One of my friends recently asked me if I knew how to take an ovulation test. She has been struggling with infertility and have been trying for quite a while with her husband to get pregnant with baby #2. I have never taken an ovulation test but I did have an idea on how to use it. So I explained it to her and that situation alone gave me an idea.
I came to a conclusion that many women like my friend do not know how to track their ovulation, do not know how to use an ovulation test and many like my friend want to get pregnant fast! It is so important as a woman to know how ovulation works, when does it start and what are the symptoms to look out for. This way you have a better chance of getting pregnant.
I wrote this article in hopes of helping you know everything that you need to know about ovulation. So you can get pregnant fast! Of course there are many other factors as to why some women take a long time to get pregnant, so read this with an open mind. I want you to have the best chances of conceiving and knowing your ovulation period is a major factor in doing so.
What is ovulation?
“Ovulation is the release of a mature egg from one of the ovaries, which happens every month” (source)
Which means a woman has a very high chance of getting pregnant around her ovulation period.
How many days after period do you ovulate?
Most women have a menstrual cycle of 28 to 32 days. So, you are going to start ovulating between day 10 to 15 before your next period starts. Again, this depends on the cycle of your period.
How long does ovulation last?
A normal ovulation cycle lasts about 24 hours each month. So if your egg is released and does not get fertilized, it will dissolve and you will get your period about 2 weeks after. But, the good news is that you still have a 6 day window period to get pregnant! The five days leading up to ovulation and the day of ovulation. (source)
Now I want to talk about the signs to look out for in order know if you’re ovulating or not. Some women may experience all of these symptoms together or experience only one of them. Either way, I’m sure it’s going to help you figure out if you are in your fertile window or not!
Read this next:
6 things you should do before getting pregnant
15 life changing things to do before trying for a baby
5 signs and symptoms that you are totally ovulating
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
1.Cervical mucus discharge
Many women (including myself) experience cervical mucus discharge. The discharge is typically clear (like raw egg white) and it’s odorless. Once you notice this discharge it means you are fertile!
2. Mild pelvic or lower abdominal pain
You may experience mild pelvic pain (like I do) that will usually last a couple of minutes to a couple of hours.
3. Sore breasts
Just like when you get your period, you may feel like your breasts are more tender and sensitive to the touch.
4. Libido changes
Let’s talk about your increase sex drive around this time of the month. Ovulation may be happening here 🙂
5. Ovulation bleeding
6. Basal body temperature
During ovulation your body temperature increases slightly. So you may want to take your temperature using a thermometer specifically for basal body temperatures, Notice a pattern?
You may experience light pink bleeding or spotting before or during your ovulation period.
Read this next:
6 ways to know you’re pregnant before taking a pregnancy test
10 things to do when you find out you’re pregnant
Ovulation date calculator and calendar
I think this is a pretty cool gem. An ovulation date calendar tells you when your most fertile days are, so you can get to work mama! You simply put in the first day of your last menstrual period and how many days is your cycle. Then, the calculator will calculate when are your most fertile days! How awesome! Here, try it out!
Have you tried the Pre-Seed Fertility Friendly Lubricant?
Did you know that there is a lubricant that you can use to help increase your chances of getting pregnant? Yes girl! I actually used it when my husband and I were trying for baby #2. We of course got baby #2 and #3, haha! Because we conceived twins! I’m not saying that this lubricant will make you have twins but it’s worth a try to help you get pregnant.
Here’s a quick list of benefits:
- #1 Fertility-Friendly Personal Lubricant
- Isotonic and pH balanced to mimic your body’s naturally fertile fluids
- Helps support sperm quality
- Glycerin Free; Natural Feeling
- Developed by doctors; Used by fertility clinics
You can buy it here!
Baby prep workbook for new moms to be:
The best at home ovulation tests to use today:
Here are great options to choose from if you’re planning on buying ovulation tests or kits. These all do the same thing in detecting when are your most fertile days. Some of these kits come with pregnancy tests which is amazing! Read the descriptions of each one and purchase your favorite!
