How to use a test to determine ovulation. When to start conceiving after an ovulation test is positive? Basal temperature measurement method

12.06.2019

With the advent of such a convenient invention as ovulation tests, it has become much easier and more reliable for women to determine whether the time has come for conceiving a child, which makes pregnancy more likely. Now the girl herself can determine the successful period, using such a quick and reliable method. When a follicle ruptures in the ovary and the egg, ready for fertilization, is released into the abdominal cavity, some changes occur in the female body. In particular, 24-36 hours before the onset of ovulation, the amount of luteinizing hormone in urine sharply increases, which is recorded by tests. Therefore, using them you can easily determine the almost exact time of ovulation. For more accurate ovulation test results, it should be performed on freshly collected urine. The accuracy of the calculation depends on whether the woman has a regular menstrual cycle.

One-time tests

To understand when it is best to do an ovulation test, you need to understand what types of devices there are and study their individual characteristics. All of them are based on monitoring the level of LH in the urine and choosing a time favorable for conception, when there is a sharp jump in the content of this hormone in the urine. Today, pharmacies offer disposable and reusable ovulation tests.

One-time ovulation tests are similar to pregnancy tests, but they must be used daily throughout your menstrual cycle. With their help, results are achieved that are much more accurate than when measuring basal temperature. True, it will cost more, but the effectiveness of using tests is higher.

How to use a disposable device?

So when is the best time to take an ovulation test? It can be carried out at absolutely any time throughout the day, but this time should not change throughout the entire study cycle. The procedure must be preceded by preparation. 4 hours before testing, you should not drink a lot of liquid and you must refrain from urinating. If these conditions are not met, the reliability of the result will be less. How to do a one-time ovulation test correctly? Simply place the tip of the test under a stream of emitted urine for 5 seconds or into already collected urine for 20 seconds. After three minutes the result will appear. After its manifestation, it is necessary to compare the level of LH in urine with the control line located on the test.

Decoding the results of a one-time test

And what does an ovulation test show? Here, too, everything is extremely simple:

if the color of the control line is thicker and darker, and the test strip looks paler in comparison, then the time of ovulation has not yet come and the LH level remains the same;
if the test sample is similar in color to the control or even darker, then the hormone has already increased and ovulation will occur within 24 to 36 hours.

Having determined that the long-awaited release of the hormone has occurred, you have a chance to get pregnant within the next 48 hours, and at this time sexual intercourse will be most effective. After this there is no need to continue the study.

Reusable tests

Reusable tests are different in that they can be used constantly, changing only the strips. This is a portable device into which disposable strips included in its package are inserted each time. It is necessary to carefully study the instructions for use in order to know how to properly perform an ovulation test. To do this, you need to make 10-20 samples per month. The testing process itself is identical to the previous method. However, the results manifest themselves differently. A replaceable test strip is inserted into the device, and the result appears on its display - the degree of fertility. Its undoubted advantages include the fact that the device shows not only the most favorable days for conception, but also the adjacent couple of days before and after ovulation, when the probability of conception is also still quite high.

These home tests will be useful not only for those who are trying to conceive a child, but will also be useful for those who want to protect themselves from pregnancy. In this case, fertile days will be undesirable for sexual intercourse.

Kinds

What can be called the best ovulation tests among the existing ones? Ovulation tests are offered to consumers in several types:

A test strip is a special strip of paper soaked in a reagent. When immersed in urine, a reaction occurs and the result appears, its accuracy is high.
The test tablet is a small plastic case with a window. You can place it under a stream of urine or drop a little on it, and the result will appear in the window. These devices are more reliable in terms of the accuracy of the results, but they are also more expensive.
The jet test is the most reliable among the proposed options; it is either substituted under a flowing stream of urine, or immersed in a container with urine and after a few minutes gives a ready result.
A reusable test is a device with a set of disposable strips, which was mentioned above.
An electronic test is a device that determines the degree of fertility not based on urine, but on saliva, which is placed on the lens. Its pattern is being examined. The meanings of the patterns are described in the instructions. This test, although quite expensive, is the most accurate.

But, focusing on the test readings, you should understand that they do not show the exact date of ovulation, but only the period of increasing LH levels in the female body. Ovulation occurs shortly after this, and this must be taken into account in your calculations.

When to do it?

