Ovulation Pregnancy

Ovulation Testing

One of the most important things a woman needs to know if she wants to conceive is when is she ovulating.

Ovulation is the time in a woman’s monthly cycle when her ovary will release an egg. If she has intercourse in the days leading up to and on the day of ovulation, this is her ‘pregnancy window’ and she has a good chance of falling pregnant.

Generally, ovulation occurs between day 8 and day 14 of the monthly cycle, but this can vary. For women with irregular periods however, predicting the time of ovulation is a lot more difficult.

Women who are having trouble falling pregnant or women with irregular periods have long sought the perfect ovulation test or ovulation predictor. If only there was an ovulation test kit that was as simple to use and as accurate as a home pregnancy test.

So how does a woman know when she is about to ovulate?

According to fertility specialists there are three key changes in a woman’s body in the lead up to and at the time of ovulation – a rise in basal body temperature, changes to the cervical mucus and a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH).

Basal body temperature is the temperature of the body as rest. This increases at the time of ovulation, and remains higher until the beginning of a women’s next menstrual cycle. By taking her temperature with a basal thermometer every day for a number of months, a woman can gain a better understanding of her monthly cycle and the day she is most likely to ovulate. For most women, 35.5- 36.5 degrees C is considered normal prior to ovulation and 36.5 – 38 degrees C to 99 degrees after ovulation.

However once the rise in Basal body temperature is detected ovulation has already occurred. An egg can only live in the body for approximately 24 hours after ovulation , so by the time the temperature rise is recorded, it is generally too late for intercourse to result in a pregnancy. So while it may be useful for women with regular cycles to identify ovulation – the best times of the month for them to conceive, it is of limited use for women with irregular cycles and does not work as an ovulation predictor.

It is also not fool proof as many factors other than impending ovulation can impact on basal body temperature such as stress, insomnia, alcohol, smoking, dreams, even using an electric blanket. Just shaking the basal thermometer in the morning can raise temperatures, so the process does have its limitations. Tracking changes to cervical mucus has helped some women identify their most fertile time and can help predict ovulation before it happens.
As ovulation approaches, cervical mucus changes. It becomes clearer, wetter and more elastic with a consistency that can be compared to raw egg white. When these changes occur, a woman is at her most fertile and has a good chance of falling pregnant.
Tracking changes to cervical mucus as a means of predicting ovulation will not work for everyone. Some women, especially those with PCOS, have several patches of fertile-looking cervical mucus throughout their cycle. Certain drugs, such as antihistamines and Clomid, dry up cervical mucus.
The best predictor of ovulation is monitoring levels of Luteinizing hormone (LH) in urine. LH is the hormone that actually triggers ovulation.
Ovulation tests which measure LH can be useful predictors of ovulation. However, in order to detect the LH surge with accuracy, directions must be followed exactly. Ovulation tests work in a different way to home pregnancy tests, and require some skill in interpreting results.
Generally, ovulation will take place 12-48 hours after the LH surge is first detected, though 36 hours is considered to be the average length of time for ovulation following the LH surge.
 To increase the chance of conception, a woman should have intercourse on the day of the LH surge and for the following three days after.
Ovulation tests are designed to help facilitate pregnancy, and should certainly never by relied upon as a means of contraception.

Certain drugs, such as clomid, can give false positives if a woman tests for ovulation too early in her cycle.

About the Author

Ovulation test kits can help you to identify your fertility window. However if your ovulation cycle does not appear to be regular, you may wish to seek further support and advice with an IVF doctor at one of our IVFAustralia clinics. Please contact us by visiting www.ivf.com.au

Ovulation and Pregnancy

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