Preexisting diabetes can affect the health of the pregnant woman and her baby. It is not safe to get pregnant with high blood glucose levels.

The body depends on blood sugar for various reasons such as energy and osmolarity. Contraception is essential because managing an unplanned pregnancy with diabetes is difficult.

Every year countless women with diabetes give birth to healthy babies. How? They are able to do so by managing their blood glucose, eating right, and going for regular checkups.

Diabetes can be Type 1 or Type 2 depending upon what is the cause. Generally, adults have a higher risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes.

In Type 1 Diabetes the body does not produce enough insulin. The hormone insulin is responsible for bringing down the level of blood sugar.

Type 2 Diabetes occurs when the cells of the body stop responding to insulin. And there is a third category of gestational diabetes, which is temporary.

Preexisting diabetes and pregnancy

Women with diabetes during pregnancy are prone to a lot of complications. At the same time cases of diabetes while pregnant accounts for 3.3% of live births. Symptoms of diabetes during pregnancy are the same as the regular signs of the disease. Thirst, hunger, frequent urination, hyperglycemia, and low blood sugar during pregnancy are signs of Diabetes.

Is Diabetes During Pregnancy Dangerous?

During diabetes, the normal metabolism of the body to regulate blood sugar suffers a crash down. You can have periods of high sugar levels (hyperglycemia) followed by a sudden drop in sugar levels below normal (hypoglycemia). Both are dangerous for a normal human and even more for the one yet to be born.

Very high blood sugar levels cause developmental defects, neural problems, and larger babies. Risks of C section are higher when you are a diabetic patient. Contrasting to this condition low blood sugar or a sudden drop in blood glucose can lead to fainting. Unconsciousness while pregnant can lead to injuries, miscarriage, and further complications.

Is it hard for diabetics to get pregnant?

Soaring sugar levels interfere with a healthy pregnancy. Blood glucose affects fertility and reduces the chances of conception. One can try to conceive with diabetes after controlling blood glucose levels. It is not hard to get pregnant with diabetes.

Difficulties lie in the path of maintaining a healthy pregnancy and Diabetes. With pregnancy, you can’t control hunger because your energy requirements increase. Managing chronic diabetes and pregnancy together is double trouble.

Once you get to the safe blood glucose levels during pregnancy then risks fall down.

What are normal blood sugar levels during pregnancy?

Energy demand increases during pregnancy and a higher glucose level are acceptable. Normal blood sugar during pregnancy is fasting range 70-95 mg/dL and not more than 140 mg/dL one hour after eating.

Doctors do a glucose tolerance test for pregnant women who are not aware of their diabetes status. Pregnant women drink concentrated sugar syrup with 50 g of sugar. Later their blood glucose levels at intervals of one hour diagnose diabetes during pregnancy.

If the blood glucose is higher than 130 mg/dL you will have to come for a second GTT fasting.

What is considered high blood sugar in pregnancy?

High blood sugar levels are anything above 140-150 mg/dL after one hour from a meal. Exceeding 95 mg/dL in the condition of fasting is also a sign of uncontrolled diabetes while pregnant.

Other than normal blood glucose tests there is another test for diabetic pregnant women. A glycosylated hemoglobin test or HbA1c test tells you the average of plasma glucose levels over three months.

Imagine, you had a very light meal and your blood sugar levels did not show up. Later you had a carb-loaded meal and blood sugar soared way up.

What is a reliable blood sugar test for pregnant women?

The HbA1c test detects an average of three months of blood glucose. You will get the most accurate diagnosis of the current status of your body. When you have HbA1c levels above 48 mmol/mol getting pregnant is not difficult. But when the test results are higher than 86 mmol/mol it is not safe to get pregnant.

Type 1 Diabetes pregnant women also need to test for their ketone levels.

What happens when your blood sugar is too high during pregnancy?

A high blood glucose level in a mother with poor regulation allows it to cross the placenta. Insulin production shoots in your baby to metabolize the excess sugar going in. Growth factors and insulin are not independent in function. When the insulin levels rise beyond normal growth of the baby impairs.

