Ovulation test: what you should know and pros and cons of fertility monitors

When we seek to conceive a baby, there are several factors that we must take into account. One of them is the menstrual cycle, which we must know to know what are the fertile days and know when we have better chances of getting pregnant.

There are some ways to know these days, and one tool that can support us is ovulation tests. We tell you what you should know about them, as well as the pros and cons of fertility monitors.

What is an ovulation test?

An ovulation test or fertility monitor is a device similar to pregnancy tests that you can buy at the pharmacy and do at home. What these tests do is detect a woman's ovulation period, through the increase in luteinizing hormone (HL) in the urine.

How do they work? Measuring the highest peak of said hormone, which is secreted between 24 and 36 hours before ovulation occurs. The idea is that you use them when your fertile days approach according to your cycle, so you can detect when ovulation happens and so you can be more likely to conceive.

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For easily calculate the approximate dates of your fertile days, you can support yourself with applications on your mobile, which in addition to helping you keep track of your period, will help you to better understand your cycle, by allowing you to write down symptoms or discomforts that present.

Why it is important to know ovulation

In a regular menstrual cycle, ovulation It occurs once a month when luteinizing hormone (LH) rises, beginning the ovulation process 24 to 36 hours later, which results in the expulsion of an egg that has matured and begins to descend through the fallopian tube.

When we seek to conceive, we must take this into account, because Ovulation is the time of the menstrual cycle in which the woman is most fertile. Taking into account that the cycle is regular and has a duration of 28 days, this would occur between days 13 and 14.

Fertile days, which are not the same as ovulation, are calculated around this date and they are considered from two days before until two days after ovulation occurs.

Pros and cons of ovulation tests

As I mentioned, ovulation tests or fertility monitors are a tool that we can use when we are looking for a baby, but we must also take into account that, like most things, they have their advantages and disadvantages.

Pros of ovulation tests

  • They are more accurate than other methods. Unlike other methods such as basal temperature or vaginal discharge, which require more discipline, perseverance and monitoring.

  • You only need to use it a few days. With an ovulation test, you only need to check or take a sample for a few days a month when your fertile days are approaching, compared for example, with the basal thermometer, which should be used daily and following very specific steps.

  • They are easy to get. You can easily buy them at the pharmacy, in addition to finding different presentations, from indicator strips, to tests similar to home pregnancy tests.

  • They are very practical to use. In most of them, you only need a urine sample, just as you do with a pregnancy test and without as much work as with other methods.

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Cons of ovulation tests

  • They are usually expensive. By this we mean that its value is higher than that of a pregnancy test, but in each box or kit there are several tests (this will depend on each brand).

  • They don't tell you if you're ovulating or not. It is important to remember that these tests do not tell you whether or not you are ovulating, but rather indicate the peak of the Luteinizing Hormone. It is possible that a peak in HL is present and that for some health reason, ovulation does not occur during that month.

  • Does not measure or analyze cervical mucus. A factor that is also very important during fertilization is cervical mucus, and ovulation tests do not detect if this is ideal for fertilization. (When it is, it has an elastic and slippery consistency, similar to egg white).

  • You need to do the test at least once a day. Although its advantage is that you do not need to do it daily during the whole month, the peak of the HL only lasts a few hours, so if you do not take the test for a certain time, it can pass and the test will give you a negative result.

  • They do not work in women over 40. These tests lose validity in women older than 40 years or who are close to menopause, since the levels of HL are usually very high in these conditions.

  • They could cause wear on the couple. By this we mean that when using an ovulation test, having sex can become somewhat programmed and less spontaneous or natural, which could cause anxiety or conflict in the couple.

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Ovulation tests are a practical and convenient way of knowing when fertile days are approaching to raise our chances of achieving a pregnancy, but remember that ovulation is not the only thing to take into account and can also fail if they are not used correctly.

If you use a ovulation test or any other method to know your fertile days and despite having relationships on those dates you can not get pregnant the first months, do not despair. It is recommended to try to conceive for at least one year, before seeing a specialist.

Photos | iStock

Video: I AM PREGNANT - UPDATE WITH CLEARBLUE FERTILITY MONITOR (March 2024).