Table of contents
- Trying to conceive
- What do ovulation strips test for?
- When should I test my urine on an ovulation strip?
- What if my period cycles are inconsistent?
- Why use an ovulation strip compared to other methods?
Trying to conceive
In real life, conceiving a baby typically does not happen the first time you and your partner try. On average, it takes around 6 months before seeing the positive reading on a pregnancy urine test strip. If it takes longer than 12 months to see a positive for pregnancy, it is recommended to speak with an infertility doctor to understand why.
If you desire to become pregnant to have a baby, you may be wondering when your best chances to conceive is. Good news is you can find ovulation predictor kits that help remove some of the guessing work because these strips test for a hormone that rises in the body when a mature egg is about to be released. If you are unfamiliar with where to find an ovulation kit, check out Where to buy ovulation kits in Kathmandu.
When a woman is of reproductive age, it means she has her menstruation cycle. The menstruation cycle is due to hormones changing within her body, but its goal is to help her body prepare for a possible pregnancy by releasing a mature egg from her ovaries and thickening her uterine lining so the fertilized egg can safely land and begin growing. If she does not become pregnant in that cycle, then her body breaks down the thick lining, and blood, nutrients, and tissue are removed from her uterus to prepare for the next cycle.
What do ovulation strips test for?
When a mature egg is released, that is known as ovulation. The hormone that causes a mature egg to be released is called the luteinizing hormone (LH).
LH is what ovulation predictor kits/strips test for. These strips have 2 lines, one control line, and one test line. The test line only appears when there is a surge or rise of LH in a woman’s body. If the test line appears next to the control line, it means it is positive for LH, and a positive strip means her body is close to ovulating (releasing an egg).
When should I test my urine on an ovulation strip?
LH typically surges 24-36 hours before the egg is released, meaning the best time to start daily testing the urine for LH is 2 days before ovulation. (Note: How to successfully test urine varies between brands and products, so please read your ovulation kit’s specific instructions carefully).
For an average 28-day menstruation cycle, ovulation will occur around the 14th day (2 weeks after the period started). Since LH will increase typically 2 days before the egg is released, a woman should try to test her urine daily from the 12th day (2 days before the 14th in this scenario). However, each woman is unique from each other and each of her menstruation cycles can be different every month due to other factors like stress, so it is suggested to try testing daily from the 10th day after the start of a period through the 20th day.
Once the test is positive, have intercourse each day until the positive result disappears for the optimal chances of conceiving.
What if my period cycles are inconsistent?
If you have irregular periods or missed periods, you can try starting whenever and test daily until you see the positive result, but that means having to purchase more than 10 strips (a typical kit will have between 5 to 10 strips) so this essentially is a more expensive route.
Why use an ovulation strip compared to other methods?
There are other methods to help predict fertility, such as tracking your period’s cycle on a calendar or on a mobile app, noticing the changes from thick to thin in your cervical mucus discharge, and measuring a rise in your basal body temperature. All methods help to provide a greater picture of your best chance to conceive. However, the most effective way to be sure you are near ovulation is using an ovulation test strip to detect the rise in luteinizing hormone (LH).
Have you used an ovulation predictor kit before? Has it helped you to conceive? Share with us by commenting below what your experience and questions are!
Check out our other article: Where to buy ovulation kits in Kathmandu
Credits:
Using Ovulation Kits to Predict Fertility, Mayoclinichealthsystem.org
Tags: #tryingtoconceive #infertility #luteinizing hormone
