How Ovulation Tests Contribute to Successful Family Planning

Optimizing Fertility: The Role of Ovulation Tests in Family Planning

Ovulation is the exit of a mature egg from the ovarian follicle into the abdominal cavity, this process has a complex regulation and generally characterizes reproductive health. For about another day, the egg can be fertilized; and after 4-5 days, the fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus. 

How Do You Know That Ovulation Has Occurred?

Ovulation is of great importance for a woman, because this time is ideal for becoming a mother. Women wait for ovulation, calculating the days and regularly make mistakes. But it is possible to recognize ovulation. There are many ways to determine ovulation: from home methods to medical ones. 

Ovulation can be determined by temperature. The basal temperature (measured after sleeping without getting out of bed) decreases before ovulation in many, and during the movement of the egg through the tubes, on the contrary, increases. The increase is small, about 0.5 °C, so an accurate thermometer and constant measurements are needed. It is necessary to measure the temperature with a special rectal thermometer daily in the morning for several cycles.

There may also be soreness and breast enlargement, bloating and mild abdominal pain, increased libido, and minor spotting. These symptoms, of course, are individual: for several months, observe how you feel and see which ones manifest themselves.

One of the best ways to determine ovulation is obviously an ovulation test. It reacts to a surge of luteinizing hormone in the urine and shows the result quite accurately. The principle of operation is the same as that of a pregnancy test. A positive result indicates that ovulation will occur in the next 24-36 hours.

Most importantly, be sure to follow all the instructions on the package of the ovulation test that you decided to use. Here are the general recommendations:

• Put some urine in a sterile container, dip a test strip into it (or put it under the stream when urinating). A line of a certain color will appear on the strip.
• If the result is positive, it means that the level of LH is increased. And therefore, ovulation will occur in the next 24-48 hours. In some electronic devices, the result is displayed using emoticons.

Recommendations for The Ovulation Test

• Use the test a few days before the expected ovulation (with a regular 28-day cycle, the test should be done on the 11th-12th day).
• It is better to spend them 2 times a day (but do not use the first morning urine).
• Before performing the test, do not drink a lot of water and do not urinate for about 4 hours.
• Follow the instructions carefully (collect urine in a clean container; place a test strip in it for no longer than 10 seconds; check the result no later than 10 minutes).
• Keep doing the tests until you get a positive result.
• If the 2nd line is clearly visible, ovulation will occur within 24-48 hours, if weakly — until ovulation is predicted.
• To determine the fertile days most accurately, basal temperature can be additionally measured during the cycle, cervical mucus can be monitored and a series of ultrasounds can be performed.

What Is Fertility and Does It Depend on Ovulation?

Female fertility is directly a woman’s ability to conceive and bear offspring. From birth, a woman’s body contains several million eggs, which originate during the period of intrauterine development. It is believed that by adolescence their number decreases to about 400 thousand. It is important to understand that these cells in the body do not renew, as do sperm cells in men.

Female fertility depends not only on ovulation, but also on other body conditions:

• It is necessary that the fallopian tubes, in which the egg will meet with the sperm, should have normal patency;
• The endometrium must be thick enough to successfully implant the embryo for subsequent development;
• The uterus and its cervix must be healthy in order to carry a child and reduce the likelihood of premature birth.

All processes of a woman’s reproductive system are constantly influenced by various hormones produced by the body. Therefore, the hormonal background is also extremely important for female fertility.

The level of female fertility is usually assessed by three factors – the ability to conceive, carry and give birth to a child. It is believed that if a woman is capable of only 2 factors out of three, then fertility is low, if it is normal for all 3. High fertility is indicated if a woman is able to conceive, bear and give birth to several children in a row.

When a woman wants to have a child, it is necessary to be examined by a doctor and check ovulation, which is best done with the help of special tests to determine ovulation. The doctor will help identify possible health problems at an early stage, and an ovulation test will help determine a positive period for pregnancy.