Many women spend their first few fertile years avoiding pregnancy with utmost diligence by always taking a birth control pill at a designated time or keeping contraception and backup condoms available at all times. When the time comes that you are ready to become pregnant, you should take the same diligent approach to maximize your chances of conceiving.
Using a fertility monitor allows you to know when your body is at its optimum to conceive. Most fertility tests will tell you when your two peak days occur by monitoring a surge in Luteinizing Hormone or LH, the hormone that triggers ovulation. The benefit to using an ovulation test is that it tracks a second hormone associated with ovulation that will show you an extra 1-5 days of high fertility that can occur before the peak period. Since sperm can survive in your body for several days, having intercourse during these additional days will increase your chances of conception.
Most statistics show that couples have a 25% chance of conceiving by having intercourse each peak day during each cycle without monitoring fertility. By knowing when your peak days occur as well as your highly fertile days before the peak days, you can increase these odds.
How do Fertility Monitors Work?
Most fertility monitors consist of test sticks. The sticks are exposed to first morning urine and if the LH surge is detected, the test stick will display positive. More advanced systems, include an actual monitor and test strips. With the testing system, you test your first morning urine on the first day of your cycle (the first day you get your period). Once you have performed the test, you insert the test stick in the test stick window. The monitor then analyzes your fertility and displays a number of bars. One bar means low fertility, two means high fertility and three means peak fertility. The monitor also provides you with a recommended six-hour window for which you need to perform the test each day. The monitor will also tell you what day of your cycle you are on as well as when you can expect a period. If you are getting close to your next period or are past the day of your expected period, the monitor will advise you to take a pregnancy test.
While no product can guarantee pregnancy, an advanced fertility monitor can help you maximize your chances. Remember, conception is a complex process that can take a few cycles. If however you have not achieved pregnancy within one year and you are under the age of 35 or suffer medical conditions, consult with a health care provider.
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