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I was always terrible with using OPK's! Just wanted to saw good luck!

I know some people do test 2x/day (12 hrs apart, like 8am and 8pm). I only test 1x/day and have always gotten a positive (using digitals) - however, a lot of places recommend testing in the afternoon, not the morning. Apparently your LH surges first thing in the morning and it takes around 4 hrs for it to get into your urine. From a LOT of research I've done about OPK timing (this is why I got the monitor...), they say between noon and 8pm is the best window, and 2pm is the peak time for testing. I know there are ladies on here who get + opks in the morning no problem, but just FYI.

Also you may not O til later, so I'd say keep using the OPKs and temping and wait to see what your temps do.. since this is your first month charting, you have no previous patterns to go on so just keep it up! And keep in mind some people see a temp drop on O day or O-1, so the rise on its own might not indicate you missed it.

Also I've never used the cheapies, but I think I've heard people say they see the lines get darker and darker until it's positive, and then the next day it's stark white again? I'm not sure about that, but if there's a faint test line, you're probably still gearing up to O!

I used digital OPK's twice a day for the last cycle and never got a positive "Smiley face" and I'm now 6 weeks pregnant.
You absolutely can miss your surge. That's why we just enjoyed each other and it worked out.

@Ali: like @JoJoGirl said, I use the cheapies, once a day when I get home from work (around 6pm) and they get darker and darker until eventually it's positive, and then usually after one more day of positive, it's stark white again. But I only ever test once a day. No harm in testing morning and evening though, other than the extra cost. See what your temp does tomorrow, then it'll be clearer (hopefully!)

I only charted for like 2 weeks but my temperature fluctuated a lot. You probably haven't O'd would be my guess, but I tested twice a day also. I didn't O this cycle until CD27!

@spaniellove: Sorry to threadjack, but your chart looks absolutely textbook. Can't wait til you test!

@Ali: Temps can be SO wonky. One high temp isn't unusual (if you look at my chart from last month on the charting thread, I had multiple random high temps throughout the month, then FINALLY a sustained thermal shift on the same day as my positive OPK). I think once you see the shift it'll be more clear you Od! I hope!

@Ali: OH trust me i know!! Every month my DH makes me feel better about ttc saying "we're on a learning curve... we do better at this every month". Part of me wishes I'd educated myself better BEFORE ttc, but i was trying not to get too caught up in all of it. But yes, amazing how complicated it all is.

@Ali: Coming off BCP totally wrecked havoc on my cycle. For the first two months we just used cheap OPK's without charting and the first month I didn't get a positive OPK, the second I did, and the third was iffy. I only tested once a day, but it always seemed difficult for me to really tell if one pink line was darker. I think only one ever seemed super clear. I highly recommend charting with an OPK for at least two months (because the first just ends up being a reference really) and if that doesn't work, you can cheat like me and @jojogirl and get a fertility monitor. It has proven to be much more helpful to me and you get a clear answer of High and Peak times for ovulation. But seeing as how you're just starting, I'd skip the $200 investment until you've gotten a few BFN's. Many women are pregnant in their first or second time trying without doing anything at all. It just wasn't me, lol.

@Ali: I totally agree. And I'm a control freak too. As a perfectionist and eager beaver, it's very hard to have something in my life I want more than anything and am unable to do much about if I am able to have it or not. I think that's the hardest part for people like us.

I the monitor. More so today than usual. Ha ha.

I ha a really short surge! Like less than 24 hours. So I did them every 12 hours as it was possible for me to miss my surge!