ok , a few months ago I ordered these internet test strips. The positive has to be as dark or darker than the control line otherwise they are negative. got it, no problem.
Last month 4 days after my period (CD 9) there was a distinct line not faint at all but definitely lighter then the control strip and the follwing day lighter than that and then non existant the next day. So I wonder did I ovulate like 2 days after a/f and catch it coming down?? no clue, I figure screw it and stop using them after day 14. Then I think well let’s test this theory and use them like the 2nd day after my period next time.
So this is SO weird, I test CD day 8, 2 days after a/f is completely gone. a line, not as dark as the control line but not faint, this is Saturday, yesterday lighter than that and today, nothing. WTF?! is it even possible to ovulate the day of or after a/f? and if so that shoots the luteal phase to complete hell no? it’s just weird and a little confusing.
It’s more of a “are these complete shit?” experiment to go along with temping, for my own piece of mind, something to keep me busy I love experiments ha ha. We always have some LH in our systems but why would it be noticeable right after a/f and then disappear? I’m gonna post this and perhaps update it the next few days with what I see on the next few strips. It’s quite amazing how it should be and how it actually is, laughable now that I think about it. sorry for the really blurry pic doesn’t really do it justice but I was in a hurry and my camera phone sucks. And I do realize it means I could have ovulated soon after the darkest line but it’s just weird how I’ve never had the same darkness or darker with these and how they seem to fade out.
and I have to remind myself to smile 
If I were you, I’d just test everyday regardless of AF. I know that can get expensive, but at least you’d know. A friend of mine let me borrow her fertility monitor and it has pee strips as well, but it’s digital. The screen tells you whether your fertility is low, high, or peak. The highest I’ve ever gotten is a high, which means near ovulation. Then I keep peeing on the damn sticks and it goes back to low. Go figure! Apparently from reading about my current cycle, I am not the right person to ask. But good luck figuring it out. I say just have sex everyday and it’ll happen. How exciting huh? Not really.
ha ha ha I think I’d be exhausted and afraid to walk around for hours for fear of (tmi) random leakage ha ha ha.
Yeah I ordered them offline you can get like 30 or 40 for $12.00 or something, the kind they use at the Dr.’s office. I may order more and do a month long experiment and use a real camera (just for the strips) to show the myths, confusions and complete crap I find out….this actually was the one thing today that made me laugh before my Dad called with an update…so cheers to them even tho opk’s kinda suck.
although won’t I feel stupid when my temps rise tomorrow ha ha ha oh well, the body is such a mystery…
I had really good luck with Answer Brand, I use the cheaper 20 to a pack in the afternoon and 7 day one step in the morning.
The cheaper ones ARE NOT as dark (either line ) but test line is darker then control when positive. The 7 day one steppers are just as dark but the line is not as thick as control.
I saw my LH surge on Day 9/10 and 11/12 last two months. My best are first thing in the morning. All I can figure is I drink alot of water so I think LH surge is really from the first of two days. ( ie day 9 and 11 the next cycle.
I heard somewhere that online tests are not reliable. But every women’s chemistry is slightly different.
Soooooooooooo I guess you have to experiment. That part is confusing! You’ll know when you see it though. I promise.
I just came across your blog, but I’m glad that I did!
As I’m having the same problem! I’m come to conclude, after a small meltdown, that the ones I got were just cheap and probably didn’t have enough dye in them to make a positive. I had all of the physical signs of ovulation, but no positive.
Sufice to say that I’ve put them in the back of my medicine closet until I feel the need to pee on them again : )
Oh, and after my meltdown about how I cannot only carry a child, but I am now infertile and the boys were my only chance and I blew it, I dug through the garbage (what else would any sane person do?) and found ones that WERE actually positive.
It’s the story of my life : )
I am confused using the strips too. I bought some internet cheapies (I think I paid $25 for 70) and started testing everyday since CD10. On CD 15, I finally got a darker line, but not AS DARK or DARKER than the control – at least not until a few hours had passed. For three days the lines never were as dark or darker than the control until quite some time had passed.
I also have the clearblue fertility monitor that I plan to start using next month – hopefully it is more user friendly than the test strips. OR – maybe the strips weren’t so complicated and I won’t need the monitor next month –
I think I’ll do both the monitor and the strips next month so I can get an idea of what the strips are doing and when –
Hi I am yet another confused soul! I bought these test strips online and through working out my dates, I should of ov yesterday or today, have been testing for four days and yesterday and the day before I had a faint but definatly there line and today nothing?? So have I peaked while I slept!! or are these strips just crap? Guess I’ll find out next month! good luck and tons of baby dust to all who are trying!