[aubers68]

OPKs or Temping?

If I take all my OPK results out of fertility friend it suggests I Oed on last Sunday.

If I put the positive result in it doesn't give me the lines to suggest O at all. I'm still new to temping/FF so maybe it will be added later in my cycle?

I don't know what to think because OPK and cramping leads to O the last few days. But my temps show nothing. Unless it's just too soon? Not sure.

I feel like I'm sounding repetitive lol so I'm sorry I just don't know what to think.

[~* Natasha *~]

This is more of a question for MamaAnna or some of the other ladies who are temping experts.

I do know that going by temps, FF.com waits until 3 higher temps past O to give CHs.

Hope someone can help you more than me hun!

[Sk8ermaiden]

I trust temping 100% more than OPKs. There are a million ways OPKs can be wrong. the two biggest are:
1) Some women's LH surge is below the threshold for OPKs and they never get a positive one, even though they do ovulate
2) Some women (especially us PCOSers) may gear up to ovulate several times in a cycle but not actually follow through on it. I myself have definitely gotten glaringly positive (test way darker than the control line) OPKs before and still gone on to have an annovulatory cycle.

Temping is the only way to actually see if you DID O. That said, OPKs are a great warning that you are about to O, so you should get busy!

But here's the problem with FF. It sucks. In my 5 years of charting, I would say about 80% of FF charts I have seen have been wrong.

Your chart looks pretty annovulatory so far. Here's my question. Any chance your temp on CD 19 could be a fluke or mistake? Because if there is, I might actually agree with a Sunday O.

[3Sapphires]

I trust charting/temping more than OPK's I have had a terrible time with OPK's - but I don't trust FF implicitly - I have often overridden FF and went off of what I learned from TCOYF.

[yrlilangel]

I'm sorry you are having a rough time with this charting stuff. I'm right there with you sweety! I didn't think it would be this complicated. I thought, too easy, plug in some #s and check the OPKs. UGH what a mess. Hope you get answers soon Aubrey!

[aubers68]

Originally Posted by Sk8ermaiden

Your chart looks pretty annovulatory so far. Here's my question. Any chance your temp on CD 19 could be a fluke or mistake? Because if there is, I might actually agree with a Sunday O.

I've been within half hour every temp I've taken. (except once I had to take it at 4:25 instead of 5:30, but that was CD 20)


Mary have you had any luck the last few days with OPKs? I want to give them up so bad but I really have developed a POAS addiction!!! lol

[yrlilangel]

I stopped testing for a few days bc I got so frustrated with it. My CM changed yesterday to EW and today to being sticky. My temp dipped yesterday so I think i might of Oed. Not sure at all though. Today, I broke down and tested an OPK and an HPT LOL!! I'm such a POAS addict too.

Lots of baby dust for you!

[chen75]

I hate temping!! I did both, and I would say the OPK worked better for me. Well actually my first time trying the opk, i got pregnant Now i'm approaching 14wks pregnant

[MamaAnna]

I don't trust either without the other. Temps can be erratic and hard to read at times, but OPKs can be like a light in the shadows. On the flip side, as was mentioned, we can get positive OPKs repeatedly or miss them entirely so you need that thermal shift to confirm. I would never do one without the other. Period.

As far as FF goes, it doesn't necessarily work as well for women with PCOS. That's also true of TCOYF and any other electronic charting method I've seen. Our hormones just aren't as steady and that's reflected in our temps. The key is to use the software as a guide, but to ultimately do the translation yourself or have the help of another person or other people. Make sense?

[3Sapphires]

I meant - she should read TCOYF - that is where I got my charting knowledge from - the software is relatively new to me - I used to do it old school where I would make my own charts

[aubers68]

Well, it is my first cycle charting, so I did figure I wouldn't know everything, But I didn't think I'd be this confused either. LOL Just gotta keep at it I guess. OPKs have been right on for 2 cycles so maybe this one's just going to be whacky.


(I say right on because I've gotten positives then started my period 12-13 days later.... I'm assuming that means they were accurate?)

[MamaAnna]

It sounds like they were, yes. It could just be an off cycle and it does get easier as you go. And definitely read TCOYF as Ami suggested. Just keep in mind that we don't necessarily fit the norms while you're reading it. She does address PCOS and other problems some int he book, but some things just don't apply with us since we don't follow the typical reproductive norms.

[Sk8ermaiden]

Tcoyf has never, ever had a problem with my cycles.

I also disagree about never doing one without the other. Of course it is just one personal preference against another, but while I could never do without charting, I can easily (and have) do without OPKS entirely. They're just fun to pee on. Of course, if I didn't get good EWCM, I probably would feel differently.

But have you read TCOYF like the other poster recommended? Seriously it is the source from whence all information springs. It's amazing. All software is fallible, so you really have to know what your chart says without relying on electronic interpretation. (Or you can always ask on JM, or course!)

[MamaAnna]

Yeah it's definitely personal case and preference. I've had more erratic charts where I've needed the OPKs to make sense of it and since I'll have anywhere from 1-4 days of positive OPKs (and O anywhere in there) I need the temps to make sense of those. And TCOYF likes to tell me I O'd a few days into my thermal shift. It's got to be a setting I did wrong or something, but it's driving me nuts! I glare in its general direction.

[aubers68]

I will definitely read that! Does that sites charting cost money to use? I really wish I could make sense of my chart but it doesn't seem to be changing properly(from what I've seen on others anyhow). My temps are all over the place. I look at charts online and I feel like mine is so different.

[MamaAnna]

Unfortunately erratic temps come with the unstable hormones that are common with a lot of fertility problems. Your chart is very normal, but not for women with normal cycles and it seems like most women that use FF don't have fertility problems.

The TCOYF charting site is free to use, but I've heard it's not as good as the actual offline software. That costs something like $45 I think, but once you buy it you own it. It's not a subscription software.

[yrlilangel]

I'm rigth there with you Aubrey. My chart SUCKS! Hopefully we will get answers soon