When is the best time to take an ovulation test? This is one of the questions that is of extreme interest to women who have set themselves the goal of becoming pregnant. Sometimes inept actions can ruin all efforts to identify the exact time of ovulation. Many women are not aware that an egg can only be fertilized within 24 hours. If you mistakenly believe that after the test shows results favorable for conception, there is enough time to attempt fertilization and there is no need to rush in this delicate matter, you can easily miss this extremely important point. To get the most reliable result, you need to know on what day is the best day to start an ovulation test.

The start of testing is largely determined by the duration of the menstrual cycle, as well as its regularity. The first day in the cycle is considered to be the one on which menstruation began, and its duration is determined by the length of time before the start of the next menstruation. If your cycle is regular and its duration is consistently the same, then you need to start an ovulation test no later than 17 days before the start of your period. For example, if there are 28 days in a cycle, then the start of the study should be on the 11th day, and if there are 32 days, then on the 15th. But when is it better to do an ovulation test if your cycle is unstable? In this case, you need to take the shortest period as a basis and start the study 17 days before this date, but continue to use tests further if menstruation has not started at the estimated time.

An ovulation test can be done absolutely at any time. But it is better to monitor LH levels twice a day - in the mornings and evenings, so as not to miss the expected event. After all, if in the morning your test does not show the required level of the hormone, and the release occurs, for example, during the day, then after the next morning test you may not have time to fertilize, because the egg lives only 24 hours. For this reason, the test is usually carried out somewhere between 12 and 17 hours daily before the test shows a positive result.

How to do? Decoding the results

All ovulation tests have two lines - test and control, on which a chemical composition is applied, giving it a certain color intensity. When the control strip is exposed to urine, it remains pale or becomes brighter depending on the test result. What does a faint line on the test indicate? This means that the result is negative and the level of LH in the urine has not increased. In this case, ovulation tests should be continued. If the second line becomes as bright as the first, and maybe even darker, then in the next 24-36 hours you should expect the release of an egg ready for fertilization. The result is considered positive when the ovulation test shows two lines.

The most popular tests to determine ovulation

Tests from the following brands have proven to be the most reliable and reliable:

Eviplan.
Clearblue.
Frautest.

The latest brand has three options - Ovulation, Planning, Ovulation (test cassettes). The first is suitable for a stable menstrual cycle, the second is equipped with 5 strips, two of which are for pregnancy, and the third consists of 7 cassettes and is very relevant for women whose cycle is always different.

The Eviplan and Clearblue brands have a lower cost compared to Frautest. At the same time, their reading accuracy is the same. The Clearblue test is different in that when a positive result is achieved, a smiley emoticon appears on its electronic display. This device is easy to use; you just need to read the instructions first.

"Clear Blue"

Before use, the Clear Blue electronic ovulation test must be removed from the foil and the cap. Insert it into the device body, align the pink arrow on the body with the same one on the test and insert it until it clicks. When the symbol indicating readiness appears, you can conduct research.

Place the downward-facing absorbent sampler under the flow of urine for 5 to 7 seconds or immerse it in the collected urine for up to 15 seconds. At the same time, try not to get the body wet. During the test, you should not hold the strip pointing up - either lower it down, or place it on a flat horizontal surface. It takes 3 minutes to complete, so when after some time the device starts blinking and notifying you that the test is ready, do not rush to remove it from the urine until you get the result on the screen. The result can only be seen on the screen. The tests themselves do not display any information. After the study is completed, they are removed from the device and discarded.

"Eviplan"

To use the Eviplan test correctly, you will need instructions for use. It is attached to it. Before testing, study it well and follow all steps strictly according to the text. We will consider the features of use further. Please note that you should not use morning urine.

Step-by-step instructions for using the Eviplan ovulation test:

Open the box and remove the test from the sealed bag.
Collect urine in a dry container. Place the test there to the level indicated by the arrow at the “5 seconds” mark.
Place the test on a horizontal, flat surface.
Wait 10 minutes.
Compare the color intensity of the test strip with the control strip (the control strip is at the end of the field).

If the reaction is positive, both strips will be equally intensely colored or the test strip will be darker than the control. If the result is negative, she will be pale. If after 10 minutes the result does not appear in the window, then the test is considered invalid.

