Ignore all advice and freak out right away.

My best friend recently gave me the honor of asking me to be the Godmother of her precious daughter. She is Jewish, and I am....well....not. My family was Methodist, but I'm ashamed to say that my most vivid memories of church involve my brother, silent but deadlies, and my mother begging us to behave by sinking her very sharp fingernails into my thigh (Are razor sharp fingernails a prerequisite for being a mother?). So, you can understand why I was a little confused why anyone would choose me to be responsible for the spiritual upbringing of her child upon their demise.

I did a little research and found out that the Godmother is really just a symbolic relationship. Once I was assured that my responsibilities were limited to being a fun auntie and attending a ceremony called a "Baby Naming" at which no body parts would be cut off, I was game.

At the reception following the ceremony (which was lovely and silent but deadly-free), my friend's father got up and gave a touching toast about timing and luck. It was truly moving and I would never be able to do it justice, but the synopsis was that although we may be impatient for things, when we look back, we often realize we would never change the timing. In this case, he was referring to my friend and her husband's timing in meeting each other that led to the timing of their pregnancy and in turn the perfect daughter. If the timing of any of those things had been at all different, their daughter wouldn't be the one who is here today.

Obviously, you know where I'm going with this. I'm sure all you TTC-ers have heard it. Over and over again. And, I'm sure you try and use these words to help alleviate some of your frustration."It will all happen in good time." As I sat there that day listening to my friend's father, it all made so much sense. His words touched me and I went away feeling content to let fate take its course and allow timing to bring me my perfect child. (Please ignore the fact that I made this toast to my friend and her beautiful family completely about me.) So, I was about halfway through my two-hour drive home and it hit me. That's a bunch of crap. I don't want to be patient. I want what I want and I want it NOW!

When I first started TTC, the people who I confided in urged me to not stress it right away. "Just have fun with it!" they said. I decided to take a different route and begin peeing on sticks the very first month. The second month I started supplements. By month three, I was up to OPK's, B6 and any other supplement that happens to have a baby on the bottle, charting, raspberry leaf tea, checking my CM, the post-coital ritual of laying perfectly still with my head due north and two pillows under my rear, and Preseed. Some might say I am at best getting in my own way and at worst obsessive and crazy.

I disagree. Some of those things helped me avoid months of unsuccessful attempts without knowing why. For instance, if I hadn't started OPK's right away, I might not have known for quite some time about my luteal phase defect.

If you are reading these blogs like me, then you are already probably aware that the more you try to educate yourself about the method behind the madness of the fertility world, the more you find out that there are about a thousand answers to any one question and all of those answers directly contradict each other. The frustrating thing is that many of these answers are coming from doctors, midwives, nurses, and other experts in their field. Who's in charge here???

So, for the next few posts I'm going to try and summarize some of the things that I've learned about the different tools that we TTC-ers use to help us get those buns in our ovens. Not that I think I'm any expert...I am just as confused as the next guy. I've been down a million rabbit holes in the last seven months and I thought it might be nice (even if it's just for me to read) to have some of that information in one place.

I'm going to start with my favorite-the Ovulation Predictor Kit (OPK). 

Things I've learned:

1. What is an OPK you ask? Most of you probably are well-versed on this topic since you are here. But, for those of you who are just entering this world and haven't discovered that you can extend the joy of peeing on sticks throughout the month, this one's for you.

The luteinizing hormone is a hormone that is always present in your urine, but increases a day or two before you ovulate. This surge is what triggers your ovulation. So, the OPK determines when you are about to ovulate and tells you when you're most fertile.

2. They are expensive. Go ahead and invest in buying them in bulk. If you are lucky and get knocked up right away, sell them on Ebay or give them to your pal who isn't so lucky. Below is the link to the kind I've been using. They aren't fancy, but they work. $17 bucks for about five months worth. Not too shabby considering you'll pay at least that for a one month's supply at the drugstore.

http://www.amazon.com/Ovulation-Prediction-Strips-Pregnancy-Test/dp/B0026995KO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1351805743&sr=8-3&keywords=ovulation+predictor+kit

3. Take two tests a day. OPK's aren't exactly like pregnancy tests. The best time to detect the LH surge is in the afternoon, so I've read. I started out by taking them with first morning urine, because that's what they say to do with pregnancy tests. But, apparently it's best to use the OPK at about 3:00. The first time I did this, I realized that my surge started a day earlier than I thought it did, which made me ragey...that may have been the progesterone however.

Considering that you apparently ovulate 12-36 hours after your surge starts, it is very possible that one could miss her window if she is only testing in the morning. So, now I test with FMU and at about 3:30 everyday.

4. Stop testing after your first positive test! Don't drive yourself crazy. I have not found one definitive answer about whether you have already ovulated once you get a negative OPK after your surge. The only thing that seems to be certain (Like I said, I am no expert...I'm only parroting what I've read on the internets.) is that most women ovulate anywhere between 12-36 hours after the surge. The only useful information you are going to get from those puppies is when your surge started. Once you get that positive, sit back (or lay down) and enjoy some baby makin'.

5. Don't leave them on the bathroom counter. Nothing takes the mystery and romance out of baby makin' than leaving urine soaked sticks on the bathroom counter for your man to find. Some things can be kept to yourself, ladies.


So...I made it to Day 20! Eight more days until I get to test. For all of you who obsess over every little twinge or lack thereof like I do, I haven't really felt anything that I can overanalyze yet. I usually have breast tenderness right after ovulation and I haven't really so far this month-so I guess that's something.

Is anyone else close in Cycle Day? Feeling anything you want to overanalyze? :)