Ovulation test strips allow at home and with a high degree of accuracy to determine the days when a woman's body is most ready for conception. Relatively recently, ovulation tests have appeared, there are still few reviews about them, since not all of the fair sex planning a pregnancy are aware of such a diagnostic device. Next, we consider the principle of operation of such tests, their types and diagnostic features. Instructions for ovulation tests and a list of the most popular ones will also be given.
Principle of determining ovulation test
Immediately after the next menstrual bleeding, every he althy woman of reproductive age begins to mature an egg. Sometimes two or more of them mature in one cycle, which increases the chances of a multiple pregnancy if conception takes place at this time. There are also anovulatory cycles during which the egg does not mature. This condition can be caused by both physiological,as well as pathological causes. As a variant of the norm, a he althy woman can have one or two anovulatory cycles per year.
Before the egg matures and leaves the follicle, the body undergoes hormonal changes. In the blood, for example, the amount of a hormone that is responsible for maintaining pregnancy in the event of its occurrence increases. There are other signs that allow you to determine ovulation. These include pain in the lower abdomen, a decrease in basal temperature, a change in the nature of discharge, and the like. Such signs are subjective and may not occur in all women, so it may not be possible to determine ovulation by feel alone.
The hormone mentioned above is called luteinizing (LH). It can be found in the blood, saliva, urine of a woman. It is on the definition of this hormone that diagnostics is built. So, a positive ovulation test "Ovuplan" or any other will indicate that the egg is ready for conception.
What should an ovulation test look like
The technique is very significant for the possibility of conception, so it is necessary to highlight the criteria that the best test must meet:
- accurate result (better if ovulation percentage is as high as possible);
- easy to use (a woman must clearly understand how to perform the test and evaluate the result);
- convenience (it is not always possible to use the test in comfortable conditions, you also need to think about this when planning a purchase);
- cost (if multiple tests are needed, the price of the diagnostic device also matters).
When to do an ovulation test
How to do an ovulation test, on what day of the menstrual cycle will the study be effective? The timing must be calculated according to the duration of the cycle. With an average menstrual cycle (28 days), you need to start the study from the 11th day, counting from the first day of the last menstruation. If the cycle is longer than normal, then tests can be started from the 17th day. With different lengths of the interval between ovulations, the shortest cycle should be taken as a basis: 24 days - you can do the test starting from the 7th day, 26 days - from the 9th day, 32 days - from the 15th day. How many days to do an ovulation test? Diagnosis should be carried out for five days in a row. The instructions for ovulation tests say that the study should be carried out at the same time, in the morning and in the evening, or only in the morning, without gaps.
Can I do tests every day
Using ovulation tests every day is not financially feasible, but it is completely harmless. This behavior is typical for women who suffer from infertility or are faced with suspected infertility. Here you can only advise to let go of the situation, have a good rest, take care of your own he alth in general and lifestyle. Then soon two cherished strips will appear on the pregnancy test.
Is ovulation always in the middle of the cycle
EvenAn absolutely he althy woman does not always ovulate exactly in the middle of the cycle, that is, approximately on the 14th day. This is a variant of the norm and does not pose any danger if there are no deviations. There are many cases when conception occurred a couple of days before the next menstruation, which never came, or immediately after it, that is, on “safe” days. The time of ovulation is influenced by stress, physical overstrain, climate change, infectious diseases and much more. So you can “catch” a high level of the hormone not only in the middle of the cycle, but also earlier or later than the dates indicated above, if this is really important for a woman.
Types of tests and features of diagnostics
Clearblue Digital and other ovulation tests are very similar to pregnancy strips. Urine is also used for diagnosis in this case. Manufacturers produce various types of diagnostic devices with different price categories, diagnostic features and reliability.
The most familiar test for most women is a strip or strip. Such a device for determining the onset of ovulation is a paper strip, part of which is coated with a reagent up to the control strip. How to do an ovulation test? To carry out such a test, it is necessary to prepare a clean container for urine. In the material collected for the study, the strip is lowered to the control mark for ten seconds. Then you need to put the strip test on a clean and dry horizontal surface and wait five to ten minutes. Aftertime, you can read the result.
