(Part 2) Best ovulation tests according to redditors

Everyone's different, but it definitely sounds like you could be ovulating or just finished ovulating. I've been trying to get pregnant for about a year so I know a ton about the female body (as do the other lovely ladies over at /r/tryingforababy!) Around ovulation your cervical mucus may have an egg white consistency that's stretchy (which you can see if you rub it between your thumb and index finger and then pull them apart.) Right after ovulation has occurred, your body also starts to make a bunch of a hormone called progesterone so that a fertilized egg can stick into your uterus (if there's a fertilized egg floating around in there of course.) Progesterone is known for making people bloated. Increased libido is also super common when you're ovulating.

Even if you're not actively trying to get pregnant, it's worthwhile to track your cycles to get to know your body better. You can pee on little sticks called OPKs--as seen here--and when the 2 lines on the strip are equally dark, that means you are having a luteinizing hormone surge that will cause you to ovulate within 12-36 hours. All very interesting stuff! Have fun fantasizing!

The only way you can really get a hint is if you track your cycle. I was never able to figure it out either until I went on a year-long campaign to figure out if I even had a "cycle" with any regularity. Turns out, I did. It was just really, really long due to hormonal abnormalities.

Here's what I did: I only get periods 3-4 times per year when I am not on the pill. I was single for about two years, so the times I did have sex, it was with a condom. I went off the pill entirely.

Recording my periods, I figured out that I have a roughly 80-90 day cycle. Turns out I have low estrogen, which stimulates FSH and LH, which cause ovulation. (This was discovered through blood tests.) Anyway, meanwhile, I bought a bunch of ovulation test strips off Amazon. These aren't the exact ones that I bought, but similar. I took one a day for two full cycles. The strips detect the LH surge that triggers ovulation, and it only lasts for a couple of days. In a normal 28 day cycle, that surge happens somewhere between day 11 and day 18, and it's supposed to happen one or two days before actual ovulation.

I would have a 2-3 of LH surges every cycle but the first one or two would be very weak, and wouldn't get a really positive test until about two weeks before the actual period would start, which is the normal time period that ovulation occurs before a period.

If you ever want to get pregnant, I'd recommend doing this for a year or two to get a real feel for how your body works. Buy the ovulation strips in bulk like I did, because the ones at the drug store are expensive and you don't get that many. Don't test your first pee of the day because that can result in false positives (due to concentrated urine). But do test at the same time every day if you can. I generally tested my second or third pee of the day, right around lunch time.

In my opinion the clearblue fertility monitor is over-priced and uses old bulky technology (it has been around in this form-factor for about 15 years).

There is little need to spend the money on it as they sell another product that does exactly the same thing (tests for LH and Estrogen using identical sticks) that is called the "Clearblue Advanced Digital Ovulation Test".

The only thing that the Clearblue fertility monitor does that the Clearblue Advanced Digital Ovulation Test doesn't is cycle day calendaring and insists on a pre-selected test window - the cheaper Advanced Digital Ovulation Test will show exactly the same status, low fertility, high fertility and peak fertility at exactly the same times.

Don't believe that the Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor "adapts" to your cycle, it doesn't, it just keeps a note of your cycle length (which you can do with a chart, spreadsheet or fertility friend) - in fact lots of people who are Fertility Monitor pros just start feeding in sticks a couple of days before ovulation and stop after the peak reading.

Compare the prices -

Clearblue Advanced Digital Ovulation Test with 20 sticks included
= $35.98

vs

Clearblue Fertility Monitor - $151.99
+ 30 Sticks $48.76 = $200.75

I have all of these types of units btw, the two types of digital ovulation testers and also the CBFM.

NB: You need to make sure that you get the "Clearblue Advanced Digital Ovulation Test" not the "Clearblue Digital Ovulation Test" as this one only checks for LH (and not Estrogen and LH like the Advanced Digital Ovulation Test does).

TW: Mention of positive tests

I really like Pregmate brand tests. The ovulation tests are always way darker than any other brand I've used so you KNOW it's positive. When I did have positive pregnancy tests they picked the HCG insanely early. I got an extremely faint positive about 12 hours before a blood test that showed only 12 HCG, which meant repeat bloodwork until it was over 25 HCG. If you ever feel like testing again, [here's what I recommend](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GZ5B36K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) They have a bunch of different purchase options on amazon so you can buy in bulk however you want to... if you want to.

BTW, I totally get the constant testing. I felt like if I wasn't peeing in a cup in the morning to test I was forgetting to do something or wasting my urine.

Edit: IDK why my link formatting isn't working. :( but the link is good.

I had one and I passed it on. It never gave me a peak fertility, HOWEVER it did help me narrow down OPK's which I got positives between 2-6pm, different women have different LH surge patterns and for some it will work and some it won't. I would try the advanced OPK's like this. I did them before getting the monitor and they were just as effective for me, I actually got a peak on them because I was using afternoon urine.

[Try this](50 Ovulation Test Strips and 20 Pregnancy Test Strips Kit, Combo Ovulation Predictor Kit Pack, Ovulation Tracker, High Sensitivity & Accurate Result for Women Home Testing (50LH+20HCG) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078GV36ZG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Fo9WAbEBZ8SN1). $17 for 50 ovulation strips and 20 pregnancy strips. Perfect for trying, especially when you are late in fertility. I’m 41, we are trying for number 2, so I’m in the same boat. We have fertility issues too.

