[MommaHarvey]

I know this is not my first rodeo with PCOS, but I'm doing things so differenty this time around and am trying to be better informed. I have researched alot since I was DX over 4yrs ago, but still get confused about some things. Plus even though I did the research last time I also went alot by what my OB told me. This time around I'm doing things more on my own. I do have an OB, but a different one from the last time. This one is very impressed with the improvements I've made over the past 3mo. getting back to having a spontanious cycle that he is willing to let me do things my way and be kinda hands off for about 6mo as long as I continue to cycle on without medical assistance. So anyway my ? is this. My last cycle was 40 days, but also my 1st natural cycle since having my son in Dec 2010. I am now CD15 and am thinking maybe 1DPO. I know I should temp chart, but didn't think about it in time this cycle. I started getting EWCM on Sun. and started OPK the same day. -OPK first day. Mon& Tues EWCM very thick and sticky (much more than I have ever had in the past) also +OPK both days.Also had possible O pain for the first time ever on Tues. Today still EWCM but not nearly as much, and not nearly as sticky. Also the line on OPK is much fainter like a - response. So without having temps to go along with this does this sound anything like normal. I've never use this brand OPK before. It's Answer 20ct pack. Sorry this was so long but I wanted to give as much info as I could so you guys can maybe give me some kind of clue as to what may be going on. Thanks.

[MamaAnna]

That is absolutely normal. The thing with OPKs is they tell you that ovulation is coming. I've read that it will occur anywhere from 12-36 hours after the first or even last positive OPK. It depends on how your body reacts to the surge, how long the surge is, etc. With PCOS we can easily have several days of positive OPKs which creates a much larger window to potentially ovulate. Since you're not charting your temp you'll want to consider the last day of fertile quality CM as your ovulation day. And I highly recommend temping. Like, now. This chart would essentially be useless, but it will give you your entire 2ww to get into the habit.

Good luck!

[-Brandy-]

Yes start temping its not too late and by chance you haven't o'd just yet you may still see a jump in temps even if you only have a couple days before the O to confirm it. Also it will give you an idea of what your temps look like post O for next month (if you need it) so that you can identify when you O'd a little better. I found that for me personally opk's were not reliable, until I was medicated, because my LH would surge throughout my cycle resulting in a ton of + opk's. I use the Answer 20 pk and I feel they are pretty reliable.

[aubers68]

You've gotten some great advice from the ladies above me. But I will chime in anyhow

For me OPKS did work, but I would often get some in the middle of my cycle that appeared pretty close to + but then later find that they weren't. I would often get 3 days of + OPKs then the 4th day I would O. Sometimes it would be I Oed the 3rd day too. Temping is what helped me pin point that.

PS don't ever apologize for a post being too long We all enjoy helping each other out and the more we know the better!

[MommaHarvey]

Thanks for the advice. I think the -OP might have been a fluke or I may have read it wrong because I had a very + one today. However my CM today was virtually gone. Just a little very sticky CM with no elasticity, but still not creamy. I did go ahead and start charting temps today for the same reasons you all gave. It will give me time to practice even though I know it will be a total throw away chart. I've never charted in the past. I was on Meds last time and knew when the timing was right due to that. And then when that failed we were still actively TTC, but were so frustrated that it's hard to remember all the details over the emotions. So temp charting will be completely new for me. So far I don't like it because when I rolled over to do it this am I accidentally turned off my alarm and fell back to sleep. I woke up 30min before I had to leave for work and today was one of the days I had to get DS up, dressed and out the door with me.

[MamaAnna]

How did the meds tell you when you O'd last time?

[MommaHarvey]

I just read over last nights post and realized how overly exausted I was when writing last night. When I said the meds helped me know when I O'd I meant to follow that up with that it was because I never did O on Clomid. My OB at the time started me on 50mg. and up dosed me by 50mg. every month for 7mo. He didn't recomend temp charting until I got a positive on my 21day progesterin labs, because he didn't want me to put myself under any extra stress if it wasn't going to help. Instead he said to just watch CM and use OPK along with doing the BD about every 2-3 days between the end of AF and the 21 day labs to keep everything relaxed and fun until he found the dose that would work for me. I never had a single +OPK or 21 day test and because the rest of my labs were so close to normal he wouldn't up me any higher on the Clomid after 7mo unless I lost some weight. He just told me to take Provera once every 3mo. By that time I was too frustrated to argue with him,plus I was younger and very nonconfrontational. So I did what he said and started trying to loose the weight. It was pretty much impossible so I saw the family practioner that I was working for at the time and when I told him the situation he gave me an RX for Phentermine for 6mo. When I lost about 20lbs. AF strarted showing up again and one of the office Nurse Practioner's (who also had PCOS) put me on Met at that time. My cycles started at like 60 days then went to 40 days, and then finally I had a 28 day cycle. I was still on the Met and had started taking the Phentremine again, but was working at a different medical clinic. After that 1st 28 day cycle I was pg the next month only to loose the baby after 7wks. I saw a different OB for that at the clinic I am now working for and was told as long as I had at least 1 spotanious cycle I could try again. I was too scared to try after MC so I was actually trying to prevent without protection and ended up pg the next month anyway. So anyway my story is long and strange, which is why alot of this is still new to me.