If the result is positive, a second line will appear on the test. This indicates a high concentration of LH in the woman's urine and readiness for conception. A weak line on an ovulation test may appear from the first day of the study, but for reliability, you need to wait until it is expressed in the same way as the control one. This usually happens on the third or fourth day of diagnosis.
The test tablet is a plastic tablet with two windows. How to use an ovulation test? In the first, you need to drop the material for research, in the second, the result will be visible in two to three minutes. With a high level of LH, the test will show two strips. The reliability of such devices is rated higher than that of strips.
Inkjet test is convenient to use. Diagnosis does not require the collection of urine in a prepared container and / or the use of a pipette. A strip coated with a special reagent should be placed under the stream of urine and the result should be evaluated after three to five minutes. With a high level of the hormone responsible for preparing the female body for a possible pregnancy, two strips will appear on the test.
Reusable ovulation test is a set of strips designed to be immersed in freshly collected material for research, and a special electronic device. Such systems allow diagnostics on different days of the cycle and are distinguished by a high level of information content. A portable reusable ovulation test will determine the optimal time forconception.
Another reusable device is the digital test. Unlike others, such a device determines LH not in the urine, but in the saliva of a woman. This is a miniature microscope that looks like lipstick. The digital test is the most accurate diagnostic method that eliminates an erroneous result. How to use an ovulation test? It is necessary to transfer saliva to the control area and evaluate with a magnifying device. Before the egg is released from the ovary, a frosty or fern-leaf-like pattern appears.
Comparison of different types of tests
Digital tests stand out in terms of diagnostic accuracy, strip strips and inkjet also have good reliability, but a false positive or false negative result is possible. In terms of ease of use, all tests are equally easy to perform, and as for convenience, there are features. So, for research using strips, you will need a vessel to collect material, it is enough to substitute inkjet tests under the stream of urine, and it is enough to purchase an electronic one based on diagnostics using saliva once to use it for a long time. In terms of cost, strip strips are the cheapest, inkjet tests are inexpensive. Electronic (digital) tests to determine ovulation will cost much more.
Features for home use
The test detects only an increased level of LH, and does not directly indicate the onset of ovulation. If two strips appear, this means that the hormonala surge that precedes the release of an egg ready for fertilization. The high level of the hormone persists throughout the day, so the instruction for ovulation tests recommends doing the study twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. This will make it more likely to catch the optimal moment for conception.
It is important that two to three hours before the diagnosis, you can not drink a lot of liquid. It can dilute the urine, which will distort the results of the study. If you use a digital test, then the result should be compared with an example picture, and a weak line on an ovulation test, as a rule, does not indicate an increased level of LH. In this case, you need to conduct a study the next day or in the evening / morning.
When one bar will appear
The test will be negative if it is still far from ovulation or it has already passed. Immediately after the release of the egg, the level of the hormone in the urine drops. Also, a false negative or false positive (second line on an ovulation test, although in fact the release of the egg is not expected in the near future) the result can be obtained if the test turned out to be expired, stored in improper conditions, is of poor quality.
When to start conception after the test
The instruction for the ovulation test says that two strips indicate the imminent release of the egg, ready for fertilization. But when should you start trying to conceive? The egg remains viable and can only be fertilized within a day from the moment it leaves the follicle.
It turns out that immediately after the test and receiving a positive result, it is too early to start trying to conceive. You need to wait a few hours until the germ cell leaves the follicle. The optimal time for sex is five to ten hours after the diagnosis.
You should not hope for the last hours of the day, during which the egg can be fertilized by the sperm. The fact is that the male cell fertilizes the female not immediately after ejaculation, but after a few hours, during which the sperm and egg move towards each other.
