Conception of a child is possible only during the period when the egg is ready for fertilization and has left the ovary. This time of the menstrual cycle is called ovulation. To find out when it happened, you can use several methods. One of the most popular are special ovulation tests. Thanks to the appearance of two stripes on them, a woman can find out at what time of the cycle the baby will be most likely to conceive.
Features of tests
Ovulation-determining tests are of several types, differing in both ease of use and price. Most of them are similar in appearance and function to pregnancy tests. Usually these are long, thin paper strips coated with a special reagent that detects a certain concentration of LH (luteinizing hormone).
It is this hormonal substance that is important to identify in a woman's urine in order to find out about the approach of ovulation. It is always present in some amount in the body, but the level of LH increases significantly by the time the follicle ripens. 1-2 days before the rupture of the follicle and the start of the movement of the egg to the fallopian tube, such a hormone is released in a peak dose, which is determined by tests.
Test strips are usually sold in boxes of 5-7, individually wrapped. Often, one pack is enough for one menstrual cycle. To find out from what day a particular woman should be tested, you should determine the duration of your own cycle.
In the instructions for the tests, you can see a plate in which, opposite the number of days of the cycle, the ordinal number of the day of the start of testing is indicated.
Assessment of results
- After contact with urine, one or two stripes appear on the test.
- If the line remains alone, the result is negative, that is, there is no ovulation at the moment and there will be no ovulation in the next few days.
- If no lines appear, the test is considered defective, because the control strip must be present. In this case, you need to conduct research with a new test.
- If there are two strips, then they must be compared with each other. In a situation where the second band is paler than the control, the test is also considered negative. This result indicates that ovulation is not yet approaching and LH levels are low. With it, it is recommended to continue daily testing until the intensity of the color of the second strip increases.
If the test strip is exactly the same as the control strip, or even darker, the result is positive. It indicates the release of luteinizing hormone and the approach of ovulation. After that, testing can be stopped.
Why is there a negative result?
The appearance of a weak and pale second line can be caused by several reasons:
- The test was performed too early, or the time of ovulation in this cycle has shifted to a later date. This happens in women with irregular cycles.
- The cycle was anovulatory, that is, the egg did not mature and ovulation did not occur at all. Normally, this situation is possible 1-2 times (not in a row) per year in any healthy woman. If the tests did not reveal ovulation for 2-3 months in a row, a doctor's consultation is needed.
- The woman used morning urine. Unlike pregnancy tests, first urine is not helpful. LH is released from 10 am, so before this time the test may not show the level of this hormone correctly. Some doctors also advise doing tests twice a day to be sure to "catch" a favorable moment.
False positive result
However, the appearance of a bright second strip does not always indicate ovulation. Sometimes this result is facilitated by certain diseases that disrupt the ratio of hormones in a woman's body. In addition, when stimulating the follicles, the test will also be false, since hCG has some similarities with LH.
For the same reason, two bright stripes during an ovulation test occur in pregnant women at an early stage - before the expected period and when menstruation is delayed.
In addition, nutrition can also affect the hormonal background, because there are products with hormone-like compounds (phytoestrogens). For example, vegetarian women and those who have switched to raw food are more likely to see a false positive result.
When will ovulation occur with two strips?
Provided that the second line is as clear as the first or even more intense, ovulation should be expected within 24-48 hours after the test. Such a picture shows a surge in luteinizing hormone, so you can start trying to conceive a child immediately after a positive test.
At the same time, many experts recommend postponing activity for 12-24 hours, in order to surely wait for the release of the egg ready for fertilization. However, it is not worth delaying the time too long, because such a cell lives only a day, so it is advisable to actively engage in the process of conception within 6-12 hours after two bright stripes. It is during this period that the probability of getting pregnant increases many times over.
How many days does 2 stripes show?
As already noted, the maximum concentration of luteinizing hormone is detected immediately before the rupture of the follicle. The release of this substance occurs 1-2 days before ovulation, therefore a positive test is observed on these two days, and after that, normally, the second line turns pale and disappears.
However, in some cases, a woman reveals two stripes and more. This happens with hormonal dysfunction, pituitary tumors, ovarian diseases and some other pathologies.
Therefore, if the test is positive at any time of the menstrual cycle, you need to see a specialist.
Difference between strips of different tests
Some women, wanting to more accurately identify the day of ovulation, do several tests at once. Comparing them does not provide any valuable information. It is only necessary to compare two strips of one test - control and test. And only if the second is darker or of the same color as the first, the result can be called positive. The comparison is usually carried out after 3-10 minutes (the exact time is indicated on the package), but no later than 30 minutes.
It is not necessary to compare the color of the lines on different tests. If their colors are different, this is normal for different batches, even of the same manufacturer.
How else can ovulation be detected?
Among the many positive reviews about ovulation tests, you can also find negative ones, in which they complain about incorrect results. Women who leave them are confident that it is better to determine the readiness of the egg for conception with more accurate methods. These include, first of all, ultrasound examination. During it, the doctor can see the follicle on the screen, measure it and determine when it is most likely to conceive a baby. Other methods of fertility monitoring also include blood tests and basal temperature measurements.