When performing ovulation tests, you need to get results every day until you get a positive reaction. What does it take to do a proper test? Listen to our advice, and your result will be successful and as accurate as possible:

Tests must be taken at the same time every day.
The best time for the test is from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
When starting the testing process, exclude from the list of medications you are taking those that contain luteinizing hormone, otherwise the study is meaningless.
Limit the amount of liquid 4 hours before the procedure.
You must refrain from urinating for 6 hours before the test.
Do not use the first daily urine for the test.
Do not throw away the used tests so that you can compare the brightness of the second strip with them.

Conclusion

In this article, we tried to clarify as much as possible why, when and how to carry out ovulation tests. If you decide to continue your family line and have a baby, then use these tips and choose the best time to conceive a child.

Each cycle in a woman’s ovaries, as a result of hormonal processes, one follicle matures. Very rarely - two or more.

Detailed information about the menstrual cycle can be found in our article “Favorable days for conception”.

As the follicle matures, its cells produce female hormones - estrogens. And the larger the follicle reaches, the more estrogen its cells produce. When the level of estrogen reaches a level sufficient for ovulation, a sharp release of luteinizing hormone (LH) occurs, after which, within about 24-48 hours, the follicle ruptures (ovulation) and the egg, ready for fertilization, rushes into the fallopian tube to meet with male sperm. The period of follicle development can differ not only among different women, but even within one woman – in different cycles.

It is on determining the moment of a sharp increase in the level of LH in the urine that the action of modern home ovulation test strips is based.

On what day should testing begin?

The day you start testing should be determined depending on the length of your cycle. The first day of your cycle is the day your period begins. Cycle length is the number of days that have passed from the first day of the last menstruation to the first day of the next.

If you have a regular cycle (always the same length), then you need to start taking tests about 17 days before the start of your next menstruation, since the corpus luteum phase (after ovulation) lasts 12-16 days (on average, usually 14). For example, if the usual length of your cycle is 28 days, then testing should begin on the 11th day, and if 35, then on the 18th.

If the cycle length is not constant, select the shortest cycle in the last 6 months and use its duration to calculate the day to start testing.

In the absence of regularity and the presence of large delays, the use of tests without additional monitoring of ovulation and follicles is not reasonable. Both because of their high cost (if you use tests every few days, you can miss ovulation, and using these tests every day is not worth it), and because of their low reliability (see below - “Erroneous results”).

For convenience, you can use our planning calendar, which will help you calculate the approximate timing of ovulation and testing schedule for both regular and floating cycles.

When used daily (or even 2 times a day - morning and evening), home tests give good results, especially in combination with ultrasound. When using ultrasound guidance, you can avoid wasting tests and wait until the follicle reaches approximately 18-20 mm, when it is able to ovulate. Then you can start doing tests every day.

Using the test

Tests can be taken at any time of the day, but if possible you should stick to the same test time. At the same time, in order for the concentration of the hormone in the urine to be as high as possible, it is advisable to refrain from urinating for at least 4 hours and avoid excess fluid intake before testing, because this may lead to a decrease in the concentration of LH in the urine and reduce the reliability of the result.

The best time for testing is morning.

Evaluation of results

Evaluate the test results and compare the result line with the control line. The control line is used for comparison with the result line. The control line always appears in the window if the test was carried out correctly.

If the result line is significantly paler than the control line, then the LH surge has not yet occurred and testing should be continued. If the result line is the same or darker than the control line, then the hormone release has already occurred and you will ovulate within 24-36 hours.

The most suitable 2 days for conception begin from the moment you determine that the LH surge has already occurred. If sexual intercourse occurs within the next 48 hours, your chance of getting pregnant will be maximized. Once you have determined that a release has occurred, there is no need to continue testing.

Planning the gender of the child

It is impossible to plan in advance the birth of a child of a certain gender, but there is a theory according to which the probability of conceiving a boy increases on the days closest to ovulation, and on the days most distant - girls. Thus, to increase the likelihood of having a boy, it is necessary to abstain from sex while the ovulation test shows a negative result. To increase the likelihood of having a girl, on the contrary, it is necessary to stop sexual contact as soon as the test shows a positive result. However, this method cannot provide 100% reliability.

Erroneous results

Unfortunately, ovulation tests do not show ovulation itself, but a change in the level of luteinizing hormone (LH) over time.

