OPKs

[Tenny]

Question for those ladies who have used OPK, is the test line suppose to get darker as O approaches? I know I looked at some other website that had picture of OPKs over a course of several days and it seems like the test line gets darker closer to O and then it is positive when the test line is darker then the control. Well with mine the control line is showing up, but nothing in the test line. I'm just curious what is everyone else's experience. Does that mean O is still several days off?

Thanks!

[Scooter]

Many people have the fade-in fade-out pattern you're describing, but not everyone. If there's no line at all and you're sure you're near O, you may want to try testing at other times of the day to see if there is more LH in your system at certain times of the day. :)

[Happy1]

I've been using OPKs for 8 months now and I always test at the same time every day (12:30 p.m.). For me, I typically don't get a line at all (the control line shows up but the test line doesn't) until the day I actually get my surge the test picks up and then it's an unmistakable dark dark line. It's just the way my body works.

If you want to double check, I would also get a pack or 2 of the Clear Blue Easy Digital OPKs. That's super easy to interpret because you get an empty circle if no surge is detected and a smiley face if it is. They aren't the cheapest things but if you use it once just to get a feel of when you can expect to get a positive OPK, it's worth it.

Nikki :D

[Tenny]

I typically don't get a line at all (the control line shows up but the test line doesn't) until the day I actually get my surge the test picks up and then it's an unmistakable dark dark line. It's just the way my body works.

That is what happened to me too. Friday...nothing and then on Saturday a postive! Thanks for answering my question, I just assumed that it would get darker as O gets closer because that is what I mostly see when people post picture of their OPKs.

Thanks!

[dollface]

When I used OPK's, I tested twice a day. I would test in the morning and in the late afternoon. Sometimes it would be stark white in the a.m. and I would have a perfect line by afternoon.

[CarolinaGirl]

So the instructions in the OPK say to test between 10am and 8pm. Is there a certain time of the day when any of you consistently have better readings?

[dancn226]

can someone tell me how you know when to test??? Or when to try???

[Happy1]

dancn226 The specialists all say not to use first morning urine. You should have a concentrated urine specimen (the directions for most of the tests say you shouldn't have last used the bathroom for at least 4 hours prior to testing). I seem to have good results when I test around 12:30 p.m. But depending on how your body works, you may have better results if you test later in the evening. As for when in your cycle to try, when you're first starting your best bet is to read the directions that come with the OPKs. They tell you if you get your period on Day X, you should start testing on Day Y. Once you've done it for a few cycles you'll get a better feel for when to start testing. I know the first two times I did it, I tested for 9 days and then on the 10th day I finally got my positive. Now I know my cycle well enough to only test for 2 days and usually I get my positive on the 3rd or 4th day.

Good luck!

Nikki :D