Using OPKs twice per day is a good idea!!!!

AngelaM · 06-02-2005, 12:19 PM

Well, it looks like my double testing this month paid off. At least terms of identifying my LH surge a little more accurately.

As you know, I started using the Clearblue Fertility Monitor this month. I take that test when I wake in the morning. I am also keeping a BBT and I decided to use the remainder of my digital OPK tests in the afternoons. That way if my surge happened later in the day, the OPK would catch it if the fertility monitor did not.

Well….I still got only a "high" fertility reading this morning with the fertility monitor. The fertility monitor gives you a "peak" reading when it detects your LH surge. So I had not surged as of this morning. I just used my last Clearblue digital OPK test at 3 pm today and I got a

indicating that it has picked up my LH surge. If I had not been checking in the afternoon too, I wouldn't have known that I had an LH surge until tomorrow morning. And, I would've been off on when my LH surge actually happened.

I usually have breakthrough bleeding midcycle which makes it hard for me to identify CM (in addition to not have much) but I can usually tell by the consistency (more so than color due the bleeding) if it’s the fertile mucous. I saw that type of mucous on Day 10.

So, guess what we'll be doing tonight?

My temps, fertility monitor readings (low, high, etc.), and BMS so far this month are as follows:
CD1 (AF) 97.97, low
CD2 (AF) 97.79, low
CD3 (AF) 97.96, low
CD4 (AF) 97.76, low
CD5 (spotting) 97.74, low
CD6 97.79, low
CD7 97.86, low
CD8 97.88, high, BMS
CD9 (spotting) 97.98, high
CD10 (spotting and stretchy CM mixed in with blood) 97.43, high, BMS
CD11 (spotting) 97.55, high (negative OPK in afternoon)
CD12 97.88, high (positive OPK in afternoon

) Will be BMSing this evening

Wish us luck. Maybe this month will be THE month. I know better than to get my hopes up too much but I've done everything I can to pin down the peak time as much as possible. Big lesson learned this month! It is worth it to use OPKs in the morning and afternoon to ID your LH surge!

eaglet · 06-02-2005, 12:47 PM

I agree - I've been doing the same thing (monitor in the morning, OPK in the evening; since we usually bms in the evening anyway). Last month the same thing happened - surge showed up on evening OPK and not on monitor until the next morning.

I start the OPKs once the monitor goes to high. If only it would get to high this cycle - still waiting...

-eaglet

chance4602 · 06-02-2005, 02:05 PM

Good luck! I will keep my fingers crossed for you that it is your lucky month!!!

**BC-DKNY** · 06-02-2005, 03:50 PM

thanx for the info angela. the experts do say that most women will detect their surges between 12-4pm. so i guess you backed up their theory

good luck! I hope this is your month.

**BC-Maura** · 06-02-2005, 05:52 PM

Wow, GOOD LUCK, Angela! Let this be IT

!

Keep us posted, ok?
++++++++++++++++
Maura

AngelaM · 06-03-2005, 03:27 AM

My temp went up to 98.11 this morning (and its never above 98 unless I have ovulated). I got a "peak" reading this morning on the fertility monitor (so it just confirms the OPK from yesterday afternoon). Last night my dh and I had a glass of champagne and BMS.

We've certainly done everything we could to time things right this month. Now, we just have to wait and see if my body cooperates. I'll keep everyone posted. The 2ww is always killer isn't it!

AngelaM · 06-03-2005, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BC-DKNY

thanx for the info angela. the experts do say that most women will detect their surges between 12-4pm. so i guess you backed up their theory

I'm definitely a believer in the theory after this month. I can't remember where I read it now, but I read you should even take it 3 times per day. Once first thing in the morning, again between 2 and 5 and again between 5 and 10. However, I also read somewhere the many times the LH surge hits in the early afternoon which rings true in my case since I got the positive OPK test result at 3 pm.

