When should I test if I haven't been charting?

[anonymouseliza]

21 days from sex in relation to the potential opk will give you a definite answer.  

Generally speaking, a week past your longest cycle and continuing to test once a week until a positive test or 60 days without a period, at which point you call your doctor for advice. Since you have a loose timeframe to go on, you can use that as a guide per the above.

Testing next Sunday would probably be accurate, but there is a chance that it could still be too early.

[WVaRN]

Mar 1, 2015 21:26:05 GMT -5 @iliketurtles said:

I'm just curious when the best time to test is if you haven't been charting. I still haven't had like a 'real' period since I got my implant out, but DH and I got to have the weekend together last weekend and I think I got a positive OPK Saturday (Feb 21), but I'm not really sure because it was my only one. Is it safe to say that a test taken this Saturday (Mar 6) would be accurate? 

No advice, just FX for you. I really hope you get your BFP

[ironbaby]

Just wanted to say thanks for asking this. I have wondered too. We haven't started trying yet, but we want to try the first few cycles without charting; I too think I would obsess over it!

FX for BFP!

[brettanomyces]

I think it really depends whether you have regular cycles. I would test if my period didn't show when it was due, and maybe again a week later if it was negative.

I'm sure two-weeks-ish after a positive OPK is a fair guideline. Although you can have an LH surge and not end up Oing until later. Did you keep doing OPKs, or did you stop after you got the positive?

[anonymouseliza]

Mar 2, 2015 12:50:14 GMT -5 @iliketurtles said:

Mar 2, 2015 9:10:26 GMT -5 brettanomyces said:

I think it really depends whether you have regular cycles. I would test if my period didn't show when it was due, and maybe again a week later if it was negative.

I'm sure two-weeks-ish after a positive OPK is a fair guideline. Although you can have an LH surge and not end up Oing until later. Did you keep doing OPKs, or did you stop after you got the positive?

Well I stopped because I forgot about it, but yeah after the positive. I think I'll test on Sunday and then every Sunday until period or +. I think if I haven't ovulated by now that I might hit 60 days and that makes me worry a bit, and I'm starting to regret getting the implant and wish I would have just stuck with the pill or something! 

Sometimes it just takes awhile to regulate, and a number of women will have an odd delayed/anovulatory cycles from time to time.  GL!

[pismoduo]

Mar 2, 2015 12:50:14 GMT -5 @iliketurtles said:

Mar 2, 2015 9:10:26 GMT -5 brettanomyces said:

I think it really depends whether you have regular cycles. I would test if my period didn't show when it was due, and maybe again a week later if it was negative.

I'm sure two-weeks-ish after a positive OPK is a fair guideline. Although you can have an LH surge and not end up Oing until later. Did you keep doing OPKs, or did you stop after you got the positive?

Well I stopped because I forgot about it, but yeah after the positive. I think I'll test on Sunday and then every Sunday until period or +. I think if I haven't ovulated by now that I might hit 60 days and that makes me worry a bit, and I'm starting to regret getting the implant and wish I would have just stuck with the pill or something! 

There's no guarantee you wouldn't be in the same situation if you'd stuck with the pill. Hormonal BC messes with your body, and it takes time to regulate back to its usual state.

[getzystark]

Is the implant Implanon or are you talking about an IUD?

[ironbaby]

I have a followup question: if we are not charting, what's the rule of thumb for contributing to the WTO and TWW threads?

[anonymouseliza]

Somebody who's been around longer can contradict me, but I believe you can participate as you see fit. I know there was someone in the tww with me last cycle (and now in WTO) who went based on average cycle lengths. I think as long as you understand that you have less information to base off of (and that no one can really offer much assistance by way of interpreting signs or anything), post where you want and wherever feels most appropriate to you.

[ironbaby]

Thanks anonymouseliza. Makes sense!

[Ray]

just throwing my 2c out there... I found that not temping made me more obsessive because I didn't know if my period was late, was I pregnant, what did those cramps mean, when should I test, etc.

Charting puts me at ease. I know what my LP is, when AF is *actually* expected and I (generally) know when it's a promising cycle/when to save myself from getting my hopes up.

ironbaby,of course do whatever you think will work best for you, but you may find that you become more obsessive not charting than charting because there is less guesswork.

edit: because grammar

[mainewifey]

My first month of temping last month I obsessed a lot. This month no quite as much. I do compare this months chart and last months chart more than I'd like to admit.

I could take it or leave it where temping is concerned. I never obsessed or even gave my cycle a second thought in the time that we've been TTCing or when I wasn't on birth control. I just always figured my period would get here when it gets here... and it always did. I knew enough about no one really being "like clockwork" 100% of the time, never a moment late etc not to really go crazy about being a few days "late".

Long story short, participate as you feel comfortable. Oh, and temping isn't for everyone.

[ironbaby]

Ray, that might happen too! I just know I wanna give it a shot to see how it goes. I am certainly open to the option, and we will probably pursue it if a few months go by.

mainewifey, I was always the same way about my period. However, I have had little to no period for about 7 years now, so I am just waiting to see how I will behave once it comes back. Eeep!

[pismoduo]

Mar 3, 2015 14:44:18 GMT -5 mainewifey said:

My first month of temping last month I obsessed a lot. This month no quite as much. I do compare this months chart and last months chart more than I'd like to admit.

I could take it or leave it where temping is concerned. I never obsessed or even gave my cycle a second thought in the time that we've been TTCing or when I wasn't on birth control. I just always figured my period would get here when it gets here... and it always did. I knew enough about no one really being "like clockwork" 100% of the time, never a moment late etc not to really go crazy about being a few days "late".

Long story short, participate as you feel comfortable. Oh, and temping isn't for everyone.

+1. My first month temping I was constantly studying my chart, adding in every little symptom and piece of data I could think of to try and get some idea of what was going on.

By this point (month 6) it's a valuable tool, but it's more of a "wake up, temp, put temp in, go on with life" sort of thing. I add CM info when it's obvious. It's definitely made me less stressed about stuff. No worrying about what's going on, am I ovulating, did we miss the window?

[ceejay]

Mar 3, 2015 18:33:14 GMT -5 pismoduo said:

Mar 3, 2015 14:44:18 GMT -5 mainewifey said:

My first month of temping last month I obsessed a lot. This month no quite as much. I do compare this months chart and last months chart more than I'd like to admit.

I could take it or leave it where temping is concerned. I never obsessed or even gave my cycle a second thought in the time that we've been TTCing or when I wasn't on birth control. I just always figured my period would get here when it gets here... and it always did. I knew enough about no one really being "like clockwork" 100% of the time, never a moment late etc not to really go crazy about being a few days "late".

Long story short, participate as you feel comfortable. Oh, and temping isn't for everyone.

+1. My first month temping I was constantly studying my chart, adding in every little symptom and piece of data I could think of to try and get some idea of what was going on.

By this point (month 6) it's a valuable tool, but it's more of a "wake up, temp, put temp in, go on with life" sort of thing. I add CM info when it's obvious. It's definitely made me less stressed about stuff. No worrying about what's going on, am I ovulating, did we miss the window?

+1. My first couple months temping I would even have dreams about taking my temp and then would wake up not sure if I had actually taken it or not. I was very concerned with exactly when I was going to ovulate and how we could get the best possible timing, etc.

Now on cycle 6, I hardly even think about temping each morning. I wake up and take my temp and move on. But I've also gotten much more in tune with other secondary signs.... I've had a lot of fertile CM the past two days, and I was pretty sure today's OPK would be positive even before I took it.