Not Getting Smiley Face With Clear Blue Test

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Verywell / Sabrina Jiang

If you're trying to conceive or just want to get a better understanding of your cycle, ovulation strips are an easy and affordable way to do so in the comfort of your own home. Depending on where you are in your trying to conceive journey, you may also want to check in with your doctor to help advise you on your overall health.

Felice Gersh, MD, an OB-GYN and founder and director of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine, in Irvine, CA and the author of PCOS SOS Fertility Fast Track explains that generally, "ovulation normally occurs in reproductive-aged women, not taking hormonal contraception, on a monthly basis." Dr. Gersh continues, "Ovulation is essential for successful procreation and is the release of the oocyte (the egg) from the ovary designated to release the egg that month." We carefully looked at readability options, value, ease of use, and sensitivity when reviewing products.

Here are the best ovulation tests to kick start your trying to conceive journey.

 Courtesy of Amazon

Pros

• Smiley face is fun + simple to read

• Convenient

• OB-GYN recommended

Cons

• Expensive

• Lots of plastic waste

These tests from Clearblue top our list for their accuracy, ease-of-use, and value for the cost. They promise 99 percent accuracy, and it takes just three minutes for results to appear.

Reading an ovulation test has never been easier thanks to the product's simple and easy-to-read results. There are no lines to interpret: a smiley face appears when you're at your most fertile window (when your Luteinizing Hormone or LH surges).

There are 20 tests included in the kit. To use, urinate on one of them then insert it into the reusable monitor for your results. If you struggle with urinating on the stick, you can opt to urinate in a cup and then insert the tip into the container.

Quantity of tests: 20 ovulation tests | Time: 3-5 minutes | Format: Strip | App: No

Courtesy of Walmart

Pros

• Affordable

• Includes pregnancy tests

Cons

• Hard to take photos for scanning

• Time-consuming

Trying to get pregnant? Of course, there's an app for that. This kit from Easy@Home works much like other ovulation predictor kits in that you dip the test strips in urine and wait to see if your LH level is surging, meaning your chances of getting pregnant soon are at their peak. It comes with 50 ovulation tests and 20 pregnancy tests as well.

What sets this kit apart is that you can also download the company's app and get digital test results right on your phone. It also allows you to track your menstrual cycle and symptoms, so you have the best picture possible of your fertility.

Quantity of tests: 50 ovulation | Time: 3-5 minutes | Format: Strip | App: Yes

What Our Experts Say

"Urine tests to measure hormones over an entire cycle can help women to understand their own bodies and personal rhythms." - Felice Gersh, MD, OB/GYN and founder/director of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine.

Courtesy of Walmart

Pros

• Kits come in different quantities

• Budget-friendly

Cons

• Lines are hard to read

If you don't want to mess with a monitor, these ovulation strips from Pregmate provide a straightforward way to determine when you're at your most fertile. They measure your LH and let you know when you'll be having a surge. The number of tests you'll need each month will depend on the length of your cycle, but this kit contains 50 tests, so you'll be set for a while. It also includes 20 strips to test for pregnancy, which is a nice bonus.

Quantity of tests: 20 ovulation tests | Time: 5 minutes | Format: Strip | App: No

Courtesy of Modern Fertility

Pros

• Subscription available

• App + strips are well designed

• Includes access to fertility experts

Cons

• Can be hard to scan strips

If you want to go one step beyond generic test strips, Modern Fertility has you covered. This test goes a step further and helps you predict which two days in the month you will be the most fertile in combination with their app.

To use, you'll pee in a cup first thing in the morning like most tests, but instead of getting a positive (you are fertile now!) vs negative (you are not fertile now), you will take a picture within their app which help predict your cycle, thus helping you keep track of your cycle.

If you want to go one step further in getting a read on your cycle the Modern Fertility Hormone Test (view at Modern Fertility) is a comprehensive at-home test that will get a read on your hormones.

Quantity of tests: 20 ovulation tests | Time: 5 minutes | Format: Strip | App: Yes

Courtesy of Amazon

Pros

• Sealed individually

• Includes pregnancy tests

These ovulation tests from Wondfo have neither bells nor whistles, but they will help you determine when you're most fertile. There are 50 strips included, so they'll last you quite a while.

To use, you collect some urine and dip in one of the strips and in three to five minutes. It will let you know if your LH is surging, meaning your chances of conception are at their highest.