It just goes to show you that even the fertility monitor in all of its expense does not give you perfect results because it does only test once per day.

AngelaM · 06-03-2005, 06:09 AM

I meant to also post about the results of using robitussin and baby aspirin this cycle as well and forgot.

I did use the robitussin sparingly and tried the baby aspirin and had to quit after taking 1 baby aspirin each for two days. I have had stomach issues since my 2nd pregnancy. I had an awful case of acid reflux with my pregnancy with Anna and I think it damaged my stomach lining. Anyway, the two days that I took an aspirin I had awful, and I do mean awful, stomach pains. And, I didn't take it on an empty stomach. And, when I take the robitussin (also taken with meals) my stomach burns. I went to my internal medicine doctor Wednesday this week and told him about my increased stomach pain over the last few months (it wasn't just increased with the introduction of the robi and aspirin. I think they just aggravated my condition though). Anyway, he plans to schedule me for a scope of my esophagus and stomach after we determine if I did get pregnant this month. Until then, he has increased my stomach meds (prevacid) to hopefully provide some relief.

As for the robitussin, I did take what I could tolerate this month which was 1-2 doses of 3 teaspoons every other day since my active menstrual cycle stopped and I did see an slight increase in CM this cycle. So it did help some. Unfortunately, I think I'm going to have to cut it out over the long haul if I'm not pregnant this month because of my stomach issues

I tell ya….getting older stinks and infertility is the pits. After two pregnancies, my uterus and bladder have adhered to one another (a side effect of the c-sections from both deliveries and adhesions from endometriosis) and I have stomach problems from my last pregnancy. I had preclampsia with my first pregnancy and subsequent heart palpitations after I delivered Rachel for months afterwards. And, I had to be put on bedrest during the last trimester of both pregnancies due to preterm labor. Can someone remind me again why I want to get pregnant again? Oh, I remember, it is so worth all of the aches, pains, and stresses on my body to have another beautiful baby again.

So in addition to the problems with infertility, I can't even have an easy pregnancy. It just seems so unfair when other women can get pregnant easily and enjoy easy pregnancies and deliveries (I can't even deliver vaginally because my babies were so big and my pelvic opening was so small).

06-02-2005, 12:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
AngelaM Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: "Right" in the "middle" of Georgia Posts: 7,952 Blog Entries: 1	Using OPKs twice per day is a good idea!!!! Well, it looks like my double testing this month paid off. At least terms of identifying my LH surge a little more accurately. As you know, I started using the Clearblue Fertility Monitor this month. I take that test when I wake in the morning. I am also keeping a BBT and I decided to use the remainder of my digital OPK tests in the afternoons. That way if my surge happened later in the day, the OPK would catch it if the fertility monitor did not. Well….I still got only a "high" fertility reading this morning with the fertility monitor. The fertility monitor gives you a "peak" reading when it detects your LH surge. So I had not surged as of this morning. I just used my last Clearblue digital OPK test at 3 pm today and I got a indicating that it has picked up my LH surge. If I had not been checking in the afternoon too, I wouldn't have known that I had an LH surge until tomorrow morning. And, I would've been off on when my LH surge actually happened. I usually have breakthrough bleeding midcycle which makes it hard for me to identify CM (in addition to not have much) but I can usually tell by the consistency (more so than color due the bleeding) if it’s the fertile mucous. I saw that type of mucous on Day 10. So, guess what we'll be doing tonight? My temps, fertility monitor readings (low, high, etc.), and BMS so far this month are as follows: CD1 (AF) 97.97, low CD2 (AF) 97.79, low CD3 (AF) 97.96, low CD4 (AF) 97.76, low CD5 (spotting) 97.74, low CD6 97.79, low CD7 97.86, low CD8 97.88, high, BMS CD9 (spotting) 97.98, high CD10 (spotting and stretchy CM mixed in with blood) 97.43, high, BMS CD11 (spotting) 97.55, high (negative OPK in afternoon) CD12 97.88, high (positive OPK in afternoon ) Will be BMSing this evening Wish us luck. Maybe this month will be THE month. I know better than to get my hopes up too much but I've done everything I can to pin down the peak time as much as possible. Big lesson learned this month! It is worth it to use OPKs in the morning and afternoon to ID your LH surge! Last edited by AngelaM; 06-02-2005 at 12:22 PM.

