Sign of Ovulation #6 – Positive Result on an Ovulation Predictor Test
Another common way of detecting ovulation is with an ovulation predictor test kit. Ovulation predictor kits, sometimes referred to as OPK tests, require you to either pee on a test stick, or dip a special paper into a cup of collected urine, once a day for a week before you expect to ovulate. There are two lines on the test strip. Whenever the test line is darker than the control line, the test has detected an LH surge. (This is the exact same hormone that causes fertile cervical mucus.)
Pros:- If body basal temperature (BBT) charting is not an option, an ovulation predictor kit can be used. Also, if cervical mucus is dried up from medications, OPK tests can help.
- As opposed to BBT charting, you ideally only need to bother with the tests for a week before you expect to ovulate.
- When BBT charting gives unusual or confusing results, some women use ovulation predictor kits as an additional confirmation of ovulation.
Cons:
- Expensive compared to other methods of ovulation detection. An ovulation predictor test kit for one cycle costs anywhere from $10 – 20 dollars. Over a year, that can add up.
- Determining when the test line is darker than the control line isn’t always easy.
- You can miss the LH surge and never see a darker line. For example, if you test Monday morning, and your LH surged Monday afternoon, by Tuesday morning, when you test again, it may be over already. (Some women test more than once a day for this reason – raising the cost.)
- If you ovulate irregularly, you may need more than one kit per cycle.
- Not a definite sign. You can have positive OPK results, and not ovulate. You can also have more than one LH surge detected per cycle, but only the last of those surges correlates to possible ovulation. (Common in women with PCOS.)
More on ovulation predictor kits:
- What Are Ovulation Predictor Kits?
- Ovulation Predictor Kit Basics
- Compare Prices for ANSWER Daily Ovulation Tracker*
Sign of Ovulation # 7 -- Saliva Ferning
A unique and uncommon way to detect ovulation, a ferning pattern of your saliva is another possible sign of ovulation. There are special microscopes sold for this purpose, but you could technically use any toy store microscope. A ferning pattern is a pattern that looks like frost on a window pane. The ferning pattern appears during the body’s LH surge, which occurs 24-48 hours before ovulation.
Pros:
- Cheaper than ovulation predictor kits.
- Unique! (Impress people at parties. “I was checking my saliva’s ferning pattern this morning, and…”)
Cons:
- Uncommon. Won’t be easy to find people to ask advice from.
- Many women find it difficult to detect the ferning pattern. (I've never tried it, but everyone I talked to that did couldn't figure it out.)
- Just as with tracking cervical mucus and using OPK tests, noticing a ferning pattern does not guarantee that ovulation will occur.
More on saliva ferning and ovulation:
- What Are Saliva Ferning Kits?
- Compare Prices on Qtest Ovulation Predictor Mini Microscope For Ovulation Detection
* Mention of particular brands of ovulation predictor kit and saliva microscope kit should not be taken as an endorsement or recommendation of the products, but are provided for informational purposes only.
