If you’re trying to get pregnant, you would know that your ovulating days are the time with the highest chances of pregnancy. While you ovulate you might also observe some signs and symptoms such as light spotting and breast tenderness that indicates your ovulation period. The best or most accurate way to find out whether you’re ovulating is to take an ovulation test.
Now, in this article we would define ovulation, ovulation tests and the chances of pregnancy after a positive ovulation test.
What is Ovulation?
The menstrual cycle processes as the ovary release an egg which travels in the fallopian tube and down to the uterus in about 5 days. There is a surge in the progesterone levels for the maintenance of the uterine lining for the preparation of pregnancy. if the egg does not receive a male gamete (sperm), the menstrual periods occur and in case a sperm cell fertilizes the egg, the zygote develops into a new life.
During this cycle the peak fertile time is somewhere between day 6 and 14 of your regular cycle. However, you should keep in mind that the ovulation day is not the same every month and may vary. Some signs and symptoms of ovulation that you can keep a track of are as follows:
- Tender breasts
- Increased sexual drive
- Slight increase in body temperature
- Abdominal pain
These signs may or may not appear as every body is different and exhibit different signs. Here we suggest taking an ovulation test as it is the best and most accurate way of knowing whether you’re ovulating or not.
What are Ovulation Tests and its Use?
Ovulation tests are basically hormone tests that monitor your cycle by testing the urine. The ovulation is predicted by checking the presence of the luteinizing hormone in the urine as the hormone levels increase during ovulation.
Estrogen is produced by the mature follicles in the cycle’s first half or the cycle or the follicular phase of the cycle. The estrogen surge signals the pituitary gland which indicates the maturity of the follicles and initiation of ovulation. The pituitary gland releases the luteinizing hormone causing ovulation.
As ovulation occurs, that is the best time to conceive with the highest probability of pregnancy. As ovulation occurs, the can be fertilized only within 12-24 hours and this period is called as your fertile window. The sperm cells can survive in the body for up to 5 days so intercourse around the time of your ovulation can also increase the chances of pregnancy.
The Pros and Cons
The pros and cons of using ovulation tests are as follows:
The Pros:
- The tests are easy to use
- Can be used for several days
- Shows the hormonal change
The Cons:
- For women with PCOS, they’re not always reliable due to the increased levels of LH throughout the cycle.
- They are also not very dependable for women who has irregular menstrual cycles.
- Cervical mucus monitoring could be cheaper than these.
When to use Ovulation Tests:
If you’re a first-timer, you can start taking the tests as soon as your periods end, however, if you ovulate near the same time every month, you should start taking the test 5-6 days prior to your next ovulating period. You can not exactly know when you’re ovulating as regardless of all the myths, you do not ovulate on the same day every month. It could be any time of your menstrual cycle.
Some women can oculate in the early days while some can ovulate in the later days and that is totally normal. To narrow down your fertile window, look for signs and symptoms and whenever you feel like you should take a test, go for it.
It is suggested that you should take the test in the second morning urine as LH levels surge in the blood around between midnight and 8am and hence would not be visible in the urine. The test should also be taken after 2-3 hours of hold. Some women may have short surges which can only last about a few hours and in that case, you could take the test multiple times in a day to ensure that you don’t miss it.
The positive appearance on the test depends on the type of test used. The positivity could appear as double lines or a smiley face.
A Positive Ovulation Test:
If your ovulation test comes out positive that LH levels have increased in your body and you’re most likely to ovulate in the next 12-36 hours. Intercourse during this time has high chance to result in pregnancy.
If you’re trying to get pregnant then this is the best time to conceive and although you might think you should have sexual intercourse multiple times during these days, you may not necessarily be in the mood. As previously said, the sperm cells can last for about 5 days in the body so after the first intercourse. The cells might just be waiting to fertilize the newly matured egg.
Chances of Getting Pregnant after a Positive Ovulation Test
The chances of getting pregnant within your fertile window are high, but we would also discuss the chances of getting pregnant before, during, and after ovulation.
Intercourse 2 days Prior to Ovulation
2 days prior to ovulation, your LH levels have not risen yet and this is not the peak fertility period. However, given the long life of sperms in the body, your chances of getting pregnant is still higher than the rest of the days as the sperm cells would fertilize the egg as soon as it matures.
Intercourse a day Prior to Ovulation:
Having sex a day before ovulation is highly recommended as you have the highest chance of getting pregnant during this time. According to a report by a midwife, it was stated that most pregnancies are a result of sex that happened less than 2 days before ovulation. If you’re trying to get pregnant, this is the ideal time to take action.
Intercourse on the day of Ovulation:
Your LH hormones have surged, you have started ovulating, the egg would have been released and ready to fertilize. This is the peak fertility period where even the cervical mucus would be in the right texture for facilitation. Make good use of this day if you’re trying to get pregnant.
Intercourse after Ovulation:
As compared to the rest of the month, the day after ovulation is also considered as one of the most fertile days. Keep in mind, after the release of the egg, the egg is viable for only about 24 hours. After this time period, your chances of getting pregnant would decrease drastically for the rest of the remaining cycle.
Confirmation of Ovulation:
Ovulation tests are good at predicting ovulation but it cannot tell whether you’re ovulating or you’ve ovulated. To confirm that you’re ovulating take a note of a few things that would help you in confirmation that you’re ovulating. These are as follows:
- Basal body temperature: before and after ovulating there is a shift in body temperature which can help you determine whether an egg was released or not.
- Progesterone blood tests: blood tests determine the presence of progesterone hormone levels that confirms the occurrence of ovulation.
- Ultrasounds: taking ultra sounds can help in the detection of the formation of the corpus luteum and other endometrial changes.
When to take a Pregnancy Test?
If your ovulation test comes out positive and you make good use of those days in case you’re trying to get pregnant, it is normally suggested to take a pregnancy after about 8 days however the best and the most ideal time to take a pregnancy test is after you miss your first menstrual period. That is when there is enough production of the hCG hormone to be detected by the pregnancy tests.
The Takeaway:
The best way to detect your ovulation is to take an ovulation test which would detect the presence of LH in your urine. You can confirm the occurrence of ovulation by keeping an eye on the additional signs and symptoms of ovulation such as change in body temperature.
Your ovulatory days are the peak fertile days and make sure to make the best use of it in case you’re trying to get pregnant. This is also a way for birth control as you can track your ovulatory days and avoid having any sexual activity during this time period.