When it comes to cost, this product gives you the most bang for your buck. With 50 strips and a bonus of 20 pregnancy test strips, you'll only be spending about 15 dollars or less.

Quantity of tests: 50 ovulation tests | Time: 3-5 minutes | Format: Strip | App: No

What Our Experts Say

"If you are having trouble using the strip papers I would recommend investing in a digital form for ease of use." - Kimberley Thornton, MD, FACOG, Assistant Professor of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Reproductive Medicine Associates of NY

Courtesy of Amazon

Pros

• Stores 6 cycles of data

• Touch screen monitor

Cons

• Test strips sold separately

• Expensive

If you like the latest and greatest technology for every aspect of your life, then this monitor from Clearblue may be the right choice for you. It helps you detect not only your LH levels, like most ovulation tests, but your estrogen as well and gives you a rating each day that evaluates your fertility—low, high, or peak.

It promises to identify three times more fertile days per month for users so that the odds of conceiving a baby are increased. It also stores your cycle information for up to six cycles, so you can compare and look for any patterns or differences.

To use, you push a button each month when your period begins, then each day thereafter the monitor will tell you what to do like use a test stick (sold separately). After five minutes, you'll get a reading letting you know how fertile you are.

Quantity of tests: Sold separately | Time: Depends on test stick| Format: Test strips sold separately | App: No, monitor stores information

 Courtesy of iProven

Pros

• Affordable

• Large quantity

• Includes pregnancy test kits

While tracking your ovulation cycle, you'll also want to track whether or not you're pregnant if you're trying to conceive. This kit from iProven contains tests for both. In all, there are 50 ovulation test strips and 20 pregnancy test strips, so this set will go the distance.

When it comes to sensitivity, these ovulation and pregnancy test strips fit the bill. For the tests, they measure at a 25 mIU/ml, which is in the perfect range for detecting the hormone that tells you when you're at your peak of being most fertile.

The kit also promises a 99 percent accuracy rate so you won't have to second guess the results. The easy-to-use test features a line result, with a single line representing a negative result and a double line representing a positive result.

Quantity of tests: 50 | Time: 3-5 minutes | Format: Strips | App: No

 Courtesy of Ava

Pros

• Convenient

• No peeing on strips

• Recognizes 5 possible conception days

Cons

• Expensive

• Not for women with irregular cycles

The Ava Fertility Tracker takes trying to conceive to another more efficient level. The built-in technology allows you to identify your most fertile five-day window as well as your peak days right before ovulation. With a greater precision in predicting your most fertile time, Ava is clinically proven to help you conceive.

This wearable device works by collecting your important data and vitals while you sleep and when synced with the app, it is able to deliver an accurate fertility window.

Quantity of tests: Unlimited | Time: Real-time (wear watch at night) | Format: Digital Watch | App: Yes

Final Verdict

The best ovulation tests make it simple and affordable for you to detect hormone surges so you know when you're ready to ovulate. Any of these tests will help you get there, but we love The Clearblue Digital Ovulation Predictor Kit (view on Amazon) because it's simple, ob-gyn recommended, and over 99 percent accurate.

If you want a more detailed picture of your fertility and ovulation cycle, the Modern Fertility Ovulation Test (view on Modern Fertility) is the most comprehensive and has a well-designed app and robust community that includes fertility experts.

What To Look for in an Ovulation Test

Sensitivity

Ovulation tests measure LH, or luteinizing hormone, to determine when you're most fertile. Tests will detect when that hormone is at its peak, predicting when you're most likely ovulating. As for sensitivity levels, a test with a 20-50 IU/L(international units per liter) will typically capture the surge of LH.

The usual range for LH levels is 1.9-13.6 IU/L, but when a woman is fertile, that number can reach as high as 118 IU/L. The sensitivity level should be written on the test or in the description of the product online.

While many women want to drink a lot of water before testing, this is actually a big no-no. "Drinking lots of water prior to testing can also dilute LH in the urine and make it harder to pick up a positive surge," Dr. Thornton explains. "It is best to avoid large water intake prior to testing to avoid false-negative results."

Cost

When shopping for ovulation tests, it's important to consider the price of the tests and how many you'll receive in a pack. If you're looking for something on the lower end of your budget, ovulation test strips are typically around $15 to $25, give or take a few bucks either way.

"The cheapest form are simply strips of paper typically with 2 lines, a control line and a test line," says Dr. Thornton. "They require you to determine if the test line is darker than the control line.  This can be difficult for some women to interpret especially if you don't get a strong LH surge."

