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OV sticks - please explain! x

Hi ladies,

Im not technically TTC just yet (still got to wait a little bit) but when we do I want to be armed with every bit of knowledge and advice possible so I can try and get a BFP asap!. Last time we conceived was a fluke on honeymoon, so we didnt have to look at when I was ovulating etc, so I have know idea when of how things work.

Do I get these tests from boots etc? which ones are best? how much are they? what do you do with them (i keep reading about smiley faces and peaks etc)

apologies if this has already been explained before (can someone send me the link?)

I feel really thick! The TTC journey is such a new world!

[Modified by: purplebubbles on 04 January 2010 13:41:19 ]

Replies

  • Hi Purplepebbles

    I just wanted to share my experience of OPKs with you.
    Over the 20 months weve been TTC, ( sadly with 2 MCs along the way), ive used numerous brands & types of OPKs & they are a bit of a mine field!!!!
    I used to find it very hard interpreting the second lines, were they positive? were they dark enough to be positive? In the end i found it too stressful so i bought Clear Blue Digital OPKs which were great as you just get a smiley face when the LH surge is detected & they come in a pack of 7 rather than the usual 5. The draw back is the price as they are very expensive,(??22.50 in boots), although you can get them a bit chaper from amazon,( about ??13).
    Due to the cost i bought some sensitive OPk strips from amazon,( got 50 for ??7.50), and found the trick was to do them later in the day, around 3-4pm when the there is more LH in the body as appose to in the morning. The results were alot more reliable & the pric eis obviously another bonus!

    I hope this is of some use hun & fingers crossed you get a supersticky BFP very soon! xxxxxx
  • thank you so much for your reply PrincessStar - that really has helped!

    sorry to hear about your Mc's - Ive been through one which was awful but to go through two is just horrid - lots of hugs and baby dust hun x

    Im going to go down to Boots after work and have a little look - and also pop onto Amazon.

    Can I be stupid and ask what LH ? Im guessing its something hormone? gosh I feel really thick - I bet its something obvious!

    thank you again for replying, hope you get a BFP real soon too! x x x
  • Hey dont apologise i had to go on & read all the abbriviations for the site so i knew what people were saying when i first joined!

    LH is Luternising Hormone, you get a serge just befor you ovulate, usual about 24 hrs before.

    The cheaper OPKs that are similar to the ones i got from amazon you can find in Bodycare, Wilkinsons, Savers chemist, (about ??2.50_??2.99 a box of 5), they work on similar lines to HPTs having 2 lines one to show the test is working the other to show the result.
    The confusion lies in interpreting how dark a positive should be.

    Anyway hun happy shopping!
    Oh a quick heads up, if you order off amazon be careful as alot of the stuff is sold through a third party company & the postage can be high but i think at the moment the one place i know does alot of stuff is free at the moment.

    xxxxxxx
  • Hi purplebubbles, don't worry hun your not stupid at all, I learn something new everyday on this site image

    Anyway, right OPK's, you basically test your urine in the afternoon (morning is a no-no for these tests) it works pretty similar to a pg test except it is testing for the presence of the hormone LH. When you get a positive test it means you have a high level of LH (a peak). LH is the hormones that causes ovulation so a surge basically means that your about to ovulate (in the next 12 hours usually) so you know to BD as much as you possibly can image

    Hope that helps a little, the ones I use are cheapies from ebay, about ??3 for 25 and they do the job just as well image xx
  • hey, just wanted to say that i couldn't read the cheap tests at all and tried the CB and FR ones but couldn't tell the difference between the lines so i have now got some CB digital ons (smiley faces) and these are great! bit more expensive but try shopping on ebay, as long as they are sealed and in date they are fine. though if u go with these i suggest the pee in a pot option as the first eve i did one i didnt and it got an error cus i'd screwed it up so couldn't re test that day! good luck xx
  • thank you for all of the hints, tips and recommendations girls - you are fab!

    I feel a much more clued up now and have an idea of where to start!!!

    hopefully be ttc'ing soon!

    thank you thank you thank you!


    x x x
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