I gave in

and tested...well sort of, i read that an opk can give you a pos for pregnancy so since i had one of those left, and no hpk at home i decied to use that...

and it was negative

i know im not out till af shows up but now i really feel like she is coming!

im just soo upset!! its like the second i start thinking positive and maybe this could happen...i get shut down!

and i wish i could go on and ttc the old fashion way and just bd for fun, but its impossible because i know to much about ttc now, that i will never be able to not bd when i know im going to be o'ing!! and because i usually feel it and have some sort of idea about how long my cycle is its going to suck cuz im always going to be stressed about it...and thinking about it...and driving myself crazy!

pretty sure i will wake up tomorrow with a wonderful present

Message edited 10/12/2010 8:34:19 PM.

Re: I gave in

i wouldnt even give that test a second thought...

Re: I gave in

Re: I gave in

Don't stress yet, this is not a reliable test.

From peeonastick.com
OPK's are not as sensitive as a lot of HPT's are. This means that, if pregnant, you are likely to get a positive HPT earlier than you would get a positive OPK.

Elaboration: a lot of women e-mailed me expressing surprise at this. Keep in mind that HPT's are often more sensitive than advertised. First Response Early Result was found, in one recent clinical trial, to detect consistently as low as 12.5 mIU/mL of hCG, and sometimes as low as 4.5! OPK's are never more sensitive than advertised (they are detecting a hormone "surge"; if they are too sensitive they will turn positive from the normal all-the-time presence of LH in the female body.) The most sensitive OPK's on the market are 20 mIU, and some are sensitive to 30 or 40 mIU. OPK's may have a second line in the presence of less hormone-- the sensitivity refers to the threshold at which it turns positive.

So, if you are comparing a sensitive (20 mIU) OPK to some less-sensitive HPT's (sensitive to 25-50 mIU) then yes, it's true an OPK may turn positive before an HPT. However, the most sensitive HPT's available are more sensitive than the most sensitive OPK's available.

Most importantly, OPK's are not purified as well as HPT's are. Therefore, they are more prone to "errors" and positives do not always mean that either LH or hCG was detected. In other words . . . they're simply cheaper, shoddier tests.

Finally, research has shown there are actually different kinds of hCG. In some cases (most common in early pregnancy, or in pregnancies with chromosomal abnormalities) the hCG molecule may become "nicked" or "cleaved" (partially or completely separating into its alpha and beta units.) Ovulation tests may not recognize (cross-react) with all types of hCG molecules, and may be falsely negative during pregnancy. (An in-depth explanation of this is coming soon!)

At the end of the day, a positive result on an HPT means you are pregnant. A positive result on an OPK could mean you are near ovulation, pregnant, or the test is picking up an entirely different hormone or element. Or it may be negative even if a woman is pregnant. With a positive HPT there is no doubt; a positive OPK may provide a clue, but doesn't really give you an answer for sure.

So, my personal rule of thumb: use HPT's for pregnancy detection, and OPK's for ovulation.

Message edited 10/12/2010 8:53:12 PM.

Re: I gave in

OPK's don't work at detecting HCG till you are MUCH further along! I wouldn't believe that test at all!

Re: I gave in

thanks for posting that im trying not to give up hope!

Re: I gave in

ITA, with all the girls. You are not by any means out yet. Good luck!

Re: I gave in

Re: I gave in

Re: I gave in