Okay, so we're trying to conceive and we're doing our homework about how we can up our chances of getting pregnant. We've starting to learn that my specific date of ovulation has a direct impact of whether intimacy will result in pregnancy. We've read that ovulation test can help us, but what exactly do they do? How do they work? Are they really accurate? And if I do start to use one, do we need to be intimate on one specific day or is there a bit more leeway?
The good news is this: knowing your exact ovulation date can greatly increase your chance at conception. You might get lucky and happen to be intimate during your highly fertile time is but chances your timing will be off.
Knowing your ovulation date is like turning on the lights and finally really understanding your body - no more fishing around in the dark, wondering if you are being intimate during your fertile times. With a bit of information, you can greatly increase your chances of becoming pregnant.
Understanding Ovulation - What Do Hormones Have To Do With It?
During ovulation, a number of different hormonal changes take place. Early in the menstrual cycle, a hormone called Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) enables your ovaries to nurture eggs.
Within the ovaries, follicles house each individual developing egg. The follicles that hold the eggs will secrete estrogen. As the menstrual cycle progresses, the follicle containing the developing egg moves toward the surface of the ovary.
Immediately before ovulation, the follicle begins secreting estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen helps the uterine lining thicken, expand and increases blood flow, readying the uterus to be a home to your newly developing baby.
Directly prior to ovulation, another hormonal change, known as the LH Surge, takes place. LH (or Luteinizing Hormone) is the hormone that actually facilitates ovulation: it causes the egg to separate from the ovary and enter the fallopian tubes. There it is ready and waiting to be fertilized.
Ovulation Predictor Kits
Ovulation predictor tests detect this LH Surge, and are therefore able to notify the user as to when ovulation is about to take place. Typically a positive result for this jump in LH levels happens about 48 hours prior to ovulation. For this reason the tests are known as 'ovulation predictor kits' (OPK's) and not (as is often but incorrectly used) 'ovulation tests'.
This prediction of ovulation confirms the most fertile moments of a your cycle, it turns on the lights, and empowers you with the knowledge of exactly when intimacy will have the highest chance of resulting in conception.
The flip side of this awareness is that if contraception is your goal, knowing when your most fertile days are allows you to abstain during those times. Fertility Awareness is becoming a more common practice amongst women who realize that there are alternative methods of birth control other then the typical synthetic hormones.
When To Be Intimate
So you've been tracking your fertility, and you now know when you ovulate. Having all this information is great, but how do you know exactly when to be intimate. How long before or after you ovulate is the optimal timing for sex?
It is suggested that you have sex before the egg actually leaves the fallopian tubes, so that the sperm will be ready and waiting to greet the fertile egg. If you are using an ovulation predictor kits , it will go positive 24-48 hours before ovulation, signaling the optimal time for sex. Sperm can live for about five days inside a women's body, and the egg will be viable for about 18 hours after ovulation occurs.
Don't forget that ovulation does not only occur when its dark out! Allow yourself some spontaneity and flexibility as you are plan the optimal timing for conception.
Other Options For Tracking Your Fertility
Even though ovulation predictor kits are a great way to track ovulation, they are not your only option.
If you are using a cyclotest® fertility monitor for conception or contraception, the date of the first positive LH test (suggesting that on prior days the tests were negative) can be entered into your cyclotest. This will increase your Cyclotest's accuracy, and help you learn more about you cycle.
Ovulation predictor kits can be costly, and they are disposable which means they are going to end up in landfills. So what are you, as an environmentally aware person to do? Make sure you check out our other pages on the symptothermal method of natural family planning to get the low down on a free, easy, and environmentally friendly way of identifying ovulation.
Take a look at the original article here: http://ethicalfamilyplanning.com/how-ovulation-tests-help
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