A significant rise in LH is very characteristic of the ovulation phase, however, the rise in LH itself does not provide a 100% guarantee that the rise in the hormone is associated specifically with ovulation and ovulation has taken place. An increase in LH levels can also occur in other situations - with hormonal dysfunction, ovarian wasting syndrome, postmenopause, renal failure, etc. Thus, for any temporary or permanent dysfunction, tests may give false positive results if the hormone levels are elevated.

In addition, false-positive results are possible under the influence of other hormones, which are not at all associated with changes in LH levels. For example, in the presence of the pregnancy hormone - hCG - tests will give a false positive result due to the similarity with LH in the molecular structure (the structure of LH is similar to other glycoprotein hormones - FSH, TSH, hCG), as some pregnant women have already experienced. . After hCG injections to stimulate ovulation, tests also give a positive result, which is not associated with an increase in LH levels.

After hCG injections, ovulation tests are not informative.

It is possible that the results of these tests can be influenced by fluctuations in other hormones (FSH, TSH) and even nutrition (phytohormones in plants). Therefore, in the absence of menstruation or any suspicion of hormonal disorders, you should not rely on test results. It is necessary to determine the presence and timing of ovulation using more reliable diagnostic methods. For example, using

Shows 2 days when the probability of getting pregnant (fertility) is highest

By identifying your 2 most fertile days, where you have the highest chance of getting pregnant, you will feel more confident knowing that you are trying exactly when you need to.

Accuracy over 99 %

More accurate than the calendar and temperature methods in determining the days when the likelihood of getting pregnant is highest

Clear digital results

The clear digital display allows you to easily read your results.

Ease of use

The unique flashing test symbol indicates that the digital ovulation test is working.

How to use the Clearblue digital device for determining ovulation with accessories

1. Before the test

– Always read the instructions on the packaging and package insert carefully before use.

– Before taking the test, you will need to know the normal length of your menstrual cycle to ensure that you time the LH surge test correctly.

– The duration of the cycle is calculated from the day the menstruation begins (the first day of full menstruation) – this is the 1st day. The last day of the cycle is the last day before the next menstruation begins. The resulting number of days will be the length of your cycle.

– Once you have determined your cycle length, you can use the table below to determine the day to start testing.

Length of your cycle in days	21 or less	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41 or more
Day of the next cycle from which testing should begin	5	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	17 days before the start of your next menstruation

– The test can be performed at any time of the day, but at approximately the same time every day.

– It is advisable not to urinate for four hours before the ovulation test and to avoid excessive fluid intake before the test. You may find it more convenient to use your first morning urine.

– Open the foil pouch and remove the test from it.

– Remove the cap.

– Before contact with urine, the test must be inserted into the housing.

– Align the pink dough arrow with the pink arrow on the dough body and insert until it clicks.

– Wait for the “Test ready” symbol to appear and carry out the test immediately.
3. Conducting the test
- Place the downward-facing absorbent sampler under the stream of urine for 5–7 seconds.

– Collect your urine sample in a clean, dry container and simply dip the absorbent sampler into the urine for just 15 seconds.

– Be careful not to get the housing wet.
– Keep the sampler pointing downwards or place the test on a horizontal surface. When testing, never hold the test with the absorbent strip facing upward.

– After 20 to 40 seconds, the “Test Ready” symbol will flash, indicating that the ovulation test is working.

– Do not remove the test until you get the result.

– Remove the cap from the dough and wait 3 minutes.
The result will be displayed on the screen after 3 minutes.

Absence splash LH. If you see an “empty circle,” the test did not detect your LH surge. Test the next day at the same time using a new test.

splash LH. The smiley symbol means that an LH surge has been detected. Your 2 most fertile days are today and tomorrow, so having sex within the next 48 hours will increase your chances of getting pregnant.

– Once you have read your final result, remove the test and throw it away.

– The result will be displayed on the screen for 8 minutes.

