Why OPKs can be unreliable

I wanted to make a post that explains why you should track cervical fluid, bbt, and vaginal sensation (optional: cervical position) in order to identify ovulation instead of relying on opk/LH tests.

I had a lot of tests leftover from when I didn’t know what a waste of money and time they’d be. Here’s my current chart for this cycle:

You can see that I never got a positive opk. I tested every day I had very fertile cervical fluid, and I tested multiple times per day. I missed my surge, but it still appears as though I have ovulated. I won’t know for sure until the next few days, but so long as my temp remains high, ovulation will be confirmed.

My cervical fluid went from dry to progressively wet. My vaginal sensation (that feeling when you wipe after going to the bathroom or what you notice throughout the day) corroborated my cervical fluid. That’s when I knew I was close to ovulating. This morning, I had a temp rise, that fluid dried up immediately, and my cervix went from very high and soft to low and firm.

These signs are much more informative when you’re looking for ovulation, and the best part? They don’t cost a thing!

Edit to note: I’m not saying you shouldn’t use OPKs at all if you want to. I’m saying you should not rely on them to tell you when you’re ovulating as a primary sign. They should be used in conjunction with at least one other method above as a secondary sign.

I hope this helps anybody who’s learning to read their fertility signs or if they’re not sure which method is best.

Edit to add: I have PCOS and longer cycles, which makes tracking very important for me, but this can help all women, even those with regular cycles, identify their actual ovulation day.