Ovulation Test: How to Use It Correctly

With an ovulation test you can easily determine your fertile days and thus significantly increase your chances of having a baby. You can find out how it works here.

Within the female cycle there are only about five days during which you can get pregnant – just before and after ovulation. During this time, a mature egg cell migrates from the ovary to the uterus, where it can finally be fertilised by sperm. If you wish to have a baby, you can use this knowledge to help you find happiness by determining your fertile days with an ovulation test, also called LH test. But before you throw yourself into the adventure of family planning, you should know how to use such ovulation tests correctly.

How does an ovulation test work?

To determine the time of ovulation and thus the most fertile days within your cycle, there are various methods, such as daily measurement of the basal body temperature, observation of the cervical mucus or the cervix. However, the most accurate method is the ovulation test. But how does it actually work?

Commercially available ovulation tests measure the concentration of the “luteinising hormone”, or LH for short, in the urine. This hormone is produced in the pituitary gland and triggers ovulation. Since the LH is excreted in the urine, the ovulation test can detect the hormone there. A significant increase in LH shows: that ovulation is imminent. About 24 hours after the release of the LH has reached its maximum, ovulation occurs.

So if you are trying to get pregnant, you should sleep with your partner at this time. The chances of getting pregnant are highest on the day of the LH surge and the day after.

How to use an ovulation test correctly?

The application is very simple:

1. Hold the test stick directly into the urine stream or dip it into a cup of urine.
2. Wait 3-10 minutes depending on the test.
3. Read the result.
4. If the result is positive, you can be pretty sure that you are now fertile.

When do I start testing?

In order to determine your most fertile days and thus the best time for sexual intercourse with your partner, it is advantageous to know the length of your cycle and to know approximately when you ovulate. It is best to start testing about five days before. If you don’t know your cycle length, or if you have a very irregular cycle, that’s not a problem either: simply start testing from the second week of your cycle.

Tip: There are inexpensive test strips in packs of 50 for this purpose. So you can’t miss the rise in LH.

At what time should the test be performed?

Due to the high concentration of the pregnancy hormone, pregnancy tests are at best done in the morning urine. You should not use it for ovulation tests. The reason for this is that even outside the fertile days there is some LH in the urine. But it is particularly concentrated in the morning urine. This concentration can even be so high that it looks like it is going up. Therefore: In order to clearly identify your fertile days, it is better to test at a different time. 2:00 p.m. would be best. But the most important thing is that you always test at the same time – then it doesn’t matter whether it’s 12 or 20 o’clock.

Reading the result: What do the lines mean?

Ovulation tests have a control panel similar to pregnancy tests. This tells you whether you have performed the LH test correctly:

• If there are two lines on the test strip, where the bottom line is equally strong or stronger than the control line, then an LH maximum has been reached. Ovulation is imminent (24 to 36 hours).
• If there is a line on the Test Stick, but it is thin, it is not considered a positive result.

Want a child? That’s why you should have sex before you ovulate

It is hardly possible to determine the ovulation exactly – but that is not necessary at all. Around the time of ovulation, the vaginal environment is particularly favourable for sperm cells. Once the sperm cells have reached the fallopian tubes, they survive there for about 48 hours and can wait patiently for the fertile egg. So there are good chances of getting pregnant in this cycle.

Does a positive test always mean ovulation?

Unfortunately, a positive ovulation test is no guarantee that ovulation will actually occur. These tests only indicate that your body is preparing to ovulate. This is especially true for women who suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome, who have frequent menstrual irregularities (amenorrhoea) or who generally have a very irregular cycle. By the way: the female body can prepare itself several times for ovulation without it actually happening.

The test is never positive – why?

• It could be because you have a very short cycle.
• Your LH level only rises slightly, so you may miss the increase. Tip: Try taking measurements twice a day to find the right time.
• You have a very long cycle and may start testing too early.
• You have not ovulated.
• The test is faulty.

How reliable are ovulation tests?

When used correctly, ovulation tests have an accuracy of 98%. So if the test is positive, you can assume that you are currently fertile. However, errors in the application of the test can lead to inaccuracies. However, it is rather unlikely to catch a faulty test.

If you want to be on the safe side to determine your fertile days, you can combine the ovulation test with other methods from the NFP (measuring basal body temperature, observing cervical mucus, etc.), and with a little practice you can even do without an ovulation test altogether.

Detect pregnancy with ovulation test – Is that possible?

An ovulation test cannot detect pregnancy. Both tests measure different hormones. If you really want to be sure whether your wish for a child has come true, you should have a pregnancy test or have your pregnancy confirmed by your gynaecologist.

You should avoid these mistakes when testing

• You measure at different times: That falsifies the comparability of the values. Make sure that you always test at the same time, preferably in the afternoon.
• You do not read the instructions for use: the instructions for use state after how many minutes you should read the result. Since there are many different ovulation tests, it is important to read the instructions for use carefully before you start. A result that appears only hours later does not apply.
• You test in your morning urine: the high concentration of LH can falsify the result.
• You want to shorten your measuring period in order to use fewer test strips: Then you’re saving in the wrong place because it could lead to inaccurate readings.

Although ovulation tests are a very good tool for family planning to determine the most fertile days, sometimes it can still take several months or even years to get pregnant. Even if it is difficult: try not to put yourself under pressure by the desire to have children.