– Do not reinsert used test.
- Video

FAQ

If you do not know your normal cycle length, it is recommended that you wait at least one menstrual cycle and note its length, then use the Clearblue Digital Ovulation Device with accessories. Once you have determined your cycle length, you can use the instructions on the package insert to determine when to start testing. If the difference in cycle length is more than 3 days, select the shortest cycle within the last 6 months to determine the day to start testing. You may need a new package with the case and LH surge tests. If you want to start testing before you know your cycle length, it is recommended that you start testing on day 10. However, in this case, there is a possibility that you may miss the LH surge due to starting testing too late, or you may need to start a new pack to continue testing. See question 7.
2. What time of day should you take an ovulation test?
The test can be performed at any time of the day, but at approximately the same time every day. You should not urinate for at least 4 hours before the test.
3. Do I need to use all ovulation tests?
No. If a surge in LH is detected, testing can be stopped.
4. Can the case be used with any other tests?
Clearblue Digital Ovulation Tests can only be used with the Clearblue Digital body. If you have leftover tests from a previous pack of Clearblue Digital Ovulation Tests, you can use them with the body from this pack.
5. I ran the test, but the results did not appear on the screen. What does this mean?
The result should appear on the screen within 3 minutes of the test. If the result does not appear, an error symbol will appear on the screen within 10 minutes. For information about error messages, see the package insert for detailed instructions.
6. How accurate is the Clearblue digital ovulation detection device with accessories?
Clearblue Digital Ovulation Tests have been shown to be over 99% accurate in detecting the LH surge before ovulation in extensive laboratory testing. The sensitivity of the Clearblue Digital Ovulation Test is 40 mIU/ml.
7. I performed all tests as instructed, but no LH surge was detected. What should I do?
The number of tests in the Clearblue Digital Ovulation Test Pack is sufficient for most women with regular cycles to detect an LH surge. If the difference in the length of your cycles is more than 3 days, then you may need to start a new pack to detect the LH surge. Some women don't ovulate every cycle, so they won't experience an LH surge during those cycles. If you are concerned about your results, contact your doctor.
8. Can any medications or medical conditions affect the results?
A. Be sure to read the manufacturer's instructions for any medications you take before taking the test.
B. Some medical conditions and medications may adversely affect testing: for example, if you are actually pregnant, have recently been pregnant, have reached menopause, or have polycystic ovary syndrome, you may get an incorrect result. This may also happen if you are taking fertility medications that contain luteinizing hormone or human chorionic gonadotropin. Consult your doctor.
B. Clomiphene citrate does not affect the result, but may affect the length of the cycle and thus the testing time. You may need to start a new package and continue testing with a new body and new tests.
9. I recently stopped taking hormonal contraceptives (eg birth control pills). Will this affect the results?
No, this will not affect the results. However, hormonal contraceptives blur your natural hormonal pattern, and if you have recently stopped using them, your cycles may be irregular and may take some time to normalize. You may want to wait for two natural menstrual cycles to complete and note their duration before using the Clearblue Digital Ovulation Device and accessories.
10. I used the Clearblue digital ovulation device with accessories for several months and did not get pregnant. Can I be sure that I can get pregnant?
It may take several months to get pregnant. There are many reasons why you may not be able to get pregnant, even though you have sex when you are most likely to become pregnant. If after several months your attempts have not been successful, you should consult a doctor.

The ovulation test is one of the most reliable, which is used when planning pregnancy.

The most common ovulation tests work on the principle of pregnancy tests, namely, they give a result after contact with urine. Unlike pregnancy tests, which detect the level of hCG (hCG) in the urine, ovulation tests measure the concentration of another hormone, luteinizing hormone, or LH. LH levels rise in the blood and urine shortly before ovulation.

What types of ovulation tests are there?

There are several types of ovulation tests, which differ in ease of use, price and accuracy of results:

The ovulation strip test looks the same as the pregnancy strip test and will also show one or two stripes after contact with urine. To perform the test, you need to collect the urine in a small, clean container and then drop the test into it. Test results usually appear within a few minutes. This is the most inexpensive type of ovulation test.
The jet ovulation test is more convenient to use, as it does not require preliminary collection of urine into a container. To perform the test, simply pee on the sensitive end of the test. Test results in the form of one or two stripes appear within a few minutes.
A digital (electronic) ovulation test is the most accurate, but also the most expensive type of ovulation test. To carry out the test, simply place the sensitive end of the test under a stream of urine. The test results are usually shown on a small display within one minute of contact with the urine.
A reusable ovulation test is a special type of test that determines an increase in the level of luteinizing hormone based on an indirect sign - changes in saliva. In fact, the reusable ovulation test is a pocket microscope that can look at changes in saliva that indicate ovulation. The price of this test depends on the manufacturer: for example, foreign tests (Maybe Baby Ovulation Microscope, Geratherm OVU Control) cost about $70-100, while the domestic “Cycle” mini-microscope produced by Zenit is several times cheaper.

