After days of testing, you finally got your positive ovulation test (also known as OPK). But does this really mean you’ll ovulate in the next 12-36 hours?
First, ask yourself the following questions:
- Was your OPK really positive? The test line should be as dark, or DARKER than the control line. As you probably know, OPKs test if the hormone LH is surging (which happens right before ovulation). We always have some amount of LH in our bodies, so just seeing a second line does not mean your OPK is positive.
- Does it align with other symptoms of ovulation, such as your cervical mucus? You would expect your cervical mucus to become very watery and stretchy around the time of ovulation.
- The next question can only be answered AFTER you (think you) ovulated… did your basal body temperature go up a few days after ovulation?
If you answered YES to the questions above, there’s a very, very good chance that you ovulated. If you did not notice a shift in temperature or you didn’t track your temperature, it’s a little harder to tell.
Here are 3 scenarios where you may get a positive OPK, but still not ovulate:
- Although the LH surge is a prerequisite for ovulation, there are instances where the LH surge occurs, but your body actually doesn’t release the egg. This happens more frequently in women who have been diagnosed with PCOS. Sometimes your body ramps up to ovulate but doesn’t. It does not mean that you won’t ovulate that cycle, but you may get multiple LH surges before you actually do ovulate.
- Another scenario… There was an LH surge but your egg had trouble bursting out of the follicle that houses the egg. This is called “Luteinized Unruptured Follicle Syndrome”. It’s not thought to happen often, but it is possible.
- And lastly… some fertility meds (such as Clomid) can cause your LH levels to rise. Your doctor may have told you to wait a few days after your last pill before you start using your OPKS.
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In my free mini-course OPK Secrets, I’ll show you exactly how to use ovulation tests the right way.
