Anyone using a "fade in" pattern on your OPK for a cut off?

[stellanneedsasis]

I'm gearing up to ovulate this week. I was ovulating on day 16 and last month I didn't ovulate till day 20. I have some stress going on this month and will be flying with a toddler on Thursday. Anyways I'm thinking with my extreme diet and everything my ovulation should fall around Day 20 again. I am going for a 3 day cut off. Any one have a magic ball technique to tell me when I will ovulate?? Help! I am checking CM but since it's been drier that will be tough. I was thinking about starting opk tests tomorrow and waiting for the first sign "negative" in terms of the line not being darker but fainter line being there. Giving it our one shot on that day, and praying it's 3 days before.

Any one else doing this or have suggestions??

[pastelpicnic]

Hey Stella! I'm trying to do the same thing with " fade in " pattern on an OPK. It's been real frustrating so far. I've had longer cycles since doing the swaying stuff and coming off of Marathon training that I did in February and March. Anyhow, my cycles used to be 30-32 days. But now there 32-35 days. So I'm hoping tonight I get a slightly darker line on my cheapie online pee sticks and on my more expensive First Response Opk's??? So we will see. I keep having DH release twice a day to just in case I get a strong positive on a stick. Poor thing is getting sick of it. I'm also checking CM, but it's a little drier and I've got a sinus infection and have been taking cold medicine so that may be drying me up a little too?

[stellanneedsasis]

So are you doing a 3 day cut off? Wouldn't a strong positive get you closer than 3 days? I am so confused! When you have a strong positive how far do you think you are away from your egg dropping? We are doing abstinence with a one DTD so it's really tricky. We did lots of BDing through ovulation for our son, so we are doing extreme opposite this time.

I'm sure the cold meds are drying you up...which is a good thing if your going for a girl! I'm going to be taking zyrtec the day before the DTD and then until I O.

[pastelpicnic]

So are you doing a 3 day cut off? Wouldn't a strong positive get you closer than 3 days? I am so confused! When you have a strong positive how far do you think you are away from your egg dropping? We are doing abstinence with a one DTD so it's really tricky. We did lots of BDing through ovulation for our son, so we are doing extreme opposite this time.

I'm sure the cold meds are drying you up...which is a good thing if your going for a girl! I'm going to be taking zyrtec the day before the DTD and then until I O.

I did start trying last Spring/Summer and I started with a 4 day cutoff and then went to 3 days. So I had one try with 4 days and 2 tries with a 3 day cutoff. So now I want a 2 day cutoff. I would DTD when I first get a somewhat " Strong " posistive. I usually get the twinge. It's usually a 1.5 to 2 days that I pop the egg after a +opk. I had a missed miscarriage before my DS2. I did Shettles for that one and I had DH deplete once or twice a day for a week and then we DTD 1.5 to 2 days from OV and we got a girl. I had the placenta tested when I had the D&C. She had Turner's Syndrome, which is a female one. Anyway I tried to do a cutoff with DS2 to get a girl again but I freaked out because I had got a REALLY bad stomach flu and thought that it would delay my O. As luck would have it it didn't, and I ended up DTD on O day, infact it was only like 3 hours before I ovulated! Things happen for a reason I'm sure of this now! I totally couldn't picture our family right now without my DS2 with us.

[zanacal]

I'm interested in this too, I'll probably only have one practice cycle before we make our first attempt and it'll be my first cycle after having my Mirena removed and starting on supplements, including Vitex which will know doubt send my cycle crazy. I've never used OPKs before. What's the deal, does the line start off light and get darker?

Kelly x

[stellanneedsasis]

So I took a test today just to have a starting point and I have NO control line at all...I am on CD11 and should O somewhere between CD 17-20...I am keeping the tests and marking them as I take them with the CD and time. When I see a light control line, not a DARK control line I think I will DTD, also I will keeping an eye on my cervix, ovulation pains, and CM.

Please God get this right b/c this diet is really getting to me this week and I'm not evening following it 100%!!!

[stellanneedsasis]

Pastel...I am sorry to hear about your miscarriage. I think that is one of my fears to go through all of this work and then lose a baby. My mom always told me that they happen b/c the baby isn't 100% healthy. I try to remind myself of that when I start worrying about it. I am hoping we both get our BFP's soon! I sometimes get some twinging a few days before I O as well. Then when I O~it hurts like hell! I guess we are super lucky to feel so much. I have a ton of friends who have no feelings at all.

[pastelpicnic]

I'm interested in this too, I'll probably only have one practice cycle before we make our first attempt and it'll be my first cycle after having my Mirena removed and starting on supplements, including Vitex which will know doubt send my cycle crazy. I've never used OPKs before. What's the deal, does the line start off light and get darker?

Kelly x

Hey Kelly! Yes, usually the line will start off light or nothing at all, and then when your LH shows up in your urine the line will start to get dark or be really dark right away.

[pastelpicnic]

I know what you mean Stella, when you worry about going through all this work and effort and then for it to end in a miscarriage is really frustrating!!! But like your mom said it's usually because there is something wrong with the embryo. I didn't start this time with my OPK's until CD 16. I hate starting so early because it stresses me out! We are lucky that we do feel something when Oing. I too asked some of my girlfriends and almost all of them said that they don't ever feel anything!