The single most important aspect of falling pregnant is understanding your ovulation and how to track it successfully to your fertile window. There are several online ovulation calculators online available by a simple Google search, or various Apps as well. A popular App is Flo which is a free download via Google Play store HERE but it should be noted not to rely on Apps or online calculators alone to pin point your ovulation and fertile window.
Generally speaking The menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of a woman’s period, the day of your first bleed (day 1). Ovulation generally takes place 14 – 16 days after the very first day for most women as a rough guide. Once your period ends you can begin tracking the days until actual ovulation using Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPK) and taking your body temperature via a basal thermometer.
As you can see from the diagram above the actual fertile window (the days the chance of pregnancy is possible) open around day 12 with ovulation itself predicted for day 14 with the egg (ovum) then living a further 12 – 24 hours afterwards. It is advisable you start donations at the start of your fertile window as sperm can live inside a woman’s body from 5 – 7 days. If donations are timed in such a way to allow the donor to build up a reasonable sperm count between ejaculations then as a guide donations could for example take place on days 12, 14 and 15 (leaving 24 hours in between for days 14 and 15). This would cover the entire fertile window. If you wished to start donations on day 11 and space them out up until day 16 itself that is acceptable as well, as long as you leave enough time in between donations for the donor to replenish the sperm supplies.
A blood test from your GP can confirm 100% if ovulation has taken place you are in any doubt.
Remember the OPK test is a prediction of when ovulation will take place, not an exact indication. Once the OPK test is positive ovulation is generally within 12 – 24 hours after that.
How to use OPK tests
Urine-based OPK test your urine for an increase in luteinising hormone (LH). This happens one day to two days before ovulation. A small amount of LH is always present in urine, but in the one or two days before ovulation the amount of LH increases by about two times to five times, which triggers ovulation . The days leading up to and including ovulation (the fertile window) are the most fertile of your cycle. This is when you are most likely to conceive.
With urine-based OPK strips you’ll either collect your urine in a cup or hold a stick under you as you urinate. Coloured bands will appear on the test card or stick to indicate whether or not the LH surge is occurring. Digital OPKs use symbols, such as a smiley face, to tell you when you are on your most fertile days. Instructions may vary slightly depending on which kit you use, but in general you should try to collect your wee between 10am and 8pm. The optimum time is supposed to fall between 2pm and 2.30pm.
Try to collect your urine at about the same time every day, though this is not absolutely necessary. Don’t test your urine as soon as you wake up, because you may miss the first day of your LH surge. Try to reduce the amount of liquids you drink for about four hours before you do the test. Too much liquid will dilute your urine, which could make it more difficult to detect the surge.
Read the test results within 10 minutes. A positive result will not disappear, but some negative results may later display a faint second colour band. Once the test if completed you may wish to tape the test onto an A4 sheet of paper and include the time and date next to it. If you do this with subsequent tests you can more readily identify any changes which take place over time.
Clearblue is a popular brand of a digital ovulation kit. To use this OPK you either hold the absorbent tip of the test in your urine stream for 3 seconds, or if you prefer once you have gathered your urine in a cup you may then submerge the tip of the test in your urine for 15 seconds.
A ‘smiley face’ means you’ve detected your LH surge. Your 2 most fertile days are today and tomorrow so having sex in the next 48 hours will maximize your chances of getting pregnant. – Once you have read your final result eject the ovulation test stick and throw it away – you don’t need to collect these tests in the same way as you would although many use both types of sticks in conjunction with some kind of App to pinpoint the two most fertile days of their cycle.
In Addition to the OPK strips it’s also a good idea to keep track of what your cervical mucus (CM) is doing as well. As the vagina is generally quite acidic in nature the production of cervical mucus, especially that which resembles that of egg white (EWCM), is extremely beneficial in assisting the sperm survive that environment and help them swim towards your cervix. If you notice an egg white vaginal discharge, you are likely close to ovulation. Egg white cervical mucus is the most fertile kind of cervical mucus
