Are you planning to start a family or maybe just seeking to understand your menstrual cycle better? One of the most crucial aspects of achieving pregnancy or better understanding your overall health is tracking ovulation! Ovulation, the release of an egg from the ovaries, occurs once in every menstrual cycle.
With so many ovulation calculator methods to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know which one is the right one. That’s why we created this helpful guide for you to easily compare the strengths and limitations of each method – ovulation tests, basal body temperature charting, and progesterone (PdG) tests.
They can even be used to calculate ovulation for irregular periods.
Below are the strengths and limitations of each ovulation calculator. You can even use two or all of them together to get even more accurate results to empower you on your fertility journey.
Choosing the Right Ovulation Tests
A popular place to begin tracking fertility is by using ovulation tests.
There are four types of ovulation tests: ovulation strips, Premom quantitative test strips, digital ovulation tests, and midstream ovulation tests. Determining the best ovulation test method for you is important to your ovulation test experience.
How to choose an ovulation test brand depends on your goal and personal preference.
Ready for Success
Once you’ve chosen your methods for fertility tracking and decided on the best ovulation test for you, you’re setting yourself up for success, right?
Maybe not.
Many women who start ovulation testing to predict when they ovulate actually aren’t testing enough. They may not be finding their LH peak which is the key sign that ovulation is going to occur within 24 hours. If you haven’t found your peak yet it doesn’t mean you haven’t ovulated that cycle but rather you may just be missing it by not testing enough. By increasing the frequency of ovulation testing during your menstrual cycle you will increase the likelihood of finding your LH peak (and therefore ovulation day).
How Much Ovulation Testing is Enough Testing?
Testing for at least ⅓ of your cycle can give you a better chance of finding your LH peak. Use the chart below to find the suggested number of testing days according to your average cycle length.
Why Can Testing More Often Help You Better Find Your LH Peak?
- Your initial app prediction may not be accurate. Your initial ovulation prediction is just that — a prediction! It can take a little time for you and the app to learn your own personal fertility cycle pattern. Your first ovulation prediction in the app is based on statistical data, but over time Premom learns and adapts to your own unique pattern based on the results from your ovulation tests and other fertility patterns. We recommend testing all the way through your cycle at least once (generally after your period ends), particularly when you are new to testing or have just started testing again after important events like coming off of birth control and stopping breastfeeding.
- You may be testing too early or too late. Your ovulation day can change from cycle-to-cycle. It can fluctuate by a few days — or even more, particularly during periods of stress. Some women frequently have irregular cycles, but ovulation day can vary for anyone, even those with regular cycles. If you are having trouble finding your peak, extending your testing window (as well as considering increasing your testing to 2 or more times a day) can improve your chances of catching that surge before ovulation day.
- Your first peak may not be your true peak. In the published study “Relationships Between the Luteinizing Hormone Surge and Other Characteristics of the Menstrual Cycle in Normally Ovulating Women” it was found that only 48% of the cycles studied had a single peak. 11% had a plateau pattern, 33% cycles had 2 peaks, and 8% had more than 2 peaks! Particularly if you tend to have irregular and/or longer cycles, you may need to test longer to ensure you have found your true peak.
Give Yourself The Best Chance to Get Pregnant Fast
Make sure you have plenty of time to get comfortable with your ovulation tests and learn your cycle pattern, and also be prepared for the unexpected. It’s a good idea to confirm you ovulated with a BBT (basal body temperature) thermometer. Once the app has identified your spike and coverline from your BBT tracking, you can confidently stop ovulation testing for the cycle.
Let Premom guide you through best testing practices and be your accountability partner through the free 9-Cycle Money-Back Guarantee Program. You can monitor your progress in finding an LH peak and targeting intercourse from cycle to cycle. You can also check in with a Premom Provider for further assistance after 6 cycles of trying. Premom continually strives to provide the most up-to-date tools and information to support you on your journey to motherhood.
References
- Park SJ, Goldsmith LT, Skurnick J, Wojtczuk A, Weiss G. Characteristics of the urinary luteinizing hormone surge in young ovulatory women. Fertility and Sterility. 2007;88(3):684-690. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.01.045
- Direito A, Bailly S, Mariani A, Écochard R. Relationships between the luteinizing hormone surge and other characteristics of the menstrual cycle in normally ovulating women. Fertility and Sterility. 2013;99(1):279-285.e3. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2012.08.047
- Lee I, Prabhu S, Singhal M, Tor A, Cauwenberghs G. Luteinizing Hormone Dynamics in Menstruation. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2022;2022:2270-2273. doi:10.1109/EMBC48229.2022.9871940
