Trying to Conceive Using Ovulation Tests
QUESTION
Dear Midwife,
I've been trying for over 1 year but only started using ovulation tests this month. I'm on a 28 day cycle and it's now day 18 since beginning of my last period. I've been testing since day 11 but have not had a positive test yet.
I'm worried I'm not ovulating. What day should I stop testing if I don't get a positive test? When is it too late to have the lh surge?
milmolmand
ANSWER
Fetuses need about 14 days between ovulation and when menstruation is expected to make it down the fallopian tubes, implant and prevent menstruation. So if you are really regular with your periods, chances are that even if you do still ovulate and conceive, you wouldn't know it because you would still menstruate and lose the pregnancy.
Since it has already been a year, I'd strongly suggest that you see a provider who knows about difficulties with conceiving, as this may be a pretty simple problem to fix.
-- Cynthia, CNM. PhD.
Cynthia Flynn
Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.
