Understanding Ovulation Test Kits
Question
Hi. My husband and I have been ttc for nearly a year now without success. I have always been fairly regular. After my last period I started using an ovulation kit and I had three days of “positive” results.
What is that about?
Also, how do I deal with the dread that I am not pregnant? I try to stay positive but each month is such a letdown that I feel like giving up. Last month we took a month off of work and traveled around the country. I thought it would help me relax and help us get pregnant but it didn’t work.
What should I do? How do I keep a positive outlook on this whole situation? I want to go and get things checked out but my husband is in a Master’s program right now and we don’t have health insurance so I don’t feel like I can go to an OB. *sigh*
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Jennifer
Answer
Last Updated: January 30, 2022
Ovulation prediction kits are widely available at most drug stores. They are easy to use, simply urinate on the test stick to activate a chemical that can detect your LH surge. Most contain between five and nine test sticks and you use them when you think you are nearing ovulation.
Ovulation prediction kits do not test for ovulation. Ovulation predictor kits measure the LH surge that precedes ovulation, but can’t confirm whether you have actually ovulated. Occasionally, an egg fails to emerge from its follicle after the LH surge has occurred, a condition known as LUFS (luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome).
Ovulation prediction kits don’t indicate whether cervical mucus is conducive to fertilization. The mucus produced by the cervix, which you experience as vaginal discharge, provides a fertile environment for sperm to get to the egg, and good quality mucus will be clear, stretchy, and lubricative (consistency of raw egg white) as you approach ovulation.
The three factors that are important for pregnancy are good sperm, good egg, and good cervical mucus. The cervical mucus is one that you can observe easily and by charting each cycle can give you much information regarding fertility. Learning to monitor cervical mucus and identify your peak of fertility is key in planning to achieve a pregnancy. Deficiencies in the cycles could point to the problem. It may be hormonal and require treatment or it can be any number of other things that the chart may show. If your cycles are normal the next step would be to have your husband tested.
For your peace of mind you can get in touch with a teacher (this site has a list) for instruction on how to observe and chart your cycles. You can find an answer for your subfertility!
Angie Frausto
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