I just got a positive!!...
...on an OPK.
OK, several OPKs... (sort of)
The top one is CVS brand, the second one is early-pregnancy-tests.com, the third one is Target brand, and the bottom one, as you can see, is ClearBlue. It's kind of hard to tell in the picture, but the CVS one is positive, I think, but only a thin part of the test line is as dark as the control line; the rest is lighter. On the early-pregnancy-tests.com one, the test line is lighter than the control line (therefore, negative). I did those two first, and then decided to confirm with the Target one. That one is just about as pretty close to positive as it can get without being clearly positive. So then I decided to check with the expensive ClearBlue one, which was positive. So, I figure I should trust that one the most, right? You get what you pay for and all that?
I got WAY too excited over a positive OPK.
Because it was just an OPK.
So I can't even imagine what I'm going to be like when I get a BFP for real, on an HPT!
But now, I'm completely confused as to what to do. The midwives at my clinic said to only test once a day, in the morning, and then come in for the IUI the day after I get a positive. Well, I tested about three times today, Saturday, the last one being this fun positive one, but it was at about 12:45am, so really, tomorrow morning (Sunday). Right? So then in theory I should go in for my IUI on Monday, which is about what I'd figured. But what if I had waited to test again until tomorrow morning, thereby missing my surge? I won't still get a positive test late-ish tomorrow morning if I got a positive now, will I? How long does a surge last, exactly? But since I got a positive now, so late at night/early in the morning, should I try to have the IUI tomorrow - Sunday?
Wait, this is getting confusing, since I tested Saturday night, but it's really very early Sunday morning since it's after midnight. What I'm trying to say is, if I get a positive OPK very early Sunday morning, soon after midnight, then should I have the IUI on Sunday, or wait til Monday? Let's say I do it on Sunday around noon, then that would be approximately 12 hours after the positive OPK. But if I do it on Monday around noon, then that's 36 hours after the positive OPK. So maybe either is ok? I guess it really depends how long after the surge I actually ovulate, and how the hell am I supposed to know THAT? I guess I can see if I get another positive OPK in the morning, and/or if my temp spikes. But I think it would be too soon for a temp spike - I bet than doesn't happen til Monday at the earliest. Right?
Shit. This is WAY more complicated than it should be! Or maybe I'm just overthinking it...
I'm really hoping this craziness is just because it's my first month actually TRYING, and that it gets a little easier to figure out after this...
YAY!!! exciting!!!
ReplyDeletei'm afraid I can't give you any advice about how to interpret results in terms of when to go in, because OPKs never worked for me. i went solely by ultrasound. HOWEVER, given that they DO work for you, I think it's great that you are using them and going low tech!
i will say that i have read on the boards that a lot of folks recommend testing more than once a day so that you don't miss your surge. so maybe you should just tell your midwives that you are going to test more than once a day, despite their recommendations, just because, and given that, if you get
a positive at x time, how should you react. sort of plan for every contigency?
anyway, i totally get why you are excited! it's great!
we are headed to MA for Thanksgiving... last year I got my long awaited BFP on the day after Thanksgiving, also in MA! (ooh, just got chills down my spine!) hoping you get something equally wonderful!
ps you probably already did, but if not, post your question to the TTC board. there are some very helpful folks on there.
ReplyDeleteI did OPKs, and went in for the IUI the day I got a positive...sometimes it was only a handful of hours later. In fact, the IUI that was successful, I went in only 5 hours later. Sperm can stay alive for several days, the egg can not. I would suggest calling the clinic ASAP, and trying to have the IUI on sunday (it may depend on their schedule). Sending baby dust your way!!!
ReplyDeleteLike, Abby, I never got OPKs to work well for me (never got positives but WAS ovulating). Until the cycle with Carys. I got an OPK much like yours on saturday night (test line dark but slightly lighter than control). Then Sunday morning the test line was convincingly positive. So that was the "real" positive and saturday night I guess I caught it on the upswing. I did my IUI about 10 am on monday morning, and got pregnant. My clinic (and I too) believe that it's better to get the sperm in a little early than a little late, it's the EGG that has the very limited lifespan of about 12 hours, so if you can have the sperm in the tube waiting for the egg to release, that's good! Well, that reasoning worked 2 out of 3 tries for me! GOOD LUCK!!
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