Friday, December 2, 2011

Ovulation?

Having a job and doing OPKs kind of sucks.  Some cycles I can kind of do them around my work schedule so they are all done at home, but not this week.  Two days I've had to bring my OPKs (cheap double line & digital ones) to work to do on my breaks.  Which means carrying them around in a little bag, going into the bathroom, peeing in a little paper cup, dipping the stripes, and then putting them back in the bag to read.  It sounds like a pain but I'd rather do this than what my RE has planned for me next (injectables).  Pissing in a cup sounds better than shooting myself up with needles, which will also have to be done at work.  I deal.

Then I had a day off.  I went back Friday and I completely forgot my bag of OPKs on my kitchen counter.  Fuck!  I ended up having to buy a box at work on my lunch break.  Not too bad since I go through them so quick that I know they'll get used.  I ended up in the line of one my pregnant co-workers cashier.  She's like 38 weeks or something.  I'm not sure, I really try to ignore that fact she's pregnant.  She probably thought it was a PG test (the box looks similar & the brand is the same).  Now she's going to ask me if it came back positive.  Maybe I could join her "club".  But she already has some other kids, and I'm pretty sure she's younger than me, and 99% sure she has no idea what an OPK, LH hormone, beta, PCOS or anything else related to infertility.  It'd be best for both of us if she never brought it up.

Yesterday I lost my digital OPK reader.  Well my husband lost it.  I left it on the bathroom counter and he decided to re-organize, but now can't remember where he put it.  I think that is a sign the OPKs are done for this cycle.

I'd just like to explain how to read these tests.  I have gotten a few friends congratulate me on my pregnancy after seeing this photos.  The photo above is NOT a pregnancy test.  They look very similar, sometimes even the same brand.  But:
Control line on RIGHT, test line on LEFT.  Friday morning
on TOP, Friday evening in MIDDLE, Saturday morning
on BOTTOM.
  • Pregnancy tests read hCG hormone.  There is always a control line, but if a test line shows up no matter how dark or light it is then it's +.
  • OPK (ovulation predictor kits) read LH hormone.  Again a control line, but there is always a test line.  The test line needs to be the SAME shade or DARKER than the control to be +.  A lighter test line is a -.
I'm confused by the readings this cycle.  In the mornings the OPK test lines are darker than afternoon.  
  • TOP - Friday morning at work.  Lines are same shade, so +.
  • MIDDLE - Friday evening.  Line is lighter than control, so -.
  • BOTTOM - Saturday morning.  Line is much darker than control, so +.
This is the brand I bought at work after leaving all my others at home.  My digital one never picked up a +, or :) this cycle.  My cheap double line ones picked up a few + or close to it.  I'm not sure what to think, or what day to pin it on.  I'll just have to wait 'til AF.

Today I went shopping with Bean and began feeling a sharp pain inside me.  I was starving but the pain was much lower.  Only lasted a few minutes.  O pains maybe?  I made Bean come home and fuck me ether way.  

Whatever, I'll just be happy if I get AF in some sort of timely manner so I don't need more Provera or injectables.  I'm not asking to be PG, just a working set of ovaries.  One step at a time.

And we bought a puppy.  I'll write a post about him later.  Sorry I've been really busy with work and school lately.  
-Selbe
CD19, 1 dpo

8 comments:

  1. I would like to know the same thing.. I am going thru buying these damn tests and not understanding them.,.
    its really frustrating. but my OB me told me that clear blue seems to be the most accurate. but even said that, only 90%
    ashley

    ReplyDelete
  2. I believe my digital ones are Clearblue. But yeah, none of them are 100%. PCOS I know affects them, plus not doing them often and missing the surge. I'm always worried about how long I'm holding my pee in. Too long, not long enough?

    ReplyDelete
  3. They say the best pee to use is the pee once you wake up in the AM. Because the rest of the pee thru out the day is diluted and can alter the results.
    ashley

    ReplyDelete
  4. First Response - can take test any time of day, as long as same time each day - reduce liquid intake for 2 hrs - O in 24-36 hrs

    Clearblue - can take test any time of day, as long as same time each day - don't pee for 4 hrs before - O in 24-36 hrs

    Wondfo - reduce liquid intake for 2 hrs - O in 24-48 hrs

    Every company is different. I was always told NOT to use FMU (first morning urine) like a PG test but SMU. Most women have a surge in the morning and it can take hours for it to show up in your urine. So FMU will miss it. I try to do three times a day, about 8 hours apart.

    I'm just going to mark Saturday as my O date based on the pain. It was already really late anyways CD18.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well I will try your way and see what I get. I just spoke to my OB on Friday and that's what he told me to do, use the first urine of the day.
    Like I said before its frustrating.
    My Dr right now doesn't believe I am even ovulating now and has prescribed Meformin. I am going to be on it another month and then going to add Clomid. What are your thoughts on these medications?
    Ashley

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm anovulatory too. I have PCOS but I'm not insulin resistant so I've never taken Meformin.
    I have done five rounds of Clomid at 50, 100 and 150mg. When I started this blog last spring I had started the Clomid around the same time. But I only O'ed twice in five rounds so I got pulled from the drug. And my OBGYN sent me to an RE because they couldn't do much else for me.
    I have long cycles so I take a herbal drug called Vitex now. Seems to be working better than Clomid.

    ReplyDelete
  7. They diagnosed me with secondary infertility. I never new there was such a thing. I really don't understand it all. I have long cycles, 50-60 days. Which I have always been "normal" before getting pregnant and also 6 month after giving birth.
    I am going to look into that Vitex.
    Ashley

    ReplyDelete

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