How Ovulation Testing Works & the Importance of Knowing when Your Body is in the Process of a Luteinizing Surge

Many women have began using ovulation prediction kits to determine when they are ovulating and thus more likely to conceive. Ovulation testing is an effective way for women who have learned through infertility testing that they are not infertile and that their partner also does not have any infertility problems. For couples like this, the issue of conceiving is knowing when the best days of the month are to attempt conception. Other couples use ovulation testing kits for at least 6 months to know when the woman is ovulating. If after 6 months of trying to conceive after receiving positive ovulation tests it is then that this sort of couple should consider infertility testing.

How Does an Ovulation Test Work

When a woman is ovulating is when she is the most fertile. An ovulation prediction test, also known as an OPK, will indicate when the woman is in the beginning stages of ovulation by showing that a Luteinizing Surge is occurring. A woman's body is always producing this hormone but the luteinizing surge is when the greatest amount of the hormone is released and the woman is at her most fertile period.

An OPK looks similar to an ordinary pregnancy test and the way the test is used is also similar. Both tests involve either dipping the test strip in urine or holding the test strip under the urine stream. Much like a pregnancy test the ovulation testing strip can be read in as little as 5 minutes and they both test for the appearance of a hormone in the urine.

Both tests also have a control color band in which to base the test results off of; however, unlike a pregnancy test a faint line next to the control band does not indicate a positive test. The color band must be the same color as the control band or be a darker shade.

As mentioned earlier the body will always have some luteinizing hormone in the urine so if the line next to the control band is lighter in color then this means the luteinizing surge is not taking place. As for pregnancy tests, a faint line next to the control band could still indicate pregnancy.

Some women using OPK's have been confused by the results of their ovulation testing kit due to the many similarities with a pregnancy test. Also, unlike a pregnancy test it is not better to use the first urine. The luteinizing hormone is synthesized in the body during sleep and may not show up in the morning urine, this could cause a false negative.

The Best Times During the Day to Check for a Luteinizing Surge

You have learned that the first urine after rest is not the best time to perform an ovulation test. The best times to test for the surge are from 11 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon. The second testing time is generally from 5 until 10 p.m. If your sleep schedule is different than the average person you should adjust your ovulation testing accordingly for the most accurate results. Testing twice a day will give you the greatest advantage of catching when you are at your most fertile point. The sooner you are able to pinpoint when the luteinizing surge is occurring the better it will be to plan attempting conception from the time you get a positive result up to 36 hours.

When you use ovulation prediction kits you will find that charting your cycle for a few months before you start testing is the most practical and cost efficient way to use the OPK-this is especially true for women who have somewhat irregular periods. The price of most ovulation testing at home supplies are generally inexpensive but can become expensive if you are testing twice a day and are beginning the testing too soon or too late. It is best to know a good estimated target date to begin testing for fertility.

Sources:

http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/ovulation-test-work.html

http://www.completefertility.com/faq.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cycle

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=53852