Digital tests will cost you more and are usually between $30 to $60. You can also look at the price per test in a pack to help you make your decision. "There are many different OPK (Ovulation Predictor Kits) kits available with a wide range in how difficult or easy they are to interpret," mentions Dr. Thornton. "The most expensive variety of predictor kits are digital where the test strips are interpreted for you."

Readability

From digital to strips to apps, ovulation tests come with many different result images, but some of them can be hard to read. Digital tests may have a smiley face while strips will show you lines. More modern and tech-forward options allow you to scan your results through an app for ultra-clear results. Depending on your comfort level, you'll want to choose a test you feel confident reading.

You can also monitor your cervical mucus and basal body temperature chart, Dr. Thornton recommends. "Your body's basal temperature increases minimally when you're ovulating and can help confirm that ovulation has occurred," she says. "To track this, a woman must check their temperature each morning at the same time before getting out of bed and plot it on a chart. When you ovulate, the hormone progesterone causes your temperature to rise approximately 0.5 °F."

Frequently Asked Questions

• How long after a positive ovulation test do you ovulate?

  It's not an exact science but expect to ovulate about 12-24 hours after a positive ovulation test. There are 6 days in the month that count as your most fertile days.

  "The 'fertile window' for conception is defined as the 5 days leading up to the day of ovulation and is the time frame when the viability of both eggs and sperm should be maximal," says Dr. Thornton. "It is estimated that the fertilizable life of the human egg lasts up to 24 [hour] post ovulation and that sperm can survive up to 5 days in the reproductive tract. The majority of sperm is believed to survive 48-72 hours, which is why intercourse is mostly likely to result in pregnancy when it occurs within the 3 day interval ending on the day of ovulation."

  Knowing how long sperm is believed to survive will help you know when it's best to try to conceive. "This is also why a couple does not necessarily have to have intercourse on the actual day of ovulation to be able to conceive, but it needs to occur at some point in the fertile window," Dr. Thornton explains.

• When should I start testing for ovulation?

  You can test for ovulation at any time of the day, but experts suggest the morning as it may give you the best results. If your typical menstrual cycle is 28 days you would perform an ovulation test 10 or 14 days after starting your period. "Ovulation occurs 14 days prior to the onset of menstrual bleeding (the period)," says Dr. Gersh. "For [people] with a 28-day cycle, it usually occurs 14 days into the cycle (mid-cycle)."

  You may even be able to tell when your ovulation is happening by changes to your body. "Some can tell ovulation is occurring by the change of her cervical mucous and an increased sex drive," Dr. Gersh explains.

• How long after ovulation can you take a pregnancy test?

  For the most accurate results, wait until at least 7 days after ovulation to ensure the hCG levels are high enough to give a positive test. However, this can also depend on your menstrual cycle because while most women ovulate 10 to 14 days before their menses, some women are irregular.

  "For example, most [menstruating people] with 28 (day) cycles will ovulate somewhere around the 14th day of their cycle or approximately 2 (weeks) into their cycle.  This can vary from cycle to cycle," Dr. Thornton says. "Those with shorter menstrual cycles typically ovulate sooner in their cycle and women with longer cycles often ovulate later.  If a [person] does not have regular menstrual cycles this can sometimes be a sign that they are not ovulating and always warrants an evaluation with a gynecologist or fertility specialist."

• Can an ovulation test detect pregnancy?

  In short yes, ovulation tests can detect pregnancy but they are meant to predict ovulation and should be used for that. The hormones that ovulation tests and pregnancy tests are looking for have different functions in the body, but their structures are very similar.

  To put it simply, ovulation tests are meant to tell you when you're ovulating; they're not designed to tell you when you're pregnant. "OPKs test your urine for a surge of a hormone called luteinizing hormone (LH), which normally occurs 24-36 (hours) prior to ovulation," Dr. Thornton describes. "Some kits also measure a hormone called estrogen, which increases as an egg is growing and can help predict 'high fertility' days prior to the 'peak' or 'surge.'"

Why Trust Verywell Family

Deanna McCormack is a copywriter and freelance writer who covers beauty, fitness and parenting for a number of outlets. She's a mom to an infant and 2-year and well-versed in all things related to motherhood and pregnancy.

Additional reporting by Ashley Ziegler

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Source: https://www.verywellfamily.com/best-ovulation-tests-4682628

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