What are ovulation test strips?

Anyone who is trying to conceive is probably familiar with the ovulation basics. Every month, a mature egg leaves one of the ovaries ready for fertilisation. This 12 to 24-hour period is your most fertile window, making it the most suitable time to have sex if you are trying to get a baby. Ovulation usually occurs in the middle of the cycle, but the cycles vary from one woman to another. So, tracking your fertile days is essential if you wish to get pregnant fast. 

You can rely on our ovulation strip tests to know when you ovulate—the LH kits work by measuring the levels of luteinising hormone in your urine. If the LH levels spike, you will ovulate in the next 12-36 hours. This is the best time to plan your baby-making sex. If you had sex right before an LH surge is detected, your egg could still be fertilised since sperm live for several days in the female reproductive system. 

What are the most fertile days in your cycle?

The process of using ovulation strip tests to predict your fertile window it’s pretty easy. All you need to do is buy your ovulation strips from a reliable supplier like us and follow the ovulation test instructions provided.

When using an ovulation strip test, you need to collect a urine sample in a cup and dip the strip into the cup. Once the urine reaches the max line, remove the stick and place it on a flat surface for a few minutes as you wait for the indicator to appear.

How do I read my ovulation test results?

The ovulation strip tests will have a test line and a control line. If the test line appears darker than the control line, you are about to ovulate. Remember that your body always has low levels of luteinising hormone, so if the test line appears lighter than the control line, you are not ovulating.

Generally, ovulation occurs halfway through your menstrual cycle. For this reason, it’s advisable to use your ovulation strips before the midway point. For example, if your cycle takes 28 days, you should consider testing as early as the 10th or 11th day of the cycle. Those with irregular cycles should study their cycle length in the last six months. Experts recommend using the shortest cycle length as a guide and testing 3-4 days sooner than the midpoint of the short cycle.

Whether you have a regular or irregular cycle, you will need to test for several days to detect a luteinising hormone surge. Our kit comes with 20 ovulation tests, so you will have enough strips to use for a while.

Are ovulation test strips accurate?

If you are looking for an ideal way to identify the most fertile days of your cycle, then ovulation tests will not let you down. Studies show that Fertility2Family ovulation tests have a 99% accuracy, making them one of the most reliable brands in Australia. 

However, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. The strips will show that the hormones are at the ideal level for ovulation to occur. They will predict the most suitable time for TTC, but it’s not guaranteed that conception will occur. For this reason, it is important to understand some factors that could cause the test results to change.

For instance, women with health conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome typically experience multiple luteinising hormone surges every month. This does not mean that ovulation occurs every time they experience an LH surge, making it hard to tell when ovulation has occurred. 

In addition, women taking certain medications like birth control pills, fertility drugs, and antibiotics may get inaccurate results after testing. The contents of the medicines usually interfere with the hormones.

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to take an ovulation test?

There are a number of things you need to do if you want to get an accurate reading every time you take a test. First, you need to conduct the tests between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Many women usually have a luteinising hormone surge during the afternoon, so it’s best to test when the hormone levels are high. You can even opt to test twice a day.

Whether you choose to test twice or once a day, aim to do so at the same time every day. Your urine sample should be concentrated, so you must avoid taking fluids for about two hours before taking the test. Be sure not to take large quantities of water during this period. Finally, be sure to read the package instructions carefully and follow them.

Once you notice that your levels of LH are spiking, you should start having sex right away. Consider having sex for 2 or 3 days since ovulation will occur within 36 hours. Your chances of getting pregnant during this period will be higher than any other month.

Can I get pregnant if my ovulation test is negative?

The chances of conceiving when your ovulation test is negative are low. If you use the ovulation test correctly and have not got a positive ovulation test, there is a much smaller chance of getting pregnant. So it’s recommended that you wait until you get a positive test to start having sex.

What should I do if I consistently ovulate late?

Generally, one-off late ovulations are caused by psychological or physical stress and aren’t always a cause for alarm. However, if you notice that your ovulation is always late, the chances of conceiving will be low, and you may need further investigations. We recommend talking to your doctor if you regularly experience erratic cycles or late ovulation.

Can an ovulation test work if you are already pregnant?

It is common to get positive results after an ovulation test during pregnancy. This is because the luteinising hormone is still being released during the early days of pregnancy, and it’s very similar to HCG. 

What should you do if you’re a negative ovulation test?

First, you would need to confirm that the ovulation test strips you use are not expired and follow the outlined instructions. For instance, you should test at the right cycle time and ensure your urine sample is collected at the right time. Also, make sure the ovulation strip absorbs enough urine during the test.

If everything is done as instructed and you still get negative results for some months, you should consider talking to your doctor. The healthcare provider will check if you have an ovulatory disorder (meaning ovulation does not occur at all) or if it happens occasionally. Do not fret if you realise you have an ovulatory disorder because they are treatable. Some of the signs that you might have this disorder include erratic or irregular menstrual cycles.

Benefits of using urine collection cups

Using Fertility2Family urine collection cups, which are available with every pregnancy test strip and selected fertility test kits for free, using urine collection cups makes testing cleaner and easier. The cups are available in packs of 10,20 to 200 and can be bought without early-detection pregnancy kits or ovulation predictor kits (OPKS).

• You can purchase extra disposable urine collection cups in packs of 10 – 200
• Each urine collection cup has a handle which makes collecting a sample easier.
• Deep 40ml cups allow you to collect enough urine samples to enable multiple testing if needed.
• Compatible with all test strips, whether the Dip & read LH tests, hCG and even the Instream pregnancy test.
• Lowers the chances of false positives and false negatives with contamination