Higher insulin in babies after birth leads to hypoglycemia and poor nutrition management. Absorption of magnesium, calcium, and vitamins also deteriorates due to very high blood sugar.

Contrary to this scenario when the mother has normal blood sugar the baby is able to utilize it without stress. The first 8 weeks of pregnancy are very critical as the development of organs takes place. A mother with high blood glucose levels during the first trimester is at higher risk of having a baby with defects.

How does diabetes affect my pregnancy?

Diabetes in pregnancy is a barrier to normal progression of baby’s growth. Not only for the baby but diabetes poses risk to the mother. Chances of premature labor, c section, and preclampsia, are higher in cases of diabetes and pregnancy.

Ways in which diabetes affects pregnancy:

1. Risk of stillbirth, and birth defects in your baby
2. Larger baby size may require c section or cause laceration and tears
3. Higher possibility of having high blood pressure, preclampsia and poor oxygen supply to baby
4. Dehydration, fainting due to sudden drop in blood glucose and or anxiety
5. Brain, heart and spine defects in baby eg. Spina Bifida where the spine development does not occur properly
6. Miscarriage chances increase when you get pregnant with preexisting diabetes
7. Problems in vision, kidney functionality, and eyes
8. Early labour and delivery

How Diabetes during pregnancy affects your baby?

Diabetes in pregnancy risks to baby are because of high blood sugar. The increased amount of blood glucose leads to developmental defects. High blood sugar during pregnancy affects on baby includes poor oxygen supply.

Preclampsia in diabetic pregnant women leads to reduction in oxygen reaching the baby. It can stress the baby during labor leading to stillbirth.

The baby’s pancreas overworks due to maternal levels of blood glucose. They need special care after birth for 24 hours. Insulin levels can cause sudden drop in baby’s blood sugar leading to unconsciousness.

Breastfeeding baby with diabetes is not harmful. In fact it reduces the chance of baby getting diabetes in the long run. But if you take insulin shot and feed soon you can add additional insulin to the baby.

The first few hours after birth are critical for the baby. You need to follow the post partum care plan for healthy recovery of both.

Insulin also impairs absorption of calcium and magnesium. Jaundice risks are higher is babies with diabetic mothers. It is yellow coloration of eyes and skin and is serious neonate health complication.

When the baby grows larger than normal the condition is Macrosomia. A large baby can suffer injuries during labor.

How to manage diabetes and pregnancy?

Follow these simple steps to control diabetes for a healthy pregnancy:

1) Exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle

Keep your sugar levels in control by exercising. Attend childbirth classes and stay healthy. Not only physically but mentally cleanse yourself off anxiety and stress. Try to talk to people who have been through similar situation. You are not alone. Light exercises such as yoga, breathing practice and running while pregnant can help you manage diabetic pregnancy.

2) Have a healthy diet

What should diabetics eat when pregnant? A diabetic during pregnancy needs to take care of her diet even more. Timely small meals, cutting alcohol, caffeine and smoking are some steps. Eating less protein and cholesterol will prevent complications such as protein coming in urine (proteinuria) and high blood pressure.

3) Cut down alcohol and smoking

Drugs and alcohol are not healthy and during pregnancy their side effects are adverse. When you have diabetes your liver functions more than normal. Type 1 Diabetes pregnant women need to control the toxins entering body because liver gets overworked.

4) Go for regular checkups

You must take contraceptives before getting pregnant if you have diabetes. After you decide to get pregnant and are in the state to continue consult your doctor. Tell him about your family history of gestational diabetes, or pregnancy complications. Also get a glucose tolerance test and consultation about already prescribed medicine.

5) Change your medicine with doctor’s advice

You will need to switch from oral insulin to shots. During different stages your requirements will change and so you need to alter your medicine plan. Stay in touch with your doctor all the while.

The post Diabetes During Pregnancy appeared first on Pregnancy.

There are many questions about ovulation that can’t have a general answer. And that’s why more than knowing about OPK and kits, you have to get involved with your own body.

Ovulation is not an anniversary that repeats on a date or day, there are fluctuations. One month you may ovulate on a 14th day as they all say and another month you might not. What is constant, are the cues your body gives before ovulation.

