Ovulation test info | FairyOfPregnancy.com
SOME PRACTICAL INFORMATION IF YOU ARE TRYING TO GET PREGNANT
OVULATION
When you ovulate (i.e., release an egg from your ovary), that egg has a chance of being fertilized. When that happens, you're pregnant!
Since you ovulate once each menstrual cycle, there are only a few days in each cycle when sex can actually lead to pregnancy. Knowing when you ovulate means that you and your partner know exactly when your egg will be released from your ovary and you can plan to have sex during your most fertile days: from three days before ovulation through to the day of ovulation.
Ovulation usually occurs 14 days before your period starts. This is an average, so it can happen a few days earlier or later. Some women may be aware of physical symptoms around the time of their ovulation. This can range from mild achiness to twinges of pain.
It can, however, be hard to tell the exact moment of ovulation, especially if you have an irregular cycle. An ovulation prediction test can tell you when you're about to ovulate by measuring the level of luteinizing hormone (LH) in your body, which rises right before ovulation occurs. The days after the LH surge are the most important when trying to get pregnant.
Ovulation will occur within 24-48 hours after a positive test result. If you have a regular cycle, you can also predict the time of your ovulation using an ovulation calculator. An egg only lives for 12-24 hours after leaving the ovary. Sperm can live inside a woman's cervix or upper genital tract for up to 72 hours (3 days). This means that your chances of conception are highest if you have sex between 72 hours before you ovulate and 24 hours after.
Ovulation problems are among the leading reasons for women seeking help at fertility clinics due to an ovulatory infertility. In this case, synthetic FSH by injection or a Clomid (Clomiphene citrate) pill can be given to stimulate follicles to mature in the ovaries.
Choose the most convenient way for you to estimate when you'll ovulate
- Ovulation tests
- Ovulation calculator
FERTILITY AND FERTILITY PROBLEMS
Successful conception may sometimes take time, and the chances of success for an average healthy couple are no higher than 25% per month. According to statistics, 10% of couples do not succeed in conceiving despite leading a regular sex life (with no birth control or prevention measures) for at least a year, and 5% of couples do not get pregnant even after two years of trying.
Pregnancy is the result of a process that has many steps:
• A woman's body must release an egg from one of her ovaries (ovulation).
• The egg must go through a fallopian tube towards the uterus (womb).
• A man's sperm must join (fertilize) the egg along the way.
• The fertilized egg must attach itself to the inside of the uterus (implantation).
Infertility can be connected with problems during any of these steps.
Factors that affect fertility
- Age-related factors
- Ovulation problems
- Previous pelvic inflammatory diseases and abortions
- Chromosomal disorders
- Uterine problems
- Lifestyle-induced health problems such as poor diet, stress, excessive alcohol consumption, athletic training or use of some prescription medication
INFERTILITY
Infertility is an emotional and a very private problem that affects thousands of couples in our country. A diagnosis of infertility is given to couples who have been trying to conceive for 12 months or more without success.
It is important that both partners are examined because fertility issues could be attributed to either one of you – or both. In fact, about one third of all infertility can be attributed to the woman’s reproductive health, one third to the man’s reproductive health, and one third collectively as a couple. The most common causes of infertility are ovulation disorders, lower semen quality, fallopian tube damage and endometriosis. Sometimes the cause of infertility is not revealed (unexplained infertility). As specific causes of infertility are identified, most couples can be helped by modern fertility treatments.