I have only been using OPK's for one month, and according to my positive, I O'ed on about day 17, but then started my period on day 27. I am going in for blood tests to see if I actually ovulate this cycle, I was just wondering how common it is to get a positive OPK, but then not really ovulate.
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Mine was not confirmed with progesterone levels, but I chart and clearly get sustained rise in temperature 2 days after positive OPK.
Just because your luteal phase was short doesn't mean that you didn't ovulate!
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@sapphire: That's kind of what I thought, and realize to be true. But when my OB's office called me right back and told me that I needed to have my levels tested this month, it kind of freaked me out! So, I was just wondering if this is a fairly common problem.
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May also be that they want to test your progesterone because low progesterone can lead to short luteal phase.
Good luck!
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I would love testing of any kind! Are you worried because of a shortish LP?
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Ovulation strip only detect LH levels and LH can absolutely be in your system and surge even if you have an anovulatory cycle. This is why temping can be helpful. You could also be ovulating late. What's normal for you? Is this your first cycle using OPKs?
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@MrsMcD: I had gone in during cycle 5, to see if she would write me a "prescription" for massage therapy for managing anxiety so that I could use my health savings account funds for it. She told me that my irregular cycles were nothing to be concerned about as long as there were 14 days between ovulation and when I started my period. When it was 10 days, I called to see if it was something to be concerned about. Thats when the nurse called me back and told me to come in 8 days after my positive OPK for blood work.
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@MrsMccarthy: Yup, my it was my first cycle using OPK's and 6th cycle trying...I tried the just have more sex route because I knew how obsessive I can become. Then I got to the point where I felt like I needed to try harder and have more information.
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Depending on how obsessive you want to be I found charting to be a great way to determine that I was, in fact, ovulating. The OPK are only one half of the story...they can tell you when your body is gearing up but can't tell you whether or not your body actually DID, but charting can.
As for how common it is I have no idea, but I know it happens.
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Be prepared for your dr to maybe tell you that you didn't ovulate, even though you most likely did. I had a similar LP and my 7dpo progesterone test result was 3.1. My dr said that means I didn't ovulate, but I had a clear temp rise, so I know I did. When I was referred to an RE later, he said I definitely ovulated, but that because my LP is short, the test didn't catch the peak progesterone.
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I have gotten positive OPKs before and did not ovulate, but that is because of my PCOS. I didn't get a period 2 weeks later either.
It seems more likely in your case that you may have ovulated, but had a short Luteal phase of just 10 or less days.
I also recommend charting to confirm O.
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Agree with a lot of the previous posters... You can have a + OPKS and have a shorter than 14 day LP. There's nothing abnormal about that. Maybe try temping for a month to confirm a post-O rise?
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I got +OPKs at CD21ish and then my period would come a few days later. That was the first sign that I needed to get bloodwork done, which led to a PCOS diagnosis. That's just me, though.
Another recommendation to start charting. It gives you SO much information.
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When I was trying for DS, my body would gear up to ovulate, and then not do it. So, I got positive OPK's, but no ovulation...but also no AF. I think if you got AF, then it might just mean you have a short luteal phase.
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Thank you all! I feel like TTC has taken over my life in an unhealthy way, so I am going to try a few more months with what we are doing, and will keep an open mind with charting after that. I'm starting to see color, definitely not a positive yet though, on my OPKs, which is way earlier than last month.
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I'm new to HB, so I'm wondering what the temping tells you that LH levels in the OPK don't? How can you confirm O without a doctor blood test? Thanks ladies!
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@Mrs. Microscope: Like you said, OPKs tell you about your LH surge, which occurs just before you ovulate. Temping/charting, on the other hand, tells you about the progesterone hormone, which rises after you ovulate. Rising progesterone levels equal rising temperatures. Done correctly, charting can be a pretty fool-proof way of finding out if you've ovulated.
Using OPKs alone can be ineffective for a small proportion of people such as people with PCOS, whose hormone levels are not what they should be. But for most people with regular cycles, OPKs alone can tell you a good amount of information. Charting in addition to OPKs is just a good way to "triangulate your data," as they say.
ETA: Oh, and welcome to HB!
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I wondered this exact same thing! I started charting in conjunction with the OPK''s and that helped soothe my worries some.
Of course I ended up not seeing the jump I thought I should and getting my GP to run a blood test to see if I was ovulating. Irony or ironies, I got a positive HPT on the morning I was supposed to go in for the test results. I sheepishly had to tell her that it appeared I was worrying over nothing (and that she had run a bunch of tests just for fun).
Long story short, OPK's are a great tool to tell when you are ovulating, but not the only one. If you are worried, try an additional method (temping, checking fertility signs, etc) or call your doctor!
(edited to correct my silly typos!)
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Thanks for the great information ladies! I never knew about the progesterone/temp connection. How cool!
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