[Mom2DyJessAva]

So if i dont get a bfp this month im thinking about buying opk's..probably just those cheap internet ones...i have a few questions

when should i start using the opk?
how many times a day? and what times would be best?
the minute i get a positive opk is dtd right then the best time?
what if i never get a positive opk?

i wanna be prepared..

[Celena]

when should i start using the opk?
cycle length = cycle day
21 = 5
22 = 5
23 = 6
24 = 7
25 = 8
26 = 9
27 = 10
28 = 11
29 = 12
30 = 13
31 = 14
32 = 15
33 = 16
34 = 17
35 = 18
36 = 19
37 = 20
38 = 21
39 = 22
40 = 23
41 = 24
42 = 25

how many times a day? and what times would be best?

I take it twice, around 2pm & around 8pm, because u get the surge usually in the am but takes several hours to show up...

The best time to test is 2 p.m., or as close as possible. Anytime between noon and 8 p.m. is fine, first morning urine is not recommended. The reason for this is that most women experience a surge in the morning, but it can take 4 hours for it to show up in your urine.

Most people will ovulate 12-48 hours after the LH surge is detected, most common is 36 hours after the actual surge. One should get a bit more notice, 24-48 hours, by testing in the afternoon.


the minute i get a positive opk is dtd right then the best time?

It's best to have intercourse the day of the LH surge and the two days after. Also consider "insurance" sex for one more day in case you ovulate late. Perfect timing would be to have had intercourse the day before the LH surge as well, but that can be hard to predict for those with an irregular cycle. If you don't know when you might ovulate, having sex every other day from cycle day 10 through a positive OPK. If you are taking your basal body temperature, you should have sex through the first day of your temp rise to make sure you cover all days (though after the rise is usually too late).


what if i never get a positive opk?

You probably missed your surge. Some people need to test more than once per day. If you've had a test that was half-color and then negative the next day, plus a thermal shift, in your next cycle you should consider testing twice a day (noon and 8 p.m. would be a good choice).

Another possibility is that you didn't hold your urine long enough. Several tests suggest holding urine for 4 hours before checking for LH.

[Kary♥RN]

All that Celena posted is true... Unless this is the first cycle, or for some people the first few cycles following a M/C.. since a M/C can really screw up your cycles.. you can Ovulate later, or sooner or not at all.. the first couple of cycles, And the above table will be different than your "normal" cycle. Just keep that is mind. GOOD LUCK..

[stargatemommy]

I think if you are just starting to use OPKs you should get a bunch of cheapies so you can test twice a day. until you get to know your cycle better, then you mayonly have to you 1 a day depending on the length of your LH surge... I have been using them so long that I know about what time I'll O so I get the super expensive Clearblue digi OPKs and I only use about 3 or 4 a month...

[jenine]

I bought the cheap internet type for about $0.25 a piece off amazon. I didn't know when I was going to ovulate so I would start testing at CD10 and keep doing it everyday until I O'd. Now that I'm in my first cycle after m/c I'm in that same situation, no clue when I'll O so I'm just testing everyday. But since they're cheap it isn't too bad even though I used so many each month.

I test at about 2pm and try to hold it for ~3 hrs before hand. This seems to be the best time of day for me to catch the surge. They say afternoon-evening as Celena's post mentioned, but I found that evening was too late. It would be just about positive, but not quite. So try it out and see what works for you.

Good luck!