Why do an ovulation test?

If you have been planning a pregnancy for more than a year, but conception has not happened.
If you are planning a pregnancy, but for some reason you cannot have sex throughout your menstrual cycle. In this case, you can plan sexual intercourse for the most “lucky” day.
If you are planning a pregnancy during...
If you are planning, thyroid diseases and other hormonal disorders accompanied by menstrual irregularities.

In what cases is it useless to do an ovulation test?

In some situations, the use of ovulation tests is not advisable:

If you often have long delays. In this case, it is almost impossible to calculate the days on which ovulation is most likely, so you will be forced to test every day for weeks or even months. Considering the high cost of ovulation tests, their use may be prohibitively expensive. Consider purchasing a reusable ovulation test (a mini-microscope that detects signs of ovulation using saliva), or see your doctor and discuss the possibility of folliculometry.
If you are not planning a pregnancy and want to avoid sexual intercourse on “dangerous” days. Ovulation tests are not a reliable method of contraception. You can read about proven methods of protection against unwanted pregnancy on our website:.

On what day of the cycle should I take an ovulation test?

So, you purchased a package of ovulation tests and were wondering what day of the cycle to start taking tests. It all depends on how regular your menstrual cycle is and how many days pass from the first day of one period to the first day of the next period.

If you have a regular menstrual cycle, subtract 17 from your cycle length and you will get the day of your cycle on which you need to start taking ovulation tests. For example, if the length of the menstrual cycle is 28 days (28 – 17 = 11), start doing tests starting from the 11th day of the cycle (the first day of the cycle is the first day of menstruation).

For irregular periods, choose the shortest menstrual cycle in the last six months and subtract 17 from that number. Keep in mind that in your situation, some cycles may be anovulatory (without ovulation), so it may take a little longer to conceive a child (from several months to of the year).

How to use an ovulation test?

In order for the ovulation test to give a reliable result, it is recommended to follow the following rules:

Do not use your first morning urine for testing.
Take an ovulation test at the same time of day every day.
For more accurate testing, it is recommended to do tests twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. This will allow you not to miss the moment when the LH level reaches its maximum.
Before you start using the test, carefully read the instructions included in the package. Pay attention to how many minutes it takes to read the test results. Before or after this time, an ovulation test may give an incorrect result.

How to understand the results of an ovulation test?

An ovulation test provides results based on the level of luteinizing hormone (LH), which rises in the days before ovulation and peaks several hours before the egg is ready to be fertilized.

Within a few minutes of contact with urine, one or two lines will appear on the ovulation test. The first line is called the control line: it always appears and is an indicator that the test is valid and carried out correctly. The second strip is called a test strip: it is by it that we determine when ovulation occurs.

The appearance of two lines on an ovulation test does not mean that you are ready to conceive a child. In this case, it is important to pay attention to how intensely colored the test strip is:

If the test strip is paler than the control or is not detected at all (only one strip appears in the test), the ovulation test result is negative. This means that ovulation most likely will not occur in the next 24 hours and you should repeat the test the next day.
If the test strip is intensely colored and has the same color as the control strip (or even darker than the control strip), the ovulation test result is positive. This means that ovulation will most likely occur in the next 24-36 hours, which means you have a high chance of conceiving in the next 24 hours.

What to do if you have a positive ovulation test?

A positive ovulation test is the green light for couples planning a pregnancy. On the day when the ovulation test shows two bright stripes, the couple is recommended to have sex.

Having sex too often (every day), as well as infrequent sex (once a week or less) can adversely affect the quality of a man's sperm, making it incapable of fertilizing an egg. Fertility specialists recommend making love every 2-3 days to maintain optimal sperm quality and increase the chances of successful conception.

When can you take a pregnancy test?

Most pregnancy tests show a positive result 2-3 weeks after conception, so doctors recommend first waiting for a missed period and only then doing it.

If you are impatient to find out if pregnancy has occurred, you can take a test, which shows a positive result 11 days after conception.

What to do if there was ovulation, but pregnancy did not occur?

