Understanding ovulation & LH

Finding your two best days to conceive can seem daunting, but it all starts with understanding you and your body. Your menstrual cycle has three phases. In each of these phases, the body produces different hormones that have distinct functions. By understanding these functions, you can maximize your chances of getting pregnant sooner.

Phase 1: Follicular Phase

The first phase of your cycle is called the follicular phase. This begins on Day 1 of a woman’s cycle. This is the first day of menstrual bleeding or spotting, representing the start of a new cycle and another opportunity for conception to occur.

Hormones prepare your body for ovulation before the next phase in the cycle, the ovulation phase, can begin. One pivotal hormone is Luteinizing Hormone, or simply LH. In the beginning days of your cycle, the LH levels in your body are low. This is considering your personal baseline level of LH, and every woman’s baseline level is unique.

Phase 2: Ovulation Phase

You're in the ovulatory phase now. Increasing estrogen levels cause the lining of the uterus to re-nourish with nutrients and blood. The cervical mucus thins and takes on a slippery consistency, making it easier for sperm to make their way toward a waiting egg. In a 28-day cycle, all of this would take place between days 7 and 11.

As the cycle progresses, there is ultimately a rapid increase (surge) in LH that signals that the ovary is about to release an egg. This LH surge indicates that ovulation is about to occur, which begins your optimal 24-36-hour window to try to conceive.

Since the LH surge always precedes ovulation, detecting this hormone is critical in predicting your two peak fertility days. Every woman’s body and baseline hormone level is different, but you can maximize your opportunity to conceive by establishing your body’s unique baseline and pinpointing your LH surge. The FIRST RESPONSE™ Daily Digital Ovulation Test uses your unique baseline hormone level to determine your personal LH surge—detecting your two best days to try to conceive.

Get pregnant sooner with unmistakable “YES+ / NO-” results that tell you the two best days to conceive with over 99% accuracy. “YES+” means try to conceive in the next 24-36 hours, “NO-” means continue daily testing.

Phase 3: Luteal Phase

The third and final phase of your menstrual cycle is called the luteal phase and follows ovulation. If the egg is fertilized, hCG is produced by the body and pregnancy tests are designed to detect it. hCG keeps the follicle from shrinking completely so it can continue to produce progesterone and estrogen. The increased production of progesterone keeps the uterine lining intact so that the fertilized egg—the pregnancy—is maintained.

End of the Cycle

If the egg is not fertilized within 24 hours, the corpus luteum dies and progesterone production slows. When there is no longer enough progesterone to supply the uterine lining with blood, after around 11-14 days, the start of your period—and your menstrual cycle—begins again.

FIRST RESPONSE™ ovulation test kits detect your body's LH (luteinizing hormone) surge, giving you an easy and accurate way to determine the two days each month when you're most likely to ovulate. Your LH surge signals that ovulation will take place in 24-36 hours. If you have intercourse within this 24-36 hour window, you should maximize your chances of getting pregnant.

Try the FIRST RESPONSE™ Daily Digital Ovulation Test to help you get pregnant sooner. Visit www.1stresponse.ca for more information.