OPKs and/or Fertility Monitor

[potatopie]

I like the idea of using OPKs, but I'm put off by the testing during the day and holding your pee for hours before. I drink a LOT during the day and am worried I won't be able to hold it or will just have too diluted urine regardless. I also don't want to have to pee into a cup and test at my workplace.

I also thought the Fertility Monitor might be good since i have really irregular cycles, but I'm put off by the price and some reviews that said it wasn't as accurate as the OPKs.

Thoughts? Opinions? Experiences?

[ilikedonuts]

I drink a ton and pee a lot during the day. When TTC our first, I tested at work. I would just stop drinking at noon, pee and then hold it for the next like 2 hours tops. I never had issues getting a positive opk. We had private (public) bathrooms with a sink in the room, etc so it was easy to pee in a cup. I don't think I would have done it if it was a bathroom with stalls. I would just slip the opk back in the package (while laying flat) and stick it in my purse and hid it in my desk drawer when I got back to my desk.

I was way too cheap for a fertility monitor so I can't help you with that experience. Some woman I know did you use one with success.

[vmars]

why do you test later in the day? i just bought an opk at walgreens and it says to test in the morning...am I missing something?

[ilikedonuts]

Dec 12, 2012 18:02:03 GMT -5 vmars said:

why do you test later in the day? i just bought an opk at walgreens and it says to test in the morning...am I missing something?

This is what I always read.

Q: What time of day should I test?

A: The best time to test is 2 p.m., or as close as possible. Anytime between noon and 8 p.m. is fine, first morning urine is not recommended. The reason for this is that most women experience a surge in the morning, but it can take 4 hours for it to show up in your urine.

[radical]

I get to go home for lunch so I have been testing using wondfo's. I have tested the last three days and can barely see a line and it has not darkened at all.

Do you guys wait till the urine is room temp like it says or do you just test right away??

[ilikedonuts]

Dec 12, 2012 22:56:02 GMT -5 namasteak said:

Thanks for that info ilove!

For those of you who test twice a day: I am planning on testing twice a day in case my LH surge is later in the day. Is my thinking correct there?

I test twice a day from CD10 until whenever I get a positive. The times usually vary though and I don't usually hit the 2pm time. Usually I do around noon and around 5pm.

[HoneySpider]

I didn't want to be bothered testing at work so I just did it in the morning and when I got home at night. Maybe not the recommended times, but it didn't give me any issues. I also didn't worry about holding my pee and sometimes used FMU even though you're not supposed to. I don't know, it just wasn't something I got that worked up about I guess.

[rosetyler]

I always tested at night shortly before bed. Rarely any issues catching my surge. I actually used both the CBE digital kit (bought on Amazon subscription to save a few dollars) and the Wondfo strips. I needed the reassurance of the smiley face, but I like that the Wondfos let you see the line getting a bit darker the day or two before.

If you're really irregular, I might start with just the Wondfos, so you can get used to your cycle and not feel guilty about peeing on them as often as you like. I would also chart so you can pinpoint if you're o'ing or not. From what I've read, the fertility monitor is not great for very irregular cycles.

When we first started, my cycles ranged from 10 days to 90 days. Hopefully yours aren't that crazy. It took a diagnosis of PCOS and medication for my thyroid before they started regulating, and at that point, it was pretty easy to figure out when I'd ovulate.

Good luck!

[belovedbride07]

Dec 13, 2012 9:38:02 GMT -5 HoneySpider said:

I didn't want to be bothered testing at work so I just did it in the morning and when I got home at night. Maybe not the recommended times, but it didn't give me any issues. I also didn't worry about holding my pee and sometimes used FMU even though you're not supposed to. I don't know, it just wasn't something I got that worked up about I guess.

Ditto all this. I know everyone is different, but I haven't had any trouble catching my surge.