch of early preg tests (another path not to go down if you can help it).

Original poster

flixx · 05/12/2008 15:59

thanks for that guys. I have been doing them every morning when i get up so have been consistent but will try testing later in the day.

I have been using the clearblue digital one, I am on day 23 now and still haven't had that smiley face. We have been BD'ing anyway but wondered if i should wait til i get a positive on the ov detector.

Feel much better now

OP posts:

Mammina · 05/12/2008 18:12

could never get a positive with them either (and am 7 weeks pregnant)

Juliette75 · 05/12/2008 20:25

Some very cheap ones from babymad.com worked for me. They look like ones used by medics. Very cheap but picked up the beginnings of ov and got darker as ovulation happened.

thegreatescape · 05/12/2008 21:20

flixx, I know how you feel! Was getting very frustrated/disturbed by the whole lack of smiley thing. This thread has helped enormously.

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