Ovulation strips to detect fertility period are just like pregnancy tests. The only difference is that they look for another hormone, LH (Luteinizing Hormone). Another thing is for how long after a positive ovulation test is you fertile.

You ask any fertility counselor and they’ll tell you that this is the biggest confusion every couple has. How long after a positive ovulation test can I have sex?

But before answering the big doubt, let’s first learn the 101 of ovulation, fertility window, OTKs, and positive ovulation test.

Ovulation and Fertility Window

For conception, you require a sperm and an egg. Every month ideally either of the ovaries releases an ovum through a process termed ovulation.

Sperms can survive in a female’s body up to 5 days in different locations of the vaginal tract. Once the egg is released from the ovary it is only viable for 24 hours.

Thus, fertility period for every woman with a regular period cycle is around 4-5 days every month near ovulation. However, fertility experts mention that the study of chances of getting pregnant in these 5 days was done disregarding the possibility outside this period. Which of course isn’t true. Every woman has a certain chance of getting pregnant every month due to fluctuations in a cycle.

Menstrual Cycle And The Hormones Of Ovulation

Your menstrual cycle is under tight regulation of brain and ovarian hormones. The hormones that release from the anterior pituitary (brain) trigger the ovaries to produce secondary hormones. These chemical messengers guide your body to ovulate and get ready to conceive.

The 3 main hormones regulating ovulation are LH- Leutenizing Hormone, estrogen, and progesterone. While directly estrogen and progesterone don’t cause ovulation, their levels send feedback for LH.

During the menstrual cycle, several eggs begin maturing together. One of them is a dominant follicle and rest degrade or stall growth. Adding layers to the dominant follicle makes it bigger and bigger.

By the 11th-day estrogen levels from the dominant follicle peak up and then dramatically fall steeply within a few hours. The degraded estrogen sends a message for LH to peak up suddenly the next day. Another hormone FSH – Follicle stimulating hormone also gets a small peak simultaneously.

Fertility monitors, OTKs or OPKs determine this peak to detect ovulation and give a positive test. After 36 hours from LH peak, the ovary releases the egg into the adjacent fallopian tube.

What happens after a positive ovulation test?

Once ovulation occurs the cover of the egg now regressed starts releasing the different hormone. Thus, there is a drastic switch in levels of hormones near ovulation.

The egg waits inside the fallopian tubes for sperm. Misao Fukuda conducted a study stating that right side ovulation favors pregnancy ¹.  Thickening of endometrial lining stops and it starts producing prostaglandins. 1 DPO the egg loses its viability and decomposes.

Determining the fertility window helps in getting pregnant faster. How? One can use various methods whether manual or with OPKs.

Within 2-4 months of monitoring ovulation, you’ll be able to pinpoint all events and feel what’s happening inside. No fertility monitor or app can substitute for a woman aware of her body. Being patient and paying attention can save you from burnout.

Leutenizing Hormone And Fertility: Reason For Positive Ovulation Test

The Luteinizing Hormone controls puberty and release of secondary hormones in both men and women. Normal levels of LH in women vary during the menstrual cycle. During ovulation, the levels of LH can rise up to 70 IU/L from 12.5 IU/L in the pre-ovulation phase of the cycle. Range of LH levels during ovulation lie between 8-75 IU/L.

In a blood test for LH, the abnormal results lie beyond the normal range. High levels of LH in women are because of ovary problems or low production of sex steroids. Premature ovarian failure and PCOS produce high LH leading to infertility. Low levels could mean that the pituitary gland in the brain isn’t functioning properly. Such women will have irregular periods.

Ovulation test kits showing negative results for long can be because of low LH levels. Detecting ovulation with an irregular period poses this problem.

Unlike hCG which is the target of pregnancy tests, LH is present in the female body throughout beyond puberty. So you’ll always see a faint band in the test zone of OTK or test strip.

Dark test band of ovulation test is a positive result. Getting a positive test and yet not being able to get pregnant is a sign of excess LH production.

Ways to Find Out Ovulation Date and Fertility

1) Using Your Period Date

Some women have cycles that are as punctual as a clock! Whether you consider that luck or effort to stay healthy, they can use the calendar and pinpoint ovulation. The guess methods don’t work. It’s only useful if your cycle has been following a pattern since long.

