Is a 'half OPK' line a positive? OPK's are turning me into a crazy lady!

[ams25]

Hi lovely ladies, hope you all had a wonderful Crimbo well as good as a crimbo can be with no BFP which is all we really wanted eh! I'm not sure whether to put this here or in the OPK testing gallery so sorry if it's in the wrong place!

Anyway, I swear these OPK's are making me into a crazy lady who goes rummaging through the bathroom bin to retrieve yesterday's pee-sticks, in the hope they will miraculously have somehow turned positive overnight! (anyone else admit to doing that?)

I'm CD19 today, and only on my 2nd month off the pill so no idea of where I am in my cycle. I've been doing OPK's since CD8 - twice a day since CD12 - and until yesterday I'd only had either blank white spaces or extremely faint lines (you know the type where you have to hold it up to different lights, and can just about make out a faint shadow if you squint?)

Yesterday was CD18 and at 1pm I got the usual tiny faint shadow of a line. Then at 10pm I got really excited, as I got a half-dark line woop! The left vertical side was really faint, but the right hand side was definitely the same colour as control. I was really hopeful that it might be the start of a positive... but then another OPK at 8am this morning was back to no lines at all! And 6pm tonight just a really faint shadow line again. Did my crazy-bin-lady rummage for yesterday's OPK now that it's dried out, and the dark bit is literally just a tiny narrow band now - it was definitely wider yesterday. I have some photos on my phone but no idea how to upload them?

Been googling everything I can about 'half positive lines' to see if it was a positive, but there's so much conflicting information that I'm totally confused. I've had absolutely no EWCM at all, which makes me think that maybe it wasn't a positive and surely if I was O'ing then either the CD18 (1pm) or CD19 (8am) would have been positive too, rather than absolutely nothing. I swear I had some very slight ov pains/twinges last night, but they were only after taking the OPK when I was lying in bed thinking about it, so I could well have been imagining them.

If anyone has had anything similar, I'd be so grateful for your stories I just desperately want to know that I 'work' and my body is doing what it should be!

(I am waiting for smear test results too which is making it a bit worse I think as it was my first one, and I am just desperate to know that everything is okay with both smear test and TTC!)

Thanks for listening to my rant anyway! x

 

[itisbabytime]

hi, what brand are you using?

do you dunk or hold it in stream? i would recomened dunking, you can time it perfectly and make sure there is no splashing etc

do u do them with the same consistency of pee - i mean the same length of time since last drink and last pee?

 

[babyg]

hey hun, i had used opks a few times but only really got a proper positives last month was using clear blue fertiltity monitor too, they were really faint otherwise, had no lines when i used them in sept, but in nov i had a half pos line and i thought at time it wasnt pos but was booked in to get my 21bloods done the following week which confirmed i had ov and that half pos was actually my positive, i too had had no ewcm.

so dont be disheartened you will get there in end. you could always book in for your 21 day bloods if you are worried tho (do this for 7days after you suspected you ov day ,21 is for ppl with 28 day cycles)

good luck

 

[ams25]

itsbabytime - thanks hun I'm only using the internet cheapies from Amazon, the ones with the green handle? And I must admit that I am peeing on them rather than dunking (even though the instructions say to dunk) and have been a bit slapdash with the not-drinking-beforehand too. I honestly did not think it would make that much difference since I'm not getting lines anyway - do you think it could have affected the results? I am going to try harder to do them properly!

Hi babyg, thankyou too - so glad you got a good result at the doctors hun, that must have been so reassuring! And huge congratulations on your pregnancy, just seen from your signature yay! Can anyone book in for these 21 day bloods then? I've never heard of them. I thought you could only go to the doctors after you'd been trying for a year, and I have only been 2 months so I am being mega impatient, lol.

I think I am more worried because even though it's only been 2 months off the pill, my cycles were so irregular for 6 years while on it, like no AF for 3 months then 2 in the same month. So I'm a bit worried that there's been a problem that I've just put down to the pill and not investigated further!

Thanks girlies xxx

 

[Emily0505]

I used OPKs the month I got my BFP but bloody hell did they confuse me! Who would have thought guaging the colour of a line on a pee stick could be soooo difficult. I had faint lines up until CD14 and 15 when they went darker but NOT as dark as the control line which means technically still negative. Now, I'm pretty sure I OV'd seeing as how I'm preggers but according to everything I've read/heard about OV sticks, mine weren't positive.

I would BD just incase as if the line is getting darker it must mean there is an increase in the hormone.

Best of luck ttc and fx for a bfp for you.

XX

 

[babyg]

thanks . i stopped taking pill in july and went for my tests in Nov, i dont think there is time scale to request them tbh tho, they test you for progesterone which increases after you have ovulated, they also check your fsh and lh levels which are to do with ttc, not 100% what these are tho. i felt a lot better after having them done, one thing off my mind as i was thinking i wasnt ov. maybe phone gp to see if they will do them for you asap? good luck xxx

 

[ams25]

Thanks girls

Emily - congratulations on your BFP! That does give me some hope then, since you obviously ovulated Glad its not just me who is totally confused by them. Who would have thought it could be so difficult!

Babyg thankyou hun, that is reassuring to know. I think I will defo give the doctors a ring if I am still having no joy with my cycles after this one, as I just desperately want to know that things are how they should be! So far I have had one post-pill AF on 15th Dec, but last AF before that (while still on the pill) was way back in September which is a bit worrying. Is it just like a simple blood test?