How to conceive a boy or a girl
There is a theory that helps some couples "plan" the gender of their unborn child. So, it is known that a boy is born if a female cell with an X chromosome has been fertilized by a spermatozoon with a Y chromosome. If the egg is fertilized by a sperm with an X chromosome, then a girl is “obtained”. Male cells with a Y chromosome, that is, those that allow you to conceive a boy, live no more than one or two days, but move faster than more tenacious cells with an X chromosome. So, if sexual intercourse happened at the peak of ovulation, then the couple is more likely to conceive a boy, and if some time before her, a girl.
Ovulation and Pregnancy Test
At numerous women's forums, held and future mothers discuss the fact that for some of them the Frautest ovulation test helped determine not only the release of the egg from the follicle, but also the long-awaited pregnancy. At the same time, according to women, a pregnancy testshowed one line. But it should be understood that such a situation is simply impossible. The fact is that the ovulation test after it will be negative, regardless of whether the woman managed to get pregnant in this cycle or not.
Pregnancy and ovulation tests determine the content of different hormones in the urine - hCG and LH, respectively. They cannot respond to another hormone. So, if the Ovuplan ovulation test or any other showed a second strip, then this is a sign of the approaching time during which it is most likely to become pregnant, and not the pregnancy itself.
Overview of popular ovulation tests
For many women who are unsuccessfully trying to conceive, the best ovulation test is the one that will allow them to find the happiness of being a mother. High-quality strips or digital devices from well-established manufacturers will help in this. Here are a few ovulation tests that women report positively about:
- Eviplane. The kit comes with five test strips and one pregnancy test. The cost is about 310 rubles, the reliability is high. The fair sex loves that manufacturers also put a pregnancy test in the package.
- Clear Blue ovulation test. Digital test, comes with seven strips and one control device. With a positive result, the screen does not show two stripes, but a smiling emoticon. The cost is 1000 rubles. As popular a test as Frau. Womennote in their reviews high information content, availability in pharmacies, ease of use.
- Lady-Q. A reusable device that promises 100% reliability. Saliva is used for diagnosis. Includes control drawings, removable glass, miniature microscope and instructions. It costs about 2000 rubles. Reviews about him are positive. But not all women buy such an expensive device when trying to get pregnant. Many prefer cheaper strips.
- Insure. Test strips of domestic production. One pack contains five strip tests that promise 99% accuracy. Such tests are chosen for a low price - 150 rubles.
- Frautest ovulation test. The company produces several tests: test strips (five pieces); test strips (five pieces) + pregnancy tests (2 pieces); test cassettes (7 pieces), which are suitable for women with irregular menstrual cycles. The cost is 300, 420 and 750 rubles, respectively. This type of test is the most popular among women, representatives of the fair sex note that the tests are informative, easy to use and simply of high quality.
- Ovuplan. Test strips are 99% reliable, but are not popular with women. The price is about 200 rubles.
Cons of ovulation testing
No matter how accurate the test, there is always the possibility of error. Strips and electronic devices only determine the possible release of the egg from the follicle, but an increase in the level of the hormone does not guarantee a mandatorythe onset of ovulation. In addition, there is the possibility of obtaining an unreliable or questionable result. Some types of testing are not convenient and are quite complex. You also need to know that even if ovulation is detected, there is no guarantee of pregnancy, and any test is only a guideline.
Determination of basal temperature
Charting your basal temperature is another effective way to determine when you're ovulating and when you're most likely to conceive. The essence of the method lies in the fact that throughout the entire cycle (and preferably two or three cycles), it is necessary to measure the temperature every day at the same time immediately after waking up. It is measured in the rectum. In this case, you can not get out of bed or actively move. The technique is used if pregnancy does not occur for a long time.
A few days before ovulation, it can be noted that the temperature has dropped to 32.3-35.5 degrees Celsius. When the day of egg maturation comes, the BT rises to 37-37.5 degrees. This temperature is maintained for several days. Two days before the start of the next menstruation, BBT decreases again. In the event that the temperature remains at 37 degrees and above, we can talk about the onset of pregnancy.
