You know I’m a huge advocate of actually knowing when you ovulate, rather than guessing based on your past cycles or relying on an algorithm. But you might be wondering, what tools to I need to know when I ovulate? You might be drawn to LH tests and Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPK’s) because they’re an attractive objective marker to identify ovulation. However, it’s not quiiite that simple. In this post I’m going to break down what you need to know about LH tests and OPK’s for tracking your fertility.

Each normal cycle your body undergoes a cascade of hormonal shifts centred around one event: ovulation. This is the one time release of an egg from one of your ovaries. Prior to ovulation, the hormone luteinizing hormone or LH rises to peak levels, facilitating the actual release of that egg. We can use a variety of different measures to track ovulation, which is the basis of fertility awareness. While an ultrasound is the only way to pinpoint the exact moment of ovulation, we can use some different markers to narrow in on the time of ovulation and be sure that it’s happened.

For more on the approaching and retrospective markers of ovulation including how to track BBT, cervical mucus, LH tests and more, check out my ebook bundle, Inner Cycles.

LH tests

LH urine tests are an approaching measure of ovulation. They tell us that LH levels in your urine are reaching a high level, and you will most likely ovulate 24-36 hours after a positive test. LH urine tests are disposable, individually wrapped urine tests.

What most people don’t know is that they’re not a definitive marker of ovulation. Just because you get a positive test, does not mean you will for sure ovulate. To be sure, you need to back up the positive test with other markers such as cervical mucus and basal body temperature.

However, a positive LH test (where the test line is as dark or darker than the control line) is a good sign that ovulation may happen especially if it is lining up with markers such as peak mucus.

I use Ovry’s LH test strips, and you can get 10% off using the code NATHALIED.

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Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPK’s)

OPK’s also test LH levels (although the Clearblue monitor tests estrogen as well as LH levels). The difference between an OPK and a regular LH test is that an OPK will give you an indicator of whether the test is positive or not. With a regular LH test you determine if it is a positive based on whether the test line is as dark or darker than the control line.

I believe that OPK’s are an unnecessary expense. It’s perfectly straightforward to read an LH test by looking at examples of positives (you can find photos of positive tests in the Inner Cycles ebook), as opposed to relying on the OPK. People are looking for that peace of mind and an objective marker, which is why they’re drawn to OPK’s.

However you are perfectly capable at understanding LH tests as well as your own body.

If you are trying to conceive, or if you’re wanting to track ovulation to know when you ovulate for birth control, learn to understand the signs of your body so that you are in control of your health. LH tests are a great additional biomarker, but I don’t suggest using them on their own. Some people (especially if they have elevated LH due to PCOS) may get a positive test without actually ovulating. You can get a clearer picture of your fertility by tracking signs such as cervical mucus, which give you real-time information about where you’re at in your cycle.