We BD'ed last night (before doing the OPK) but OH is out playing pool tonight so probably no BD tonight as he will be in late and up early tomorrow booo. Oh I hope it's enough!

I think I have managed to attach a picture - what do you think? The dark part is definitely as dark as control, but it is such a narrow band! It was defo wider last night, my pee-stick has shrunk lol. It just looks like absolutely nothing compared with the +ve OPK photos I have seen online... but compared with all my other OPK's it is definitely 'something'.

http://i1117.photobucket.com/albums/k587/ams251/SAM_1302.jpg

PS that was strange... just tried to sign up for a new Photobucket account to attach the pic as couldn't remember my old password... anyway, one of the random security words that you have to type in so that they know its a real person making the account was the name we have picked for a girl if we are ever lucky enough to have a daughter! Ooooh how mad is that?!

 

[ceebee]

Amber25, I use onestep cheapy opks and have had what seem to be 1/2 positive lines. I now know that is my positive as it also says so on my CBFM, so seems to me like you've got a +ive! Just checked out your pic and that looks pretty good too. Are you doing charting ? xx

 

[ams25]

Amber25, I use onestep cheapy opks and only get /12 a positive line. I now know that is my positive as it also says so on my CBFM, so sounds to me like you've got a +ive! I always take pictures of mine, so if you're not sure you can post them here and see what others think Good luck xx

Thankyou hun, thats really helpful to know! I really want to buy a CBFM as defo think it would help to 'confirm' results, so might look into one. I have tried to post a pic now but not sure if its worked? x

 

[ceebee]

PS that was strange... just tried to sign up for a new Photobucket account to attach the pic as couldn't remember my old password... anyway, one of the random security words that you have to type in so that they know its a real person making the account was the name we have picked for a girl if we are ever lucky enough to have a daughter! Ooooh how mad is that?!

It's a sign!!!

 

[ceebee]

Amber25, I use onestep cheapy opks and only get /12 a positive line. I now know that is my positive as it also says so on my CBFM, so sounds to me like you've got a +ive! I always take pictures of mine, so if you're not sure you can post them here and see what others think Good luck xx

Thankyou hun, thats really helpful to know! I really want to buy a CBFM as defo think it would help to 'confirm' results, so might look into one. I have tried to post a pic now but not sure if its worked? x

I think our messages crossed - I posted this message, then saw you'd posted a pic, so changed my message but you were just too quick lol! Well, you get the idea anyway... Good luck!! ps totally recommend the CBFM - check out CBFM thread...

 

[ams25]

Haha sorry hun, I was getting a bit too over-excited with my posting! Oh thankyou, that has really made me feel positive if someone else thinks it looks good too. Was starting to think I was just imagining the lines, thinking that my eyes had gone funny with staring at so many of the damn things haha

Not doing charting as I'm a bit confused by it all, but think I am defo going to start... in for a penny in for a pound eh?! I will do some reading up on the CBFM thread now too, thanks sweetie! Just want to try anything and everything I can! x

 

[babyg]

Ye hun just routine, I'm a shit bag when it comes to needles so u'll be fine

Good luck

 

[itisbabytime]

it looks like you have your positive but consistnecy is key here to get accurate results. also as they are so small i woudl recomned dunking. pee splash on the ssection you see the results on may affect them.

 

[ams25]

Thanks lovelies Itsbabytime, I have started doing that now and following your advice, thanks hun!

Following my wondering about the half-line a few days ago, I am so happy to report I got a DEFINITE positive last night on CD22, yay! 2 lines the same colour at 6pm, then tested again at 10pm and the test line was a lot darker than the control. Then 9am this morning the 2 lines were the same colour again So relieved! No idea what that funny half-line a few days ago was - maybe a sign that ov was approaching or something? I was convinced that was my positive until I saw the proper positive yesterday.

I'm a bit gutted though because I don't think we have BD'd enough to be in with a chance this month! We BD'd the night before positive OPK (CD21), but didn't do it last night as I thought we would be better doing it this morning instead (CD23). But I didn't count on the spanner in the works being the fact that my DH's football team are playing at home today, nooooo! I tried my best to jump on him for some BD this morning (haha!) but he has completely sodded me off because he wanted to get up and dressed ready to go out He will have a few drinks at football, so probably no BD tonight either, and then we are working opposite shifts tomorrow, so we won't see eachother, never mind BD. I made the decision not to tell him when it's ov time as he is very keen to just 'see how it goes' and not feel pressured - so he doesn't even know that he might have ruined our chances this month, all because of the flamin' football!

I am crossing my fingers that BD the night before the pos OPK might have been enough to give us a teeny weeny chance... if ovulation is 24-48 hours after the OPK and sperm can live 72 hours then there might still be a few little ones hanging on long enough? But I know deep down that we would have had a *much* better chance if we BD'd this morning, gaaaaaahhh!

Oh well, never mind eh... the pos OPK has really made me feel relieved, as I was getting a bit worried that I'd never get one. Not that hopeful for January, but onwards and upwards for February eh!

Thankyou all so much for your advice and support! xxx

 

[ceebee]

Good luck ams you never know it might be your month, but at least now you know you can use opks to get a better result. Fx for you xx

 

[ams25]

Thanks ceebee you're right, I feel like at least I have learned something this cycle so even if its not my month then its not been a total 'waste' of a cycle, so to speak! I have gone from coming off the pill and having no idea of my cycles or when I would ov, to having a much better idea of my body! And hopefully I will become more of an OPK expert in the future!

Thanks so much to everyone for the help! X

 

[ceebee]

Let us know how you get on xx