Thread: OPK Question

I'm going to attempt OPK's again this cycle. Does anyone have advice on time of day/etc to use them? I've heard people talk about testing both AM and PM? Fertility friend recommends waiting for fertile CM before starting?

I've only used them once before and got no positive in 7 straight days that went over all of my fertile CM period. I'd appreciate any BTDT advice. Thanks!

I read once upon a time to use them in the afternoon. So that's what I did when I used them. I wasn't trying to be exact as much know that I did O and I'm in the 2WW.

Do you know have a general idea of your usual ovulation date? Pre-pregnancy I typically ovulated cd11-15. I started testing cd10. Now that I'm ovulating later, I have been waiting for ovulation pain and fertile cm (both typically show 2-3 days prior to ovulation for me). I test once a day (afternoon/early evening) until I start to see a second line. Then I switch to twice a day (morning or early afternoon and evening). I have read that you shouldn't test with FMU because LH typically peaks later in the day. I disregard that and just test whenever it's convenient early in the day. If you only test once a day, you're more likely to miss your darkest (positive) opk. When you didn't get a positive, did you get a temp shift to confirm ovulation?

Thanks, that helps. I think I'll start testing today as I O between CD11 and CD15 usually. I did have a temp change on my chart when I got no +OPK so FF gave me dotted crosshairs instead of solid. I like the idea of testing afternoon until you get a + then both am/pm. I'll give it a try and let you know how it goes.

Oh, I'll be chart stalking...

I was thinking about this too and posted a similar thread somewhere. It seems afternoon is considered a better time. And when I think about it, it makes sense...at least for me. Since I work most days, then come home and take care of DD, I can't BD until the evening anyway. So no use testing in the morning since there is nothing I can do about it until the evening, right :O)

Im on cycle day 6. I'm thinking I'll start testing tomorrow bc I have no idea when I ovulate.

Test #1 in afternoon, faint (like almost imaginary) 2nd line. Defintely a neg.

Although I have a ridiculous amount of OPK experience, I've only gotten two positives ever - and those were both the month I conceived DD. I can't remember what time of day I tested, but I do remember I only tested once a day, and had a positive for two days in a row. That was with a Clear Blue Easy digital test, the one that gives you a happy face when it detects a surge.

I don't think it really benefits you to test more than once a day, because as I understand it, the surge it detects is 24-48 hours before ovulation - so if you test at the same time daily, you will catch it.

I'm with abscaxi. I don't feel that OPKs are sophisticated enough to warrant testing all the time with them. Even if I didn't see an absolutely positive I saw them get darker and then get lighter again. That combined with CM allowed me to have a fairly good idea of what day I ovulated to start my 2WW.