How to detect ovulation with Canadian ovulation tests: real example
How to tell from ovulation tests that I’m about to ovulate? We report here an example that can clarify the trend.
How to use Canadian Ovulation Tests to tell when ovulation is about to occur ?
We report here a detailed explanation and photographic images of tests actually performed to clarify the trend in the different days of the cycle.
The theory tells us that 10-12 hours before ovulation there is a peak of the LH hormone : the release of this hormone is stimulated by the previous increase in estrogen, which in turn also determines the production of fertile cervical mucus , more signal that tells us that we are about to ovulate.
The LH hormone is read from ovulation tests that are performed on urine . There are many tests on the market, the cheapest are the Canadian tests , which are also simple to interpret with a little experience.
How are Canadian ovulation tests done?
Canadian ovulation sticks are strips with a colored end (which corresponds to the handle) and an absorbent end , which must be placed under the stream of urine (or immersed in a container filled with urine), for the time indicated on the package .
How do they work?
The sticks detect the amount of LH hormone in the urine.
After performing the test, a colored band will appear on the strip near the handle, which corresponds to the control line . Its presence indicates that the test was successful, while its absence indicates that the test is invalid.
When the production of LH begins to increase, a second line will appear on the test, that of detection of the hormone (result or match line).
The Canadian Ovulation Test is positive when the result line is equal to or greater in intensity than the control line.
Conversely, it is negative when you have only the control line or if the LH line appears but is less strong than the control .
When is the best time to take the test?
The best time to take the Canadian tests is around lunchtime or in any case with the second wee of the day . Since they are inexpensive, many readers repeat them twice a day in order to identify the peak well: at lunch and dinner.
This way the peak does not escape!
When do you ovulate according to the test result?
Again from theory, we know that the trend of the LH hormone undergoes a peak near ovulation; that is, its concentration increases rapidly and then decreases, all in a short time, or rather a handful of hours.
The LH hormone begins to increase approximately 35-44 hours before ovulation , reaches its maximum concentration (the so-called peak) approximately 10-12 hours before ovulation and then declines.
This trend can be seen from the reference line, which from almost invisible becomes gradually more marked and then disappears again.
Real example of a series of tests
Here is a clear example of a real situation, where a series of Canadian sticks has been put in sequence, just to show how the feedback line first appears as a light line and gradually becomes more intense and then disappears again.
When the check line appears equal to (or stronger) than the control line, it means that the LH peak has been reached ( positive ovulation test ).
As seen in the picture, LH begins to increase on March 29 (the second line begins to intensify) and reaches its peak on the 30th (the control and hormone lines are the same).
The control line is the one on the colored side of the handle (pink blue or green, depending on the brand of tests).
Since what we read in the tests is the result of what happened a few hours earlier in our body and which needs time to then be detectable in the urine, it is probable that the peak was reached early in the morning of the 30th and therefore ovulation occurred between day 30 and day 31.
On day 31, the LH concentration drops sharply, as seen in tests.
Test and trend of LH and basal temperature
The LH peak trend is also visible in this diagram, where the hormone is marked in yellow.
After the LH surge and subsequent ovulation, the basal temperature undergoes a noticeable increase (whereas it is difficult to see the decrease before ovulation).
Attention!
- For those suffering from polycystic ovaries or hormonal imbalances: a positive ovulation test is not necessarily followed by ovulation . To find out, it is necessary to confirm that ovulation has taken place by measuring the basal temperature.
- Not all women ovulate exactly 17 hours after the peak : there are situations in which ovulation occurs within the first two days following the last positive test. This can be detected by monitoring the basal body temperature and doing ovulation tests in parallel .
Positive ovulation test: when to have intercourse?
1. If in addition to using the Canadian tests you are also monitoring cervical mucus and basal temperature, the advice is to have intercourse every other day starting from the appearance of the mucus until confirmation of ovulation , which occurs from the rise from basal temperature following the positive ovulation test.
2. If you only use ovulation tests: focus your reports from when the tests start to turn positive until the two days following the last positive test (preferably every other day).
In the days preceding the positive tests, do not allow more than 5 days of abstinence from intercourse to pass . In any case, it would be preferable to keep the cervical mucus under control, so as not to start too late with intercourse every other day.
The price of Canadian tests
The Canadian tests are certainly the cheapest on the market and can be found in many online shops starting from around 7 euros per pack for around 20 sticks .
Typically, a package contains from 20 to 100 sticks , which therefore allow tests to be carried out on several cycles and to make a series of them after a few hours to better read the peak, at very low costs.
Some manufacturers also combine ovulation tests and Canadian pregnancy tests in a single package (in quantities that vary according to the manufacturer).
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.