Written by: Dr. Amy Beckley, PhD, Founder and Inventor of the Proov test — the first and only FDA-cleared test to confirm successful ovulation at home.
Updated on 11/23/22
So, you’ve decided you’re ready to grow your family — congrats! Trying to conceive is an exciting time and we’re so excited to support you along the way.
If you’re new to the fertility world, there are a few key things you should know to help make your journey a success. Keep reading for our top 4 tips for getting pregnant.
There are a few key things you should know to help make your journey a success.
Tip #1: Get to know your cycle
Your cycle and hormones play a key role in your ability to conceive. After all, it’s our reproductive hormones that prepare our body for pregnancy.
First and foremost, you should learn about how long your cycle is and whether or not it’s regular. This means how many days are between the start of one period to the next, and if that amount of days is consistent cycle to cycle.
Ovulation is when your body releases an egg in hopes that it will be fertilized by sperm and become a pregnancy. Ovulation should happen every cycle, about halfway through.
You may have heard that ovulation occurs on cycle day 14 (cycle day 1 being the first day of your period). While this may be true for some women, this isn’t necessarily true for everyone.
If you have a 28-day cycle, ovulation may very well occur exactly on cycle day 14. But the truth is that women can have a cycle length anywhere from 21 to 35 days long. Depending on how long your cycle is, ovulation may occur before or after cycle day 14.
Depending on how long your cycle is, you may ovulate before or after cycle day 14.
You may be thinking, Okay, so what if my cycle isn’t exactly 28 days long? How do I know when I’m ovulating?
That’s a great question! Remember those oh-so-important reproductive hormones we mentioned? You can test them to understand when ovulation should occur.
An ovulation test is the most common tool to help you understand when you should ovulate. Most ovulation tests measure luteinizing hormone (LH).
The brain releases a surge of LH when it’s time for your body to ovulate. A positive ovulation test indicates LH levels are high and that ovulation should be on the way soon — roughly in 12-36 hours.
This can help you get pregnant because it helps you understand when to time intercourse for the best chance at conception. Without both egg and sperm, pregnancy just isn’t possible.
Once you get a positive ovulation test, you should definitely start having sex. If you can establish an ovulation pattern over a few cycles, then you can start trying even earlier to maximize your chances of getting pregnant.
Tip #2: Make sure you're actually ovulating
That’s right — good old ovulation tests don’t tell you anything about whether or not that egg was released (contrary to what they tell you!). An ovulation test can only help you understand whether or not your body is gearing up for ovulation.
In fact, a lack of ovulation (also called anovulation) can be really common. Studies show that in any given cycle, anovulation can occur in up to 37% of women.
This is why confirming ovulation can be a critical piece of the pregnancy puzzle.
Similar to ovulation tests, you can use a PdG test to understand whether or not you ovulated that cycle. PdG is a marker of the hormone progesterone. Progesterone is only released after ovulation occurs and is necessary for preparing your body for pregnancy.
While a PdG test can confirm whether or not you ovulated, it can also help assess your PdG levels so you can better understand your chances of conception. Elevated PdG levels after ovulation are correlated to a 92% chance of successful pregnancy, compared to just a 19% chance in those with low PdG levels. That’s a pretty big difference!
Here at Proov, we call an ovulation with adequate PdG levels a “successful ovulation.” Our PdG tests and patented testing method can help you understand whether or not your ovulation was successful, and we’re always here to help you determine the best next steps if needed.
Lack of ovulation is actually pretty common, so confirming ovulation is key when trying to get pregnant!
Tip #3: Don't forget about him!
Often, fertility and getting pregnant can seem like a woman’s responsibility. But don’t forget that there is another half to the pregnancy equation!
A male issue can be the cause of infertility in up to 50% of infertile couples. Getting his swimmers checked early on can help you identify or rule out any potential issues.
There are 2 factors that impact sperm health: quantity and quality. Sperm quantity refers to how much sperm he produces and quality refers to whether or not the sperm can get to where it needs to go — the egg!
There are 2 important factors to sperm health: quantity and quality.
Testing both factors gives you a more complete look at his sperm health. Unfortunately, most at-home sperm tests only test for the quantity of sperm, not quality.
We like the Yo Male Fertility Test because it tests for both sperm quantity and quality, since both are so important! Better yet, you can get all that valuable information from the comfort of home.
Tip #4: It's okay to ask for help
Sex ed classes made it seem really easy to get pregnant and because of that, most of us spent big chunks of our lives trying to avoid getting pregnant. Unfortunately, many couples will later learn that it can be difficult to conceive.
If you’ve been trying for a few months without success or maybe just want reassurance that you’re doing everything you can, we recommend consulting your doctor. They have a better understanding of your unique medical history and can help you form the best possible plan for you.
And if you need additional support on this journey, we’re always here! You can join our private online support group or can reach us 7 days a week at info@proovtest.com.
