What Surges and Peaks on Ovulation Tests Mean For Getting Pregnant

An ovulation test and the ovulation test strip progression is a powerful tool for uncovering your menstrual cycle patterns and pinpointing your fertile window. Understanding events that occur during your cycle, how ovulation tests work, and how to interpret your results can boost your confidence on your journey to get pregnant!

Luteinizing Hormone and Ovulation Day

Ovulation is the main event during a menstrual cycle, when a mature egg is released from the ovary.  Luteinizing hormone (LH) is the hormone solely responsible for triggering ovulation to occur each cycle.  Once your body reaches a certain threshold of LH, also known as your LH peak, you can assume ovulation will occur in the next 24-36 hours.  Once the egg is released, it only lives for 24 hours, whereas sperm can live up to 5 days in the female body. 

The timing of ovulation varies from woman to woman.  Most women believe they ovulate on cycle day 14 or CD 14, but in fact, “In only about 30% of women is the fertile window entirely within the days of the menstrual cycle identified by clinical guidelines-that is, between days 10 and 17,” according to a study published in The BMJ.  This often leads to incorrectly timed intercourse while trying to get pregnant.  Using ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) can help you understand your unique hormone patterns in order to pinpoint ovulation to get pregnant faster.

Low, High, and LH Peaks: What Are They All About?

Low, high, and peak results in your LH levels are based on your urinary ovulation test results.

For most healthy women, LH gradually rises from a low level at the beginning of your cycle until it reaches its highest level (LH peak) right before ovulation.

At Premom, we have made everything automatic and straightforward! After taking an ovulation test, all you have to do is snap a picture of your ovulation test using the in-app camera. The app then automatically calculates your LH results. You can view your hormone progression using Premom’s ‘chart view’ to find your fertile window easily!

Can You Have More Than One Positive Ovulation Test Each Cycle?

It’s possible to experience multiple days of high LH levels, but it’s the last highest LH level that will successfully trigger ovulation.

Women who have multiple positive results have a gradual onset LH surge. With this type of surge, you may see multiple positive ovulation test results for more than one day before reaching your ultimate LH peak day, your last, highest level of LH.

Other women have what is called a rapid onset LH surge that peaks quickly within as little as a few hours.  This means you may only see one positive ovulation test despite multiple days of testing. If you are new to testing or have been testing and have been unable to find your LH peak, you may benefit from testing twice daily as you could have a rapid onset surge and be missing your peak!

3 Common Types of Hormone Surge Patterns

TYPE 1: Single Peak

Some women have a steady rise and peak. In terms of ovulation tests, you will see the test line gradually getting darker, rising to your peak, and then getting lighter, descending back to baseline.  

TYPE 2: Plateau

There is a second type of gradual onset, which is more of a “plateau.”  In this case, you see consistently positive results with similar darkness before ovulation. Not one line seems to stand out more than other lines. In this case, we recommend you keep tracking until you see the test line begin to lighten again. That day is your most fertile day, and the last positive of that cycle is your peak day.  

TYPE 3: Multiple Peaks

Still, other women experience some dips during their gradual rise — multiple peaks.  In this case, they may see several ups and downs in the test line darkness over a period of a few days.  This can be confusing!

Which one is the peak?

The last highest LH level is the true peak day that signals ovulation is about to occur. Multiple peaks happen in times of stress, illness, or hormonal change, but these are not necessarily the only times. When you think you have identified your LH peak, keep testing daily to ensure your levels return to baseline.

If you have ever received two peak readings or a second LH surge in one cycle just a couple of days apart,  you may have experienced multiple follicular stimulation.  What does that mean?

To achieve pregnancy, a follicle (casing and egg) is released from your ovary.  The follicle must rupture to release the egg.  In cases of multiple follicular stimulation, your body releases the follicle, but it doesn’t rupture. So, the egg is not released and you cannot get pregnant. Your body realizes this and releases a second follicle a few days later.

No matter what pattern you might have, remember that every woman is different. Even cycles can be different! The best way to get pregnant fast is to learn your patterns through education and smart tracking.

Premom’s automatic ovulation test reader makes reading your ovulation tests and identifying your unique patterns easy.  Keep in mind that it can take a couple of cycles to get the hang of ovulation testing and identifying your peak – so don’t feel discouraged if you’re not able to find it the first cycle! If you have been tracking for a few cycles and are still having difficulty understanding your LH patterns or identifying your LH peak, schedule a virtual consultation with any of our fertility experts through your Premom app.