URGENT Q for digital OPK users...

[NeedAGirl!]

This is the first month I am using a digital. Thought I would splurge and give it a try. Today is the morning of CD8 so thought I would start, fully expecting a negative. This was first morning urine (which the Clearblue digital suggests using) - got a smiley face. Huh??? Now I don't know WHAT to do! My pee was pretty concentrated.

If I judged by my normal times and symptoms, I would think O is not for 3 to 4 days. Who knows though my temps and cycle has been a bit off. My cervix started to soften last night but I don't have any fertile cm yet. According to my current FF statistics, I have O'd on cd 12 7x, 13 3x, 14 1x. I have been using normal strip OPKs the last few months and they tend to turn + less than 48 hours before O. Again, I think this is only CD8. There is a slight chance this is actually CD9 instead of 8. I had what I thought was my period but it was so light that I counted it as spotting rather than CD1.

Should I retest later today?? Should we dtd? We are abstaining and were planning a 1x attempt at OPK+. DH has been abstaining 7.5 days. Not sure that is long enough... Anyone get a false +???

Ack! My body is crazy!!

[KnockYourBallsOff]

I'm in a sorta similar situation. Getting really realy early opk's based on previous cyccles (like 10 days early)...

Are you on SP?

coudl you be pregnant? Have you taken a test?

I would test later today, see the resulst, and then I'd DTD. Just my opinion. This morning I had my second temp jump and it looks like I missed my O day!!! I'm soooo pissed. I even ate breakfast in rebellion! LOL! I'd hate for you to miss it. Are you temping? How r your temps looking?

[NeedAGirl!]

My temps have been really weird actually. They are quite a bit higher than usual. I had posted about it recently. I did end up doing a HPT 2 nights ago because my last period came early and was lighter than usual. It was def negative. Here is the link to my chart. My Ovulation Chart (http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/2e2d3) Even though my temps are higher than normal, I am sure that I have not O'd yet. I am not doing SP but am doing Vitex but have been for several months.

[NeedAGirl!]

Oh and Knock... when you O'd early did you get CM that indicated you would O early or just the + OPK?

[zanacal]

They always worked well for me - I'd take another test this afternoon and DTD if it's + again.

[NeedAGirl!]

So I limited my intake of fluids and did not pee for 4 hours. This result was negative. When I was doing strip tests, I always got 2 lines starting on day 7 or 8 but they did not turn + until day 11 or 12. (24-48 hrs before O). I also only had a small amount of ferns today. I think because I am sick and feeling a bit dehydrated, my normal LH urine levels must have been a little more concentrated? I think I will probably need to stick to noon testing (which is what I did before with the sticks). I am going to wait and see if it turns + again in a couple days. The abstinence is hard for DH and I don't want to ruin it!

[NewYorkmom]

I would call their help line. From my personal experience they are really helpful. I remember reading somewhere that your information is stored and it's rare to get a smiley if your not due to ovulate. Good luck.

[amari]

I was confused by them too and not sure still if I truly o'd this past month when it said I did or not. But I think you don't get another smiley again if your surge goes down at all b/c it remembers that it is lower than what it was previously as nymom said. It wouldn't be a big deal except b/c we could just dtd and then test further w/non digital tests except for the fact that all of us are swaying. GL, let us know what you did and found out.

[zanacal]

I think there may be some confusion between digital OPKs and the CB Fertility Monitor - the OPKs don't remember anything of your cycle!

[PeonyPrincess]

There was definitely a very detailed post about clearblue digital OPKs which said that you would only get a + if the hormones reached a specified level (ie your LH surge) and it would be - after that unless the level detected was higher than the previous level. I agree that it would be a good idea to call the hotline. I'd hate for you to miss it, and I know my cycles are crazy on vitex and making me O earlier than I ever have previously. GL!

[prayforprincess]

The clear blue opk's DO remember your cycle for a period of time. It is very uncommon that you would get a +opk on a clear blue without having your lh surge at a certain level. If you got a + then you will be ovulating soon and I would dtd now.
Smiley faces ARE different from the 2 line opk test. The monitor stores your lh level and when it detects a rise in your lh or you lh is at a certain level you will get a +. If you tested later in the day and got a -, then that means that your lh level has not increased it has decreased -- the surge is over and you will get a -. It does not mean that you are not going to ovulate or that you got a false +. If you got a + yesterday then most likely you will o today or tomorrow latest and you should dtd now!
Once you get a smiley face on the clear blues you do not need to continue testing like with the line opk test. 90% of the time you will get a negative is you test after a positive. The only time you will get 2 +'s in a row is if you happen to catch the surge in the very beginning and it continued to increase. Even reading the box tells you that it is not necessary to continue testing once you get a positive.

Higher temps than normal are a good thing when swaying girl. Also, crazy cycles are a good thing when swaying girl. If you are taking SP then that might throw your cycle off a little.

