Best time of day for OPKs?

[Anonymous]

I have just started using OPKs. Am curious to know what time of day works best for everyone, and how frequently you test? So far I've done just two days, at 2pm. I work out in the mornings, so need plenty of water in the am.
Also having a bit of difficulty with restricting liquid intake without getting dehydrated - any tips?

[Anonymous]

I always did them first thing in the morning. I thought you were supposed to use the first urine of the morning. I guess consistancy may also be more important.

[Anonymous]

Almost everyone will tell you to test around 2-4 pm for the best result, so you can "catch" the LH surge as it starts to metabolize earlier in the day. However, I never got a +OPK test unless I tested first thing in the morning. I don't know if my kidneys are such overacheivers that they dilute stuff too much, or what. I just couldn't do the restricting fluid intake either. Actually, I take that back: I did get ONE in the afternoon, but it was after I had been running to meetings for literally 8 hours and had had barely a sip of water. Some folks will say you shouldn't test FMU (first morning urine) because it is super concentrated and it could be just the very beginning of the LH surge, but my RE said if that was what worked, not to worry about it at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Almost everyone will tell you to test around 2-4 pm for the best result, so you can "catch" the LH surge as it starts to metabolize earlier in the day. However, I never got a +OPK test unless I tested first thing in the morning. I don't know if my kidneys are such overacheivers that they dilute stuff too much, or what. I just couldn't do the restricting fluid intake either. Actually, I take that back: I did get ONE in the afternoon, but it was after I had been running to meetings for literally 8 hours and had had barely a sip of water. Some folks will say you shouldn't test FMU (first morning urine) because it is super concentrated and it could be just the very beginning of the LH surge, but my RE said if that was what worked, not to worry about it at all.

ALL of this.

FMU was the only way I could ever get a +.

[Anonymous]

I generally test right before I leave for work (8:30, but not my FMU) and then right when I come home (around 5:30 or 6:00). That way I don't miss my surge, no matter what.

[Anonymous]

For the OPKs I always tested morning and night and Only got positives in the evening. When using a fertility monitor tho I only used morning and it was always very sensitive and worked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I generally test right before I leave for work (8:30, but not my FMU) and then right when I come home (around 5:30 or 6:00). That way I don't miss my surge, no matter what.

Same here - morning and night.

[Anonymous]

I heard that you should hold your pee from 10am to 2pm(Good Lord, the things we do!), and then test at 2pm. Your body produces most LH during the 10-2 time period. It's worked for me. I think the big thing is to hold your urine for 3-4 hours before you test, and not be downing water during that time, just normal consumption, so you are not diluting it too much. You could get some cheap tests and experiment with FMU, noon, two pm, after work, at bedtime, etc., as everyone is different. And know that as long as you are having sex every 36 hours or so during those couple of days when you surge, you are doing good. You probably know that a lot of doctors say that you want to have had sex before you surge so there are sperm waiting in the Fallopian tube. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard that you should hold your pee from 10am to 2pm(Good Lord, the things we do!), and then test at 2pm. Your body produces most LH during the 10-2 time period. It's worked for me. I think the big thing is to hold your urine for 3-4 hours before you test, and not be downing water during that time, just normal consumption, so you are not diluting it too much. You could get some cheap tests and experiment with FMU, noon, two pm, after work, at bedtime, etc., as everyone is different. And know that as long as you are having sex every 36 hours or so during those couple of days when you surge, you are doing good. You probably know that a lot of doctors say that you want to have had sex before you surge so there are sperm waiting in the Fallopian tube. Good luck!

LOL. Here's to looking back on these days with a laugh soon

+1 for twice a day.

[Anonymous]

I've never gotten a + with those things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard that you should hold your pee from 10am to 2pm(Good Lord, the things we do!), and then test at 2pm. Your body produces most LH during the 10-2 time period. It's worked for me. I think the big thing is to hold your urine for 3-4 hours before you test, and not be downing water during that time, just normal consumption, so you are not diluting it too much.

This is the point when I realize that if we get a negative later this week and go ahead with one unmedicated cycle, I'll just have to settle for FMU. I pee hourly. No way I would be able to hold it for four! I do still run (and I sweat a ton). I wonder if a post run pee is concentrated in the same way a 4 hour hold with not much water drinking during that time might be?

[Anonymous]

If using regular OPK sticks (the cheapies from amazon), I test at 3 pm and at 8 pm. I heard what one pp mentioned re the FMU being too concentrated and it will give you a +ve. I have the bad habit of holding my pee because I am too lazy to go to the bathroom So it works for me.
If using digital clearblue monitor, it specifically says to use FMU, and I do that. Fortunately all these give the same result for me in a given day.

I am with you 10:16 - Good Lord, the things we do!