What are ovulation tests kits for and who should use them?
Ovulation test kits can help you to identify your fertile window. Read here on how to use them accurately.
Trying for a baby? Find out how an ovulation test kit can help and when to take an ovulation test after your period.
If you’ve been trying to get pregnant the natural way, you’ll know that it’s not as easy as it sounds. To increase your chances of conceiving, you have to do it at the right time or date when you are ovulating. And how do you know for sure if you are?
While there are other ways to predict when a woman is ovulating such as keeping an ovulation calendar or tracker on your phone or checking your body temperature, there are also more scientific methods to go about it. One of the more precise methods that can tell if you’re actually ovulating is by using an ovulation test kit.
Ovulation test kits for soon-to-be mothers
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What’s an ovulation test kit?
Us Pinoys are more familiar with pregnancy test kits. But for couples who are trying to get pregnant, using an ovulation test kit is just as important.
Ovulation test kits also known as Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPK) can help you to identify your fertile window, therefore increasing your chances of conceiving.
There are two sorts of OPKs – those that test your urine and those that test your saliva.
• A urine-based OPK, or pee stick, detects the increase, or surge, of a hormone called LH that occurs about one to two days before ovulation. A small amount of LH is always present in your blood and urine. But in the days before ovulation, the amount increases by about two to five times.
• Saliva-based OPKs test your saliva for rising salt levels. As estrogen levels rise, the salt content of your saliva increases too. Two major benefits of a saliva-based opk are the fact that it’s a one-time purchase, as the lens can be washed and reused, and the fact that it’s convenient to use at any place or any time. You don’t have to wait for a full bladder, and you’re never going to run out of saliva!
However, here in the Philippines, the ones available in drugstores are urine-testing kits.
How exactly does it work?
Before we learn how ovulation tests work and when is the best time to use them, let us first learn about the process of ovulation.
Ovulation takes place in the middle of your menstrual cycle, which usually starts on the first day of your period. Once your ovaries release an egg, it stays there for about 12 to 24 hours. Meanwhile, the sperm can live in your body for up to 5 days.
So even if you don’t have sex during that 24-hour ovulation window, you may still get pregnant if you’ve had sex a few days before, but your most fertile days of the month are 1 to 2 days before and after your ovaries release an egg.
Since there is such a small window to conceive during the month, using ovulation test kits can help predict when a woman is ovulating.
It is important to note that while ovulation test kits can determine your most fertile days, they’re not 100 percent accurate. However, it still has an accuracy rate of up to 99 percent, depending on your menstrual cycle.
To use the ovulation kit, you can urinate on the test stick, or urinate in a cup and place the stick in the urine. An ovulation test has two lines.
One is the control line that signals the test is working properly, while the other is the test line that shows the results. Depending on whether you are ovulating, the test line will appear lighter or darker than the control line. Results are usually available in about 5 minutes.
The test line appears lighter when you have a low level of LH in your body. It’ll appear darker when there’s a higher level of LH in your body. This indicates that you’re more likely to conceive.
When is the best time to take the ovulation test kit?
Unlike pregnancy test kits in the market that are quite cheap, ovulation test kits are a little bit on the pricey side, ranging from Php 600 to 2,000. Because of this, couples or women are more discerning when it comes to the best time to take the ovulation test kit to get their money’s worth.
The best time to start testing ovulation is a few days before your ovulation period. You may also need to check how long your cycle is. For instance, if you have a 28-day cycle, you’ll likely ovulate on or around day 14, so you may want to start testing around day 10 or 11.
Meanwhile, if you have a shorter cycle, you can assume that ovulation will most likely occur within 4 days of your cycle’s midpoint. That means you can start using an ovulation test kit 4 to 6 days prior to your cycle’s midpoint.
Is there a particular time of day to take the test?
According to Healthline, there’s no right or wrong time of day to test ovulation. Some women prefer to test their urine in the morning as a force of habit with pregnancy test kits. It also gives you plenty of time to try to conceive if the test shows that you are indeed fertile and ovulating.
Meanwhile, others prefer to test in the afternoon or evening between 12 noon to 8:00 p.m. It is said that women tend to have a surge in LH in the morning, and those levels can be picked up in your urine about four hours later. So they believe that waiting a few hours until the LH normalizes makes it more accurate.
Just remember that whatever time you choose, it’s best to test at the same time each day. You can even take the ovulation test kit twice depending on your schedule.
To increase or ensure the accuracy of your ovulation test kit limit your intake of fluids for about 2 hours before testing. Keep in mind that liquid can dilute the amount of luteinizing hormone (LH) in your urine.
If this happens, it can appear as if you’re not ovulating when you are. It also helps if you will not pee 1 to 2 hours before testing. Of course, always remember to follow the package instructions carefully.
Image from iStock
Testing ovulation with an irregular menstrual cycle
As expected, ovulation test kits are more accurate when you have a regular cycle because it’s easier to predict your fertile window or ovulation period. But despite that, ovulation testing can still work if you have an irregular cycle. You’ll just have to test more often.
While those with a regular cycle only need to test ovulation at least once a month, a woman with an irregular cycle will have to test more frequently. You can start testing a few days after your period and then once every week thereafter.
If you have an irregular cycle, watch out for the telltale signs of ovulation to signal that it’s time to start using a test kit. Pay attention to bodily changes like vaginal discharge and basal body temperature.
According to Healthline, you can start using an ovulation test kit once you notice any of these symptoms:
- increased cervical mucus, particularly discharge that feels slippery when wiping or has an egg-white-like consistency
- an increase in your basal body temperature
- increased sex drive
- light spotting
- mild pelvic pain
Do take note that some conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) along with some medications such as fertility drugs, hormones (like birth control pills) and antibiotics can all make ovulation test strips inaccurate. So it’s best to consult with your OB-Gynecologist first and ask if she recommends getting an ovulation test kit.
For any other questions regarding your ovulation period and fertility, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor about it.
Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. theAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.