snowflake

Hi,

My AF arrived this morning - it is 6 weeks and 4 days since I had the D&C following a miscarriage at 10 weeks and I am delighted that AF has finally made an appearance.

A quick question regarding OPK's. I have never used them before and so have decided to give them a try. Sunday two weeks ago I used one on spec and I got what seemed to be a positive - it was very hard to read. I used another one about 2 hours later and it seemed again to be positive but wasn't sure but we BD'd anyway. Monday afternoon I tested again using an OPK but I got a negative. AF arrived this morning which would mean that on that Sunday the OPK's must have been positive.

My question is...the fact that I got a positive on Sunday but a negative on Monday, would we have been too late BD'd on Sunday? I am slightly confused as I thought OPK's were supposed to predict ovulation within 24 to 36 hours. If this were the case I should have been ovulating on Monday, so why then was my OPK negative on Monday? I tested around the same time on Sunday and Monday. I am not concerned that I am not PG as I wanted to get one AF following the mis/D&C but I am just slightly puzzled over how these OPK's actually work.

Can anyone offer any advice? Sorry to be so long-winded about it all....

carmen

Hi Snowflake,

It is confusing at first when your body is getting back to normal but the lucky thing is you have now had your first AF so now your ovulation days should be easy to test on.

I do it like this and it works good for,

My cycle is 28 Day, so i always use the ovulation calculators online and on those days it give me i test using the opk.

The opk detect the LH splurge, and if i am right in believing that the egg only lasts 24-48 hours after released.

Therefore it better to bd the days before ovulation and on for better chance to get preggers.... so mine was 7 march but i also bd the days before cos the spermies last longer.

Also with them OPk the two lines have got be the same colour for it to be a positive, when you have aline but its faint it is considered negative.

I hope that makes sense ..... now that you have your af its easy....

Use ovulation calculator online, put it the last day of menustration in then you have your days, using the opks will let you know when your having your Lh Boost.

What i will say is that the last time i got pregnant the first month i was trying, i didn t actually use the opks, i just used the days and bd alot.

I used them this month cos it was the first month after the miscarriage just so i could see when i ovulated so i could estimate the arrival of the AF. Even though i m secretly hoping that it doesn t come

snowflake

Hi Carmen,

Thanks for your reply. Keeping my fingers crossed that your AF doesn't arrive!

My cycle lengths vary so unfortunately using the OPK's isn't going to be as straight forward for me as it would be for a 28-day cycle. My cycle length can vary between 32 and 40 days. I have recently purchased the Clearblue Fertility Monitor which is suitable for my cycle so hoping it will help me establish when my fertile days are.

I conceived last time using Clomid. We were TTC for over a year and a half with no success. I had all the relevant tests done like bloods, laparoscopy, internal scans and DH had SA and all came back clear and normal so my Gyni prescribed Clomid and we conceived on the second cycle. I am due to go back on Clomid around May but in the meantime we are going to try naturally. As I said in my previous post, I used an OPK Sunday two weeks ago and I got two lines, both looked the same in colour but you can never be 100% sure unless the line is darker but at least I know that I must have ovulated seems as my AF arrived today. So fingers crossed we will conceive naturally this time and won't need the Clomid!

carmen

I know what you mean when you say you can't be sure with the opks , i got some cheapies off the internet and i must admit its very hard to tell soemtimes.

Its good you have the fertility monitor and i ve heard some good things about it, its difficult when your cycle vary.Thats why we all have to use the tools that suit us the best.

But whats good is that you can try it out this month without clomid or anything, just bd loads and it will be great if you have

Can i ask a real stupid question, i ve heard of clomid mentioned alot on babyandbump and have some idea that it helps you to concieve.

But what exactly is it? Sorry i m just a curious bunny i like to know the ins and outs of everything ..jejej lol

snowflake

Hi Carmen,

Clomid is generally prescribed to women who are not ovulating or who have Polycystic Ovaries. If your cycle length goes over 34 days there is a chance you may not be ovulating hence why my Gyni prescribed it to me. If Clomid works for you, you will more than likely conceive in the first 3 cycles - I conceived in the second.

It's a great fertility aid - basically you take it for 5 days at the start of your AF - I was taking mine on days 2 to 6 of my AF, then around day 12 I would go for a mid-cycle internal scan to see if my body was producing follicles which it was. Then I would have to take an injection on day 13 to rupture the biggest follicles and we would have to BD that night and the following. The whole procedure is called 'Timed Sexual Intercourse' and is the most basic of fertility programmes but very effective.