So you have been avoiding getting pregnant and then you decide to be a mother. Conceiving a child is not as easy as movies make it look like. For some its an easy breeze while some really struggle to get pregnant. Many couples struggle for years to get pregnant whereas most newlyweds are unsure about which is the most favorable time of the month to conceive. The answer is the Ovulation period. Most conceptions are the result of fertilization of the egg in the two days that lead to ovulation.
Understanding Ovulation
Ovulation is that time of the menstrual cycle when the ovaries release an egg. The egg then goes through the Fallopian tube. If the egg meets a sperm there, chances are that you could get pregnant. But a mature egg can survive only for 12-24 hours in your body without getting fertilized. Simply put ovulation period is the short window during which you can conceive. A sperm can, however, survive in your body for 3 to 7 days, but the healthiest and motile sperm will result from your partner’s ejaculation every 3 to 4 days. If you are actively trying for a baby, you will need to ensure that you have a sperm there to meet the egg and fertilize it.
Ovulation usually happens 12-15 days before your periods but a more accurate way to determine whether you are ovulating or not is to take an ovulation test. This is where an ovulation predictor kit comes in handy.
What are Ovulation Kits?
Ovulation predictor kits or OPKs basically help women determine their fertility window. Though nothing beats having regular sex to get pregnant, OPKs can help couples zero out on the fertility window when they are leading hectic lives or do not have sex regularly. In case a woman has irregular cycles, an OPK is her best bet to know when she is ovulating.
Apart from these, you can also chart your cycles, BBT, and cervical mucus to arrive on your fertility window. These methods can be slightly tricky, and to ease this, ovulation predictor kits are used to pinpoint when ovulation is going to happen quite accurately. OPKs can be bought from most chemists and pharmacists shops and are even available online.
How Do Ovulation Kits Work?
Just like pregnancy tests, OPKs also require you to collect your urine in a cup or pee on the stick directly. It will give you an indication of your most fertile days, when Luteinizing Hormone is present in the urine in greater quantities. Though some amount of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) is always present in your system but just before ovulation (one or two days prior) the LH in the system increases.
Ovulation kits detect the time when the LH is the system is accurate for you to conceive which is generally 12 – 36 hours prior to your ovulation period. Try to follow the instructions on the pack, and try to collect your wee at the same time everyday. First pee of the morning is not advisable, and neither is drinking too many liquids before the test. This is done to ensure that the pee is not too diluted to pinpoint the presence of LH. Whenever the kit reads out you are fertile, you should time sex accordingly. During this period as you are fertile, you could get pregnant easily.
When Should I Conduct The Ovulation Test?
First, to understand your cycle, start counting from the first day your menstrual period and stop the count on the first day of your next period. This duration is called your menstrual cycle and it can be anywhere between 28-45 days.
Usually the ovulation period is the length your cycle minus 17 days. This the time when you will most probably be ovulating and it is the appropriate time for you to conduct the ovulation test. So essentially, you can start taking the OPK at around 11th day and continue the next 6 days. You can also keep a track of your cervical mucus during this period.
How To Use Ovulation Predictor Kits?
Ovulation Predictor Kits are very similar to home pregnancy tests. They also come with easy to understand instructions. Some kits come with a tester and a pipette which is like a chemical dropper. You need to collect urine in a container and pick some with the help of the pipette and put it on the tester. The results will be displayed in a about 5 to 10 minutes.
Other Ovulation Predictor Kits come with a stick which are much more easy to use and hassle free. All you have to do is place the stick in your urine stream for few seconds and take it off.
Most tests results are displayed in 2-3 minutes. Positive results show that you are ovulating at that particular moment.
What Precautions Should I Take When Using Ovulation Predictor Kits?
Ovulation Predictor Kits are pretty basic to understand and you can barely go wrong with them.
There are just a few things that you should keep in mind like never use the same tester or strip twice because it can manipulate the result.
- You can conduct ovulation tests any time of the day but it is advisable to conduct ovulation test in the afternoon, since the LH surge shows up accurately during the afternoon. Skip the morning pee, though
- Always conduct the test with fresh urine, urine exposed to the sun for a long time will give you dicey results
- Make sure you use the ovulation kit before the expiry date and keep it away from direct sunlight
- Drugs containing human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) can affect the accuracy of OPKs
Which Best Ovulation Predictor Kits Are Available In India?
Off late the market is flooded with many options when it comes to Ovulation tests that can be conducted at the comfort and privacy of your home. Some of the trusted brands available in the market today are as follows:
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- I-Know Ovulation Kit: This kit is produced by the same reputable company that produces reliable products like I-Pill and I- Can Pregnancy Test Kit. This pack contains 5 one time useable strips which help your track your ovulation period. Priced at Rs 439 it’s a pretty good kit that gives 99.9% accurate results
- Pregaplan One Step Ovulation Step: This is a relatively affordable kit but effective nonetheless. It costs around Rs 299 and comes with 5 testing strips and even a pregnancy test
- Clearblue Easy Ovulation Test Kit: This is an international brand well known for its pregnancy and ovulation predictor kits. Since it is an international brand and is digital, it is slightly more expensive and isn’t easily available at your local chemist either but if you manage to get your hands on it be assured you will get 90% accurate results. It is priced at Rs. 2,979
- Homecheck Ovulation test: This kit is developed by an Indian company hence it is quite cheap compared to other kits available in the market. Homecheck has various kits ranging from ovulation strips to a pregnancy and ovulation predictor kit combo. Priced comfortably at Rs. 515
- Wondfo One Step Ovulation: This kit is difficult to get your hands on and is also very expensive but Wondfo has a reputed name when it comes to Ovulation Predictor Kits. This one also comes in a combo pack of ovulation and pregnancy testing strips
Please note that ovulation predictor kits measure the surge of LH in the body, but do not predict is an egg has been released. Also, never use OPKs as a method of avoiding pregnancy or contraceptive, since you can get pregnant for about 24 hours after you ovulate. All prices above are indicative and subject to change as per their respective manufacturers.
Fertility Monitors
An ovulation predictor kit can identify when a woman is expected to ovulate giving her a 24 hour window for possible conception. The fertility monitors go a step further to maximize the chances of conception by helping you identify upto 6 most fertile days in her monthly cycle by measuring luteinizing hormone and levels of estrogen in a woman’s body.
Fertility monitors are proven to increase the chances of conception by 89%, more than any other method.
Fertility Monitors in India
Inito Fertility Monitor
The Inito fertility monitor attaches to your smartphone and not only detects the surge in luteinizing hormone but also measures the level of estrogen which rises days before the LH surge in order to suggest upto 6 fertile days per cycle. The results such as low, high or peak fertility days displayed on the Inito app on your smartphone. This product has been clinically validated using multiple methods & awarded the CII Design Excellence Award 2016.
The Inito fertility monitor kit can be ordered online on its website www.inito.com or it is available at over 15 hospitals and pharmacies across Bangalore.
Source: https://www.beingtheparent.com/ovulation-predictor-kits/
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