First of all, don't despair. Sex on the day of ovulation, calculated using ovulation tests, does not always lead to successful conception. Conception can be influenced by many factors that we cannot always control. For most healthy couples, conceiving a child can take several months to a year. If pregnancy does not occur after several months of tracking ovulation and regular sexual intercourse, you should contact your gynecologist or a specialist from a pregnancy planning center. Both you and your sexual partner may need testing.

An ovulation test is a modern, effective method for determining the favorable period to conceive a child. This method is very simple, and any woman can put it into practice.

Not only can this test work for its intended purpose in helping you plan a pregnancy, but it can also be used as a method of natural contraception, helping you determine the days when it is best to avoid intimacy.

The principle of the test is based on determining as accurately as possible the moment when ovulation occurs. Ovulation refers to the phase of a woman's menstrual cycle when the egg matures, becomes ready for fertilization, and is released from the dominant follicle into the fallopian tube, where it can meet the sperm.

The test is based on the fact that before ovulation, a sharp jump in the level of luteinizing hormone (LH) occurs in the female body, which is easiest to detect for testing in urine. And this jump in hormonal levels occurs 24-36 hours before the onset of ovulation. The point of the test is to accurately determine the moment when the level of luteinizing hormone in the urine is at its highest.

Types of tests

The following types are most often encountered and used in practice:

The test strip is very similar in appearance to a regular pregnancy test. It needs to be lowered for 5-8 seconds into a clean container with urine, and then placed on a flat and dry surface. You can view the test result in 3-5 minutes.
The midstream test must, after first freeing it from the protective cap, be placed under a stream of urine for 5 seconds, while the urine should fall on a special surface, which is indicated by arrows or otherwise. After completing this procedure, the test must be placed on a dry, flat surface, before closing the cap back. The result can be seen in 10 minutes.

There are more advanced versions of the ovulation test, including electronic ones. But they are quite expensive, although they differ in the most accurate results. It is best to carry out testing with their help several days in a row at the same time (preferably not in the morning, but before lunch, and you should refrain from going to the toilet for 3-4 hours).

How to use an ovulation test is described in detail in the instructions for use, and the method of use directly depends on the type of test.

General instructions for using the ovulation test

Step 1. When is the best time to take the test??

If a woman has regular periods and the cycle length is the same every month, then the approximate day of ovulation can be easily determined. It occurs 14 days before menstruation, but you need to start testing to determine the LH surge in the urine a little in advance - 2-3 days before expected ovulation or even earlier. Thus, from the first day of the next menstruation, you need to count back 16-18 days on the calendar - this date will be the day when you need to start doing ovulation tests.

If the monthly cycle has a different length each time, then to calculate the start day of testing you need to use the shortest cycle in duration.

It is advisable to carry out testing in the first half of the day, but do not use the first morning urine for the test.

Step-2. Which test to choose?

You can choose any test available at your pharmacy. The most common are Frautest, both in the form of test strips and cassettes. Most often there are several pieces in a set, and this is very convenient, since they can be used for testing over several days.

Step-3. How do an ovulation test correctly?

To do this, carefully study the instructions and do everything exactly as it is written. There may be two options depending on the selected test:

or lower the test strip into the container with urine to the mark,
or place the marked area of the test cassette under a stream of urine.

In both cases, the procedure takes about 5 seconds, after which you need to place the test on a dry, flat surface. You can see the result in about 5 minutes.

Step-4. How to decipher the test result?

To determine the result, you need to compare the resulting strip with the control one. If they are the same in brightness, then the test gave a positive result, and ovulation will occur very soon (in about 24-36 hours). This means that in a day or two you can successfully become pregnant. If the strip is paler than the control line, then ovulation is still far away, and it is worth repeating the test in 12-24 hours.

When can pregnancy be determined after ovulation?

Many women are interested in when to take a pregnancy test after ovulation, that is, how quickly you can get reliable results of tests and analyses. The thing is that the level of the hormone, the content of which indicates the presence of pregnancy - human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) - does not increase as quickly as LH before ovulation, and the fastest reliable results can only be achieved by taking a blood test. With the help of such an analysis, it is possible to determine the onset of pregnancy 6-10 days after ovulation, that is, even before possible menstruation.

The level of hCG in urine is two times lower than in the blood, and the maximum level of this hormone will be reached only 8-10 weeks after pregnancy. Therefore, it is recommended to use pregnancy tests only after a delay in menstruation, that is, 15-16 days after ovulation and later.