Having a baby is so easy, "a caveman can do it!" Or so we thought. Occasionally a little help is needed.
That help can come in the form of fertility test strips, now available in most drug stores and pharmacy counters. Strips range from the simple, no-frills test stick to the more sophisticated strip-plus-monitor bundle. Regardless of which one you choose, the technology is largely the same.
Luteinizing Hormone - The Ovulation Signal
First let's review a little biology. Each month a woman's ovaries produce eggs that will be released into the fallopian tubes. From here the egg will travel into the uterus and, if fertilized, will implant into the uterine wall and will hopefully become a fetus. The trick is to know exactly when that egg will be released. Once an egg is released, there are only a few precious days before the egg becomes difficult to fertilize. Just like a chicken egg, a human egg has a short life span and must be fertilized or it will expire.
How do we know when it's time?
The human body is quite intelligent. Just prior to ovulation, a hormone called Luteinizing Hormone (LH) is released, telling the body to release an egg. This occurs about 12-24 hours later.
Test Strips or Monitor?
Which is better, a single strip or a monitor? The answer depends on whether you want to chart your own cycle or have a computer to do it for you. If you use a box of simple tests, you'll want to have a notebook handy to log the date of each test and the result. For example, if you start on January 1, you would indicate a "Positive" or "Negative" for each day in January. On the day that the test appears positive, plan on ovulation taking place within a day or two.
If you use a monitor, you'll begin by telling it when you are on day 1 of your cycle (usually indicated as the first day of your period). After your period has ended you'll use a test strip each morning and insert it into the monitor. The monitor takes over from there, watching for the positive result on the test strip. When the LH surge occurs the monitor will alert you on a LCD screen. The rest is up to you!
How Accurate are These Monitors?
Actually, they're extremely accurate! There's very little guesswork involved; you're either about to ovulate or you're not. A benefit of the use of monitors is that over time it will "learn" your cycle. As it learns your cycle it will ask you for fewer strips, saving you money.
Either way, a set of test strips or a monitor is a great way to get inside information about your fertility!
