Need help with OPK's, etc.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-12-2003
Need help with OPK's, etc.
2
Mon, 10-13-2003 - 2:05pm
Hey there everyone,

I have posted here before-back in June I believe. I became frustrated (no AF for over a month and thought I was PG-I wasn't)and ended up giving up. I am now back on the "baby-wagon" and would like some help.

I thought I had this all figured out. I have been using the OPK's and looked at a few ovulation calendars (I know now that they are definitely not reliable-I thought it would be give or take a few days).

According to the calendars, (my LMP was 9/20 w/40 days in between) the calendar said that I would "O" on 10/16. My most fertile days would start 10/12. On the 12th I did an OPK-the line was kind of faint-but noticeable. I thought, "cool, the calendar is probably accurate". The next day that changed. I did another OPK-the line was even more faint. I feel terrible because DH wanted to BD on the 12th..and we didn't. He wants a boy and we were told to wait until I O'd. My CM last week was very slippery and stringy...this week it is just slippery. Maybe I O'd last week?

What have I done? Did I screw up? I will do another OPK tonight...but next month-I will be charting. Enough of this nonsense!


Edited 10/13/2003 2:10:41 PM ET by mellikatt

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Mon, 10-13-2003 - 2:17pm
From my understanding of opks - you WILL see a faint line at times but that does not mean anything...it is only when the line is DARKER or THE SAME as the other line, that you are ovulating and then it's a 24-48 hour (with the norm being 36) time frame that you will generally O. My point is - if you saw a faint line, that means nothing - wait till you see both lines the same or the test line darker and THAT means you will being o'ing soon...Also, it is best to use an opk at the same time each day and preferably in the afternoon.

I know it's tricky...I used an opk this month too and I'm hoping we hit it right but I suspect I o'd later than the 24-48 hours and I may have missed it. Not sure about your cm, but whenever you see ewcm, if I were you I'd just bd anyway - the ole' "couldn't hurt, might help" theory applies I think! I have read here that after O, your cm tends to dry up, or at least not be the ewcm when you're most fertile...hope this helps somewhat? If this isn't your month, I sure hope next month is!!! :-)

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2003
Mon, 10-13-2003 - 2:49pm
First off, are your cycles regular? Do you chart? If you don't regularly chart and your cycles are somewhat irregular then it may be hard to determine when you o and OPK's alone may not be enough. If you don't already start charting your temp. This will help you each month determine when your going to or if you have o'd. Ovulation calculators in my opinion do more harm than good because all women are different so how do they know when you are going to o. If you start to chart, you'll be able to determine your lp and this will help you time bd better. Also, watch you CM (Cervical Mucus). Once it becomes more EW start using your OPK's. When you get a positive OPK, you'll ovulate within the next 48 hours. If you are temping, pre-o temps will be low and after o your temps will spike and remain high until AF (period) arrives. After a couple of months, if you haven't become pregnant by then, you should start to see a pattern which will help you determine when you are going to o and when you should bd for a boy.

Good luck. I know it can be frustrating but it's worth it.

Susan

Nicholas (20 months) and Littlebug (edd 6/4/04)