OPK and cycle tracking advice please?

[Mum23boys1982]

Hello ladies

I just have a question about tracking O with OPK. This is my first month testing for practice for my attempt next cycle. So I would just like your thoughts on how to interpret this so I have a better understanding for next cycle. In hindsight I should have started tracking months ago! I'm stupid.

I started testing x2 a day morning and late afternoon from CD 11. I am on CD 15 today and my normal cycle is 28 days and I usually get o symptoms from CD 12-14.

CD 11 - 2 lines, but faint test line
CD 12 - 2 lines, test line darker than yesterday - cramping
CD 13 - 2 lines, test line getting darker approx 50% - cramping and headache (normal)
CD 14 - 2 lines, test line about 75% at 2nd test 4pm - SEVERE cramping and stabbing pains, nausea to the point where it hurt to walk and even sit down! I forgot to do a later test!
CD 15 (today) - 2 lines however 11.30 am test line (just now) is now barely there.. So any LH I did have is going..

On CD 14 I had lots of EWCM!! I haven't had that in years..I'm always usually dry or creamy. I was absolutely shocked and happy lol. Which didn't last long because after that the cramping and stabbing pains were bad. I had to take pain killers to function! I normally feel sick during when I o or suspect I o and get a headache so that's normal and I always get cramps but never that bad.

So I realise that even if you do have an + OPK that it doesn't actually mean you have ovulated, only that your body is gearing up to. I'm thinking that I missed my surge by forgetting to test later in the evening? If so that would be a short surge? However is it possible to have a short surge before actual ovulation? Or would a shorter surge indicate no ovulation at all?

Or another possibility is that the pain could be from a cyst? I had one at the beginning of the year (v small but still painful)?

Either way I think the EWCM looks promising!! So that's one good thing to take away from this.

Any input would be very gladly received, I am just trying to understand a bit better not get a diagnosis as such! I am starting clomid next cycle so hopefully if I'm not ovulating I will in the next few months x

[atomic sagebrush]

What does your OPK directions say to do?? Test in the morning or afternoon?? It's usually one or the other, not both.

You may have missed a surge or your urine may just not have been concentrated enough to register. You very well could have still surged and Oed.

I DO NOT think you should have started tracking months ago. What happens in one month has no bearing on what happens in future months. There are some of us who do have super reg. cycles but Clomid changes cycles dramatically so please don't postpone or beat yoursefl up over it, personally I prefer that people don't put too much focus on prev. months. :)

[Mum23boys1982]

What does your OPK directions say to do?? Test in the morning or afternoon?? It's usually one or the other, not both.

You may have missed a surge or your urine may just not have been concentrated enough to register. You very well could have still surged and Oed.

I DO NOT think you should have started tracking months ago. What happens in one month has no bearing on what happens in future months. There are some of us who do have super reg. cycles but Clomid changes cycles dramatically so please don't postpone or beat yoursefl up over it, personally I prefer that people don't put too much focus on prev. months. :)

Thanks atomic! Since posting I did some googling and apparently it's not uncommon and there is no way to really tell unless you have bloods/US or you track BBT and Clomid can and frequently skews the results anyway. So meh. Not even going to worry about it from now on.

To be honest i only started because my GP said to. I'm going down the E4D route anyway so that should cover it. If I don't conceive after a couple months then I will move on to SMEP.

FX!! Getting excited now! Just hoping for a sticky bean!! X

[Mum23boys1982]

I DO NOT think you should have started tracking months ago. What happens in one month has no bearing on what happens in future months. There are some of us who do have super reg. cycles but Clomid changes cycles dramatically so please don't postpone or beat yoursefl up over it, personally I prefer that people don't put too much focus on prev. months. :)

Makes sense! Every month is different and every woman is different! I'm just thankful that my cycle is regular at this point at least I have an idea of when x