The tests comes with instructions on how to use it and are very simple and straightforward.
Helpful video on how to take an ovulation test:
1.PREGMATE 50 Ovulation Test Strips LH Surge Predictor Kit (50 LH)
- Gives women a greater chance of detecting their fertile days, even if their cycle lengths are variable
- Earliest detection, greatest sensitivity level: 25 mIU/mL. Over 99% accurate at detecting your LH surge
- Easy To Test : Immerse the strip into the urine. Take the strip out after 3 seconds. Lay the strip flat. Read results in 5 minutes.
2.Clearblue Digital Ovulation Test, 20 Ovulation Tests
- Clearblue is #1 OB-GYN Recommended Brand*
- The Clearblue Ovulation Test identifies your 2 most fertile days, so you can maximize your chances of getting pregnant naturally.
- The Clearblue Ovulation Test is over 99% accurate at detecting the LH surge**. Your result should appear on the Display within 3 minutes of doing a test.
- Easy to read – unique digital ‘smiley face’ results
3.Easy@Home 50 Ovulation Test Strips and 20 Pregnancy Test Strips Combo Kit
- Specially designed for “trying to conceive” women to get pregnant naturally: These Easy@Home ovulation tests give women a greater chance of predicting their most fertile days
- The ovulation test strips help to track your ovulation progression, and minimize the chances of missing your LH surge. Levels of hCG as low as 25 mIU/ml (FDA cleared) can be detected in 5 minutes.
- Easy to test: simply dip the test in your urine until the dye rises into the result window (approximately 5 – 10 seconds).
4.iProven Ovulation Predictor Kit
- The LH-tests help you to track your ovulation, so you know when is the best time to conceive.
- You can use their pregnancy tests 4 days before you expect your new cycle to start.
- DIP & READ – That’s all it takes. After collecting your urine, dip the test for 5 seconds. Then wait for 3 minutes, read the results and you know what’s going on.
- 99% ACCURACY – Both their Ovulation and Pregnancy tests are 99% accurate when you follow the step-by-step instructions.
5.ClinicalGuard 40 Ovulation Test Strips & 10 Pregnancy Test Strips Combo
- ClinicalGuard LH Urine Ovulation Test and HCG Urine Pregnancy tests are easy to administer yourself.
- Test strips have sensitivity of 25 mIU, or 25 ng/L
- Negative result: Only one color band appears, in the Control Zone. No band in the test zone
- Positive result: Distinct color bands appear in Control and Test Zones.
3 Tips for when you are not getting a positive pregnancy test result
1.Don’t give up
Please know that many women do not get pregnant on their first, second or third try. It takes time and patience. So, please do not give up or feel discouraged if you do not get pregnant right away. Keep trying!
2.Do not put pressure or stress on yourself
Do you know that stress can cause you to not get pregnant? Yes! If you are stressing over getting pregnant, putting pressure on yourself and then getting disappointed. It is not good for your mind, body and soul. Do not stress, relax and enjoy the journey. You will get pregnant when you least expect it.
3. Seek help
If you have been trying for more than a year with no luck. It is recommended to seek fertility help. Talk to your OBGYN for a checkup. She/she can help you the best way they can. There is nothing wrong for seeking help, it’s actually brave!
4. Polycystic ovary syndrome
Also known as PCOS is a hormone disorder which is a major cause of infertility in woman.
Get a pregnancy planner to start tracking down your milestones. It’s fun, easy to do and it also has checklists on postpartum and baby. It will guide you step by step through pregnancy and beyond.
If you are trying to have a baby and want to know about your ovulation, I hope this article has helped you with the information that you were looking for. Remember to track your ovulation by buying an ovulation kit/test.
Do not give up and know that you will eventually get pregnant. Knowing the days that you are the most fertile is going to help you tremendously in increasing your chances of getting pregnant. You are already one step closer to your goal because you know when your ovulation starts, how to take an ovulation test and you know your most fertile days.
Congratulations on this wonderful journey to conceiving. Good luck mama!
resources:
Mayo Clinic: Guide to a healthy pregnancy (book)