06-02-2005, 05:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
BC-Maura Board Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 12,945	Wow, GOOD LUCK, Angela! Let this be IT! Keep us posted, ok? ++++++++++++++++ Maura

06-03-2005, 03:27 AM	#6 (permalink)
AngelaM Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: "Right" in the "middle" of Georgia Posts: 7,952 Blog Entries: 1	My temp went up to 98.11 this morning (and its never above 98 unless I have ovulated). I got a "peak" reading this morning on the fertility monitor (so it just confirms the OPK from yesterday afternoon). Last night my dh and I had a glass of champagne and BMS. We've certainly done everything we could to time things right this month. Now, we just have to wait and see if my body cooperates. I'll keep everyone posted. The 2ww is always killer isn't it! Last edited by AngelaM; 06-03-2005 at 05:00 AM.

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06-02-2005, 12:47 PM	#2 (permalink)
eaglet Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 755	I agree - I've been doing the same thing (monitor in the morning, OPK in the evening; since we usually bms in the evening anyway). Last month the same thing happened - surge showed up on evening OPK and not on monitor until the next morning. I start the OPKs once the monitor goes to high. If only it would get to high this cycle - still waiting... -eaglet

06-02-2005, 02:05 PM	#3 (permalink)
chance4602 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 77	Good luck! I will keep my fingers crossed for you that it is your lucky month!!!

06-03-2005, 06:09 AM	#8 (permalink)
AngelaM Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: "Right" in the "middle" of Georgia Posts: 7,952 Blog Entries: 1	I meant to also post about the results of using robitussin and baby aspirin this cycle as well and forgot. I did use the robitussin sparingly and tried the baby aspirin and had to quit after taking 1 baby aspirin each for two days. I have had stomach issues since my 2nd pregnancy. I had an awful case of acid reflux with my pregnancy with Anna and I think it damaged my stomach lining. Anyway, the two days that I took an aspirin I had awful, and I do mean awful, stomach pains. And, I didn't take it on an empty stomach. And, when I take the robitussin (also taken with meals) my stomach burns. I went to my internal medicine doctor Wednesday this week and told him about my increased stomach pain over the last few months (it wasn't just increased with the introduction of the robi and aspirin. I think they just aggravated my condition though). Anyway, he plans to schedule me for a scope of my esophagus and stomach after we determine if I did get pregnant this month. Until then, he has increased my stomach meds (prevacid) to hopefully provide some relief. As for the robitussin, I did take what I could tolerate this month which was 1-2 doses of 3 teaspoons every other day since my active menstrual cycle stopped and I did see an slight increase in CM this cycle. So it did help some. Unfortunately, I think I'm going to have to cut it out over the long haul if I'm not pregnant this month because of my stomach issues I tell ya….getting older stinks and infertility is the pits. After two pregnancies, my uterus and bladder have adhered to one another (a side effect of the c-sections from both deliveries and adhesions from endometriosis) and I have stomach problems from my last pregnancy. I had preclampsia with my first pregnancy and subsequent heart palpitations after I delivered Rachel for months afterwards. And, I had to be put on bedrest during the last trimester of both pregnancies due to preterm labor. Can someone remind me again why I want to get pregnant again? Oh, I remember, it is so worth all of the aches, pains, and stresses on my body to have another beautiful baby again. So in addition to the problems with infertility, I can't even have an easy pregnancy. It just seems so unfair when other women can get pregnant easily and enjoy easy pregnancies and deliveries (I can't even deliver vaginally because my babies were so big and my pelvic opening was so small).