Fertility trackers, basal thermometers, and if you can afford it, at this stage a fertility clinic will help. There are medications to increase fertility that aren’t terribly invasive you can look into, plus they can check your guy’s swimmers.

Best of luck!

Ok, so there is a great opportunity here to get some data. I'll assume you're in the US, so you can order some cheap ovulation strips online like these. While you're at it get some pregnancy tests too, they are wonderful at reducing any and all paranoia you will have as a female uterus owner.


The next time you're feeling these ovulation symptoms, start peeing on the strips. It might just be a psychosomatic thing, or you can see that you actually are ovulating and something has gone wrong with the pill. If you don't see any ovulation detected, you can relax a bit in your rhythm method-like style to sexual encounters. :) It's way more fun that way.


e: I see you're in Portugal. Here is a link to an ebay auction that sells both kinds of tests relatively cheaply (with free shipping)

UK (Or Europe) People!!

Anyone want some of These OPK's:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Step-Sensitive-Ovulation-Fertility/dp/B001G7P62S/ref=pd_sim_121_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RCR8FW8AF5PP77JT83RP

They don't work for me and I don't want to bin them would be nice if they got peed on by someone who wants them!

I was also suspicious that I wasn’t ovulating. I bought some cheap test strips on amazon like these: Ovulation Test Kit HCG15-LH40, 15 Pregnancy Test Strips & 40 Ovulation Test Strips with 55 Urine Cups Reliable & Quick Early Pregnancy Test https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6QJ179/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vce4CbFVE4577

It’s a pain in the ass to test daily, but you basically use them once a day right when you wake up. I keep a notebook, tape, and pen right by the toilet, and taped each finished test to the paper in order and jotted down the date and time.

After a full cycle of doing that, I learned that I didn’t ovulate (at least for that cycle), so I read up on natural ways to sort of force your body to ovulate.

I ended up using soy isoflavones, like these: Puritans Pride Non-GMO Soy Isoflavones 750 Mg Rapid Release Capsules https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004R66DNQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_6ee4Cb4EMQXRP

Ovulated the very next cycle, and was pregnant within a couple months. I think I could even feel myself ovulate, like it made it’s stronger. The slightest twinge on one side.

It’s definitely not an exact science, but it worked for me. Good luck to you!!

Here's what I bought from Amazon. The progression card was only 50 cents extra so I figured what the hell :)

Bean Bump is back on stock on amazon! 50 Ovulation and 25 Extra Sensitive Early Pregnancy Test Strips - BFP Kit (LH and hCG Fertility Family Planning Ovulation Predictor Kit) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0721CQXX6?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Sure. That link is pretty comprehensive so I think all I would add is that you can actually buy ovulation kits to find out when you're ovulating. They are cheap-ish, more convenient (can do them any time of day), and give me more confidence than the temperature thingie. And I personally never got the hang of checking out my cervical mucus (ugh) or the position of my cervix. I think it is important to note that, statistically, symptom tracking is MUCH more effective at preventing pregnancy than just the calendar method.

Also I guess I should say that I think fertility awareness methods are really only good for people who are highly conscientious, thus unlikely to fuck it up, and / or pregnancy risk tolerant. I am probably a little of both -- every time I have relied on it, I either knew for sure that I would get an abortion with no hesitation, or (now) am mostly ok with goofing and getting pregnant anyway.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00G92A1BG/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?ref_=pe_385040_30332190_TE_3p_dp_i1

I took an OPK and it seemed like it worked pretty well! I compared it to a dollar store one and it seemed to check out.

These ones from amazon are great and cheap http://www.amazon.com/Wondfo-Early-Detection-Ovulation-20-Count/dp/B004HCLENY/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1415488596&sr=8-10&keywords=Ovulation+test

If i remember correctly, once she gets a positive (which means the line is as dark as the control line) she will ovulate in 24 hrs or so.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SXCXJV4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_A.R3Db2XNB3RZ

https://www.amazon.com/SmileReader-Ovulation-Test-Kit-User-Friendly/dp/B074WG5JNR/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=39QLTD2X7FV91&keywords=ovulation%2Btest%2Bstrips&qid=1562570944&s=gateway&sprefix=ovulation%2Caps%2C185&sr=8-2-spons&th=1

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Order a box of these. Starting two days after your period completes, test every day until you see a positive or for 3 weeks. If you do not see a ovulation, boom.

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Ask your doctor about a general hormone level blood test. That might can help. Going on birth control might be able to regulate your cycle.

I recommend these and not the fancy sticks which are very unreliable in my experience. Cost is low and you can test frequently. Also buy some small plastic cups to pee in so you can dip the test strips.


https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Home-Ovulation-Strips-Pregnancy/dp/B00C8CGK2A/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=premom%2Bovulation%2Btest%2Bstrips&qid=1573937748&sprefix=premom&sr=8-2&th=1&psc=1

Specifically these ones I think: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B001G7P62S?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_pd_title