OPK sticks - reliable or not??

[kmac]

Hi Ladies

I have been charting my temps this month and using opk sticks (internet cheapies).

Basically, my temps now suggest that I did ovulate on day 11 of my cycle but I have never had a positive on an opk stick. I seem to just get faint lines all the time.

I was wondering if this is common or not and what everyone else thinks. Do you trust opk sticks??

Thanks.

 

[Loola]

I think they are reliable to an extent, but you could test and have a faint line and a couple of hours later have a really strong line. Knowing exactly the right time to test is the difficult bit. As Ive said before, Ive never had a line as strong as the control line on my tests, however, last month I noticed on my OPK pack that it says to collect your urine and wait for half hour for it to get to room temp before temping. Id never done that before!! I always tested straight away! So perhaps thats why my lines werent as strong. Anyway, I always take my strongest line as my + I think if they are used in conjunction with checking your temp rise and definitely with CM then they are very useful, but quite confusing on their own. Especially as you can have an LH surge without definitely releasing an egg, they just predict that you are going to. Only temping can confirm that the OPK was correct.

 

[kmac]

Interesting point Loola. My sticks say to wait until room temp as well, but I never do... do you think that would make much of a difference?

 

[Flame]

I never waited till it was room temperature, in fact i am sure it said not to test it after a certain amount of time. I think they are pretty reliable. Your temps cant be 100% reliable as they can change at the slightest thing like just waking up in the morning thats why your supposed to do it as soon as you open your eyes without moving other than to get your thermometer.

 

[libs]

I've never waited and I get positives every month I use them. I think it depends on how long your surge lasts and whether you catch it. I'd say splash out if you're concerned and spend a month testing 2 or 3 times a day to see if you can get it.

 

[Moofa]

Hi

How are you all doing?

I would say they weren't reliable.

I got my strong line on a Wednesday and got busy.

My 12 week scan put me forward 6 days so in fact I OV on the Saturday prior to the OPK+ If DH I hadn't just had a Sat morning bonk that day by coincidence, and relied on the OPK we would have missed our chance and LO wouldn't be here!

Mx Lots of baby dust to you all

 

[Bagpuss17]

I always tested straight away too, didn't wait for them to get to room temperature.

They have been reliable for me, especially when I compare the + on the opk to my temps, it all fits in well.

But, they don't work for everybody. Lots of women get pregnant without ever detecting a + on opks.

I would probably ditch them if I were you Kmac. Go more on your CM and just BD 2-3 times a week.

Good luck

 

[kmac]

Thanks ladies!

Think I will just go by temps from now on and BD more often.
The sticks just stress me out!

 

[Lynsey]

Kmac - I am completely in the same boat and just posted in chart stalkers. I am getting so stressed as I haven't had a + for the 4 days I have been testing over ovulation. If I wasn't temping, I would have been driven around the bend!

 

[kmac]

Hi Lynsey
I'm glad it's not just me having opk problems!!
I am still stressing and so worried about tomorrow morning -- if my temp doesn't get higher or falls I think there is definitely something wrong with me. This is taking over my life.

 

[Loola]

Im not going to use them anymore. I feel that I was so obsessed with getting a + that we were only really going for it around that time. This month without knowing when Im possibly going to ovulate it means we will have to have alot of sex all the way through the month! You may see the method in my madness! For me the CM should be enough for me to tell generally when im becoming fertile anyway. I have realised that showing my poor OH a stick that I have wee'd on does not really turn him on bless him, so without knowing he should be under alot less pressure too. Hopefully this will put more of the fun back into TTC than the mechanical process it has been lately.

The only problem is my POAS addiction. I guess Im going to be buying a shed load of HPTs!

 

[Babylicious]

worked for me, first month and I fell pregnant

 

[CB23]

They work for me, I show a positive being darker than the line and I usually ovulate on the day I get the positive, as shown by my temp shift. Everyone is different!

 

[Elle'sMumy]

worked for me, first month and I fell pregnant

thank goodness babylicious said something good and gave me a little hope, this is my first month of using OPKs, i started testing CD9- neg CD10- bfp, CD11- bfp, CD12- Neg. i was so exited and totaly have my hopes up because i know exact time i Ovd, along with checking CM, but dont temp as i forget every morning as LO needs brekky i cant wait to test ! please dont say that it could be wrong Lol.