Darker than control line

Hello!

For as long as I can remember I could read my body each month. Even if it wasn't a perfect 28 day cycle I still knew when I was going to ovulate which is how got pregnant so quickly the first two times. A few days of lots of ewcm followed by cramping for two to three days and then everything ended abruptly and I had an instant change in CM which let me know I had ovulated.

Since starting this diet I have been ALL out of whack. No ewcm, random cramping several times a month. I can't get a clear reading on opks. I thought I had almost positive on CD 12 and then lightened up and then darker again on CD 17-19 varying and then by cycle day 21 I figured I'd be done ovulating and didn't want to waste OPKS. Well CD 26 and 27 I took HPT and BFN. I felt pinching and light cramping on my right side all weekend and could possibly have had EWCM (or leftover from DH 2 days later) so I took an OPK at noon on CD 28 and he test line is darker than the control line. I never got one this dark. Yesterday around 4pm with a 2 1/2 hour hold I got what I would consider a positive but still not as dark as today.

I've read about a secondary LH surge before AF but just wanted to check if this could be possible ovulation this late in my cycle because of the pinching and cramping I had?

The uncertainty of knowing where my body is at in my cycle is making this pretty difficult for me emotionally :(. I'd rather know I nailed the timing and didn't end up pregnant than have no clue what in the heck is going on!

Thanks for any help or insight!

I would BD just in case if you haven't within the past few days. It's possible you're ovulating but there's no way to say for sure especially without temping. It is possible to get a pos or near pos OPK after ovulation. Sometimes there's a surge of hormones right before AF appears or the pos is triggered by pregnancy since LH and hcg are similar. With DS3 I had high readings on my fertility monitor around 7 dpo and it was because I was pregnant. I think in your case though you are just now gearing up to ovulate.

Thank you! Wouldn't my hpt be positive then if the opk was so dark? My cycle last month was 30 days and the month before 26 days. It would be crazy if im just now ovulating. We DTD Friday and Sunday thinking I was in my luteual phase.

You'd probably have a pos hpt by now if the opk is positive because the pregnancy test is more sensitive and will usually turn positive sooner than the opk will. Sometimes we just have an off cycle or swaying changes things and ovulation happens sooner or later than usual. I'd you DTD Sunday then you're probably ok if the opk is just now positive. It might be better to switch to e4d if your cycles are changing or if it's too frustrating waiting for a pos opk. Since you don't temp I think it would be wise to keep up with attempts e4d or so after you think you've ovulated in case of delayed O.

Ok thank you for all the advice! I decided to dip a digital in there too. I didn't use them this cycle and had some leftover. I had a empty circle yesterday which I guess is normal the first time after it had been so long. Today was a solid smiley to coincide my three darker than control line positives on my internet opks. It's all driving me bonkers!!!! Lol

Still getting darker test line than control on OPKs. Went to clean out and wipe down countertops in bathroom this morning and noticed yesterday's HPT has a line. It's been 24 hours so I know it's invalid but all very misleading! Lol

yes you can still ovulate this late. Have attempt EVERY time you think it may be happening!!

Next month you may want to do e4d to give you peace of mind.

Oh no ok thank you. I wish I had an attempt yesterday since we did it Sunday. Gosh how confusing. I didn't keep up the e4d this late in my cycle assuming I had probably O'd already and we were just doing it whenever. Is it considered your first positive when they match or when the test line is darker? We did it the day the test line matched and not since and it got darker and darker for the next two days. At what point would people typically O with those strips? Thanks!

Always keep going with e4d. That's why it is good at getting people pregnant is because you will always be in with attempt even if you mess up when you O.

First positive, not darkest.

There is no set time, it's all about what your body decides to do.