Leslie is looking for more ways to confirm her approaching ovulation. She has not gotten pregnant after several months of trying, and figures there must be more information that she needs to know to help get the timing right. Some of her friends are using an ovulation predictor kit, and she want to know more about this tool.
The most common type of Ovulation Predictor Kit (OPK) is the urine LH stick. You simply pee on the stick, and a positive test means that you will likely ovulate in the next 24-36 hours. It works by measuring the leutenizing hormone (LH) in your urine. Such kits are widely available in your local drug store.
The key to using this OPK effectively is to follow your other signs of fertility to know when to begin testing. The best signs to follow are your cervical mucus and saliva ferning.
Fertile mucus is the thick, stretchy mucus secreted from your vagina when you are fertile. It helps to keep the sperm alive until the egg is released at ovulation.
Saliva ferning is a pattern that you see with your dried saliva when you are fertile. It actually looks like fern fronds. This requires a simple and inexpensive microscope to be able to visualize it.
When both fertile mucus and a ferning pattern are present, this tells you it is time to start peeing on the sticks to be able to identify when your LH surge occurs.
Why Should I Use An Ovulation Predictor Kit?
You should use it to help get pregnant! And if it does not help you get pregnant, it may give you some valuable information about the status of your fertility.
Identifying a positive LH surge is another sign of ovulation, and should be present with each menstrual cycle. If all three of these signs of ovulation are present (fertile mucus, saliva ferning and LH surge), and if you have intercourse during this fertile time, you are likely to get pregnant.
What if your cycles are regular, you have clear signs of ovulation, and you are not pregnant within 6 months? Then it is time to be proactive. Make sure you are improving your diet and managing your stress levels. These two things are vitally important to improving your chances of getting pregnant.
If you do not have obvious signs of ovulation and/or if your cycles are irregular or unpredictable, this is indicating that you do not have healthy fertility. Get started making these lifestyle changes immediately. You will be surprised what a difference these seemingly simple and very powerful changes can make.
To Your Vibrant Health!
Veronica Tilden, DO
