Ovulation tests 101

Ovulation tests are something I learned about on the internet when I started the TTC journey. When I finally got round to seeing a fertility specialist she seemed to have no idea about what they were. This was surprising to me as they had seemed to work so well for me in this journey and for her not to know was insanity. How many women had she seen and had she told to just keep trying? How many people had she sent away to just keep at it who might not even be ovulating, or who might not be having sex at the right times?

So here I am to tell you all I know about ovulation tests: what they're for, how they work, and how to use them to your advantage.

What do they do?

Ovulation tests will test your urine for the LH hormone. This is the hormone that will surge (rise) before you ovulate, it triggers ovulation and development of the corpus luteum that makes the uterus suitable for implantation of a fertilised egg, and keeps the embryo nourished.

We use ovulation tests to check when ovulation is about to occur, if it is occurring at all. They should be used between 11am and 2pm. The strip tests ( often called "cheapies" or "amazon cheapies", in the UK most often the brand One Step) are used by dipping them into a cup of urine. There are also more advanced kinds of ovulation tests by ClearBlue, they also have electronic kinds. Personally, I believe the electronic monitors aren't necessary. If you have the money to spend on them then by all means go ahead, but you can get the same results from the strip tests and an app.

Ovulation tests are different to pregnancy tests where if you have any line it is considered a positive, and this can be confusing at first, and is easy to forget.

To have a positive ovulation test you need both lines to be dark. The test line must be as dark as or darker than the control line. If it's not, it's not positive.

How do I use them?

If you are not familiar with your cycle I would suggest taking one a day from the end of bleeding (or even during, if you're comfortable with that), all the way until the bleeding starts again. This way you can be sure that you have a single surge during your cycle, and you can watch the tests get gradually darker, and then lighter again.

My suggestion is to keep the tests after you've taken them and glue them down to a piece of paper so you can see the lines change. You can (and should) also input the results into your chosen app, mine is Fertility Friend but there are a lot of different ones available depending on your needs and how much tracking you intend to do.

What if they're positive all the time?

If your ovulation tests are positive all the time you ought to see a doctor. There is only one reason they would be positive all the time: your LH levels are out of whack. This can be a sign of PCOS, so I would advise getting your bloods drawn and your LH/FSH tested. You may also want to try a different brand of tests, perhaps with a higher sensitivity.

What if I get more than one surge?

This isn's usually a huge problem but it can be frustrating. All it means is that your body is gearing up to ovulate, and then doesn't.

What if I get more than one day of positive tests?

Again, this is not a huge problem. If you are taking tests daily, or multiple times a day (as I did – guilty!) you can get a lot of positive tests over two or more days, and this is quite normal. You will get positives from the start to the end of your surge.

What if my tests have dark lines after ovulation?

Sometimes they do. Sometimes they fade out to white. This can be just leftover LH in your system. Not every cycle is the same.

When will I ovulate?

This is not such an easy question to answer. The general rule is that you will ovulate somewhere between 12 - 36 hours after your first positive test. This isn't always the case, though, as you can ovulate on the third day of a positive opk (as I have done in the past). There isn't a way to tell if you have ovulated without taking your basal body temperature.

When should I have sex?

Again this is not an easy question. It's dependent on your circumstances. If you can, the best way to be getting pregnant is to have regular sex, all the time. You will have heard of a "fertile week" and your opks will often come towards the end of that. I have found that having sex, or seeing your donor, on the day of positive opks, and the day after, at least, are your best bets.

Can I use an opk as a home pregnancy test?

Yes and no. LH is higher in your system when you are pregnant and so if you were to take an opk while pregnant it would be a blazing positive. However, if you get a positive on an opk because you are pregnant there is no reason why it would not show up on a home pregnancy test.