So to answer your question...Do Not continue to retest. And Yes, dtd now. And yes, abstaining for 7.5 days (and today will be 8.5days) IS enough time.
DTD now!! Or you will miss this month.

[NeedAGirl!]

SO I don't know. This month has been such a mess. I am kicking myself for buying these stupid, expensive digital pieces of crap. We did not dtd that day. It just seemed too far from O based on history, everything else, etc. I have been testing 2x daily since then (including 4 hours later that day) and they have all been negative. The next evening, DH was super crabby and I knew there was only one thing that was going to "fix" that so we dtd Sun night after a 8 day abstinence and again less than 7 hours later the next morning. That was CD 9 and 10 - about 36 hours after that stupid smiley face. It could be cycle days 10 and 11 since my cycle this month been wacky and my temps are off and my bleeding started super early last month I don't know. I usually O on CD 12. Today, is day 11 or 12, my cervix is high but kind of firm and I have absolutely no fertile cm. OPK neg this am. I did have full ferns on my microscope though this morning.

I am a frustrated, emotional, depressed, hungry mess. I think we missed our chance this month unless I O today which seems unlikely so it will likely be too far out. Does not seem worth trying again as with no abstinence or FR, we will just be asking for lots of healthy sperm. The thought of 6 more weeks of this diet is almost unbearable. I seriously don't have ANY weight left to lose. Maybe it is already too low and that is why things are wacky... Grrrrrr....

[NeedAGirl!]

So sorry for my previous rant but I am feeling a bit better now.. :oops:

I did want to clarify that I did call the Clearblue people. The representative said that the OPK digital does NOT store any information about your cycle or your previous LH levels. It simply has an infrared light set to measure the intensity of the test line that corresponds to 40 iU of LH. That is also why you can not compare the 2 lines on the Clearblue digitals visually. Only the test line is read by the machine, it is not a comparison. The control line simply says the test worked. Since it has no memory, it will display a smiley any number of times that it reads a level at or greater to 40. That is also why you can use the 20 pack for more than one cycle. They are sending me a freebie but I am a little reluctant to use it next month.

[NeedAGirl!]

OMG!! THese are the stupidest things EVER!! So, my O is officially late (despite that false + OPK on CD8). I pretty much always O on CD12, sometimes CD13. Today is CD15 and still no O. Started to get some signs about 2 days ago so when I woke up this AM, I was excited to have a big temperature dip. (my temps have been abnormally high) So, did my FMU digital OPK and got a smiley. Thought, finally - that makes sense. I had peed in a cup and saved it. About an hour later, went upstairs and ejected the stick. There was a blue smear across it instead of 2 lines. So retested with another strip - same urine in the cup - and NO smiley.

[atomic sagebrush]

:(

[Lavenderlime]

Need a Girl there was a thread on IG aboutr digitals and how once you have a smiley not to retest as it will give you a negative reading. Because once it has noticed a peak it doesn't register a peak again (until next month when it resets itself) A lady called clear blue in the uk and that's what they said to her. So no point testing after a smiley. It was sticky and in bold but as Ig no longer works I can't find the info.

[NeedAGirl!]

Yeah, unfortunately, that is not true. The CB Monitor has a memory, the CBOPK does not. I called as well. That is why you can use the extra sticks mont after month. I called as well. All it has is an infrared light set to read a line intensity of 40. It will give a smiley anytime it is over 40.

[girlmom]

the same thing happened to me. the thing is you have to use the monitor first thing in the morning. so i used it with my fmu and got a negative ( also very importnant you try to use your monitor at the same time every morning) the digials opks are different. you aren't suppose to take with fmu. you are suppose to take them afternoon, it seems the hormones so different things during the day. so when i called they recommend that i test at 3pm. well that morning my monitor said high but not peak. but by 3pm my opk had a big smiley face on it. around 5 or 6 my ovulation cramps started. the next morning when i tested again with the monitor it was still high. it seems my lh surge was so fast that month i almost missed it. they say 24 to 48 hours after a +opk but that isn't always true. some of us are quicker then others.

[NeedAGirl!]

I am still holding out hope for O today. I am feeling crampy so we'll see. If not, I am pretty sure I will be out this month. We have not dtd for about 36 hours. We stopped because O was so late and DH needed a break from the supplements.

[zanacal]

I never had any problem with them, only ever took one a day at around 3/4pm. I really don't believe they save any data - what you say from your phonecall with them makes much more sense. I had several packets on the go and used whichever test stick was closest!!

[NeedAGirl!]

SO after all the craziness - I got a true + OPK yesterday morning which I tested with a cheap stick and confirmed with the digital. Was positive again last night and darker than the AM. Think I O'd today but things are still a bit wacky. My cervix is pretty soft still which is weird for me.