Ok nameberries, here’s a question for you! I have heard through the rumour mill (and internet) that you can use an ovulation predictor kit (OPK) as an early pregnancy test. Have any of you ever tried this? Does it work?
The real reason I am asking is because I took an OPK today, one day before my expected period, and got a positive. (I was too cheap to buy the real pregnancy test, haha!). I know I should just wait one more day and see for sure, but my mom is coming over ,and I don’t want her to know yet! I’m also a little scared to be pregnant, since it was not really the plan, and the baby would be due during my husband’s exams in [name_f]April[/name_f]! :o
Anyway, I’d like to know what your thoughts and experiences are!
OPKs test for leutinizing hormone, not HCG so they will not work as a pregnancy test.
OPKs will almost always give you a weak positive as you always have a low level of LH in your body. That’s why OPKs are only considered positive when the test line is as dark or darker than the control line, they test for the surge.
No LH doesn’t spike due to implantation. I suppose in theory the Clear blue digital advanced tests might give a positive result due to increased estrogen, but the only reliable test are the ones that measure HCG (actual pregnancy tests)
I wouldn’t expect an OPK to accurately diagnose pregnancy. Wait and take a home pregnancy test. They can be pretty cheap, you don’t need the fancy expensive ones. But really, wait an entire week AFTER you miss your period to buy it and take it. This is true even for tests that claim you can take them before you miss your period. I know it is so hard to wait! But its really better to wait than to get false results.
So what I read was that because LH and HCG are so close, the OPK will actually recognize HCG in the urine, but a pregnancy test cannot recognize LH. Therefore, an OPK is actually another way of testing for pregnancy. I guess the proof will be in pudding in a few days! 