Pros:

• No tests needed, cheap and easy
• Can work for conception and contraception

Risks:

• Stress, sickness and other factors can come into play anytime and cause an unpredictable fluctuation

2) Cervical Mucus Method

The Egg White Stringy Cervical Mucus (EWCM) is typical of ovulation. Ovulatory hormones lead to a change in the quality and quantity of cervical mucus. Change in color and texture of cervical mucus is visible and evident. Using tampons, lubes and intimate hygiene products can interfere with the natural production of mucus. Near ovulation, the mucus adopts a stringy white appearance to facilitate sex and mobilize sperms high up into tubes.

Pros:

• No Tests needed
• Visible signs to rely on
• Suitable for women with irregular periods
• Fair accuracy
• Helps assess fertility and identify any problems too

Risks:

• Yeast infections and sexual intercourse can cause a change in mucus without ovulation.
• Not having enough mucus requires insertion of the finger which can be uncomfortable.

3) Cervical Position Method

The cervix is inside the vagina. Depending on the stage in the menstrual cycle the cervix can be at high, medium or low depth. When ovulation is about to occur the cervix reaches high up. This allows the coming sperms to travel a short distance and reach the egg. Using your fingers you can check the depth of cervix and predict ovulation.

Pros:

• Predicts fertility period as cervix rises up before ovulation
• No tests or drugs needed
• Tells more about the tilt and location of your cervix making you aware of your body

Risks:

• Some women may find it hard to sense the change in depth
• Cervix position gets affected by sex
• Lower accuracy – requires a conjunction method

4) BBT Charting

One of the most common and longest methods for detecting ovulation is BBT charting. The principle of this method is the rise is BBT after ovulation. When the LH peak falls there is a thermal shift in body temperature. Not more than 1° C or 1/2°C change the body temperature drops soon if you don’t conceive. For women who get pregnant, the BBT chart shows a second rise and dip near implantation.

Pros:

• Easy to do and clean method, non-messy
• Gives a chance of detecting pregnancy using implantation dip

Risks:

• The method is time-consuming and requires a lot of precautions such as no physical activity.
• Fever or other conditions can affect the results

5) Online Ovulation Test

There are online ovulation tests that use your period data and length of cycle to determine ovulation. Some are cost-free and allow you to test multiple times.

Pros:

• Multiple tests possible

Risks:

• High chance of incorrect results due to indifference towards personal changes.

6) OTKs, OPKs and Fertility Monitors

Just like pregnancy tests look for hCG, OTKs look for LH in the urine. The hormone rises after early morning hours and the peak is detectable by afternoon if present. Comparing the intensity of the color of test line one can see a positive test.

In the period of 3 days from the positive test, having sex can lead to pregnancy. Fertility apps have additional functions such as showing due period date taking data regarding OTK result.

Pros:

• 99% accurate
• Determine fertility window and increase chances of conception
• Work for irregular cycles
• Reliable and withstand cycle fluctuations

Risks:

• Not suitable for contraception using ovulation as a period of refraining from sexual activity.

7) Looking For Symptoms

Ovulation symptoms are distinct starting from sore breasts, ovulation cramps, and spotting. After ovulation prostaglandins cause cramps towards the side where ovary releases the egg. Seeing the fertility signs can also help in determining ovulation.

Pros:

• Multiple signs to detect ovulation

Risks:

• The signs may appear after ovulation occurred and leave less room for effective sex leading to pregnancy.

8) Ultrasound

The thickness of the endometrial lining shows progression until ovulation and then stops. Using ultrasound scan OB can calculate the ovulation date for this and consecutive month. The size of ovaries and thickness of lining can tell the stage of menstrual cycle you’re at.

Pros:

• Extremely accurate and personal
• Helps detect cysts or underlying causes of infertility

Risks:

• Expensive and elaborate procedure

9) Fertility Therapy Drugs Follow Up

After undergoing any infertility therapy your doctor will keep conducting blood tests. These can determine levels of hormones in the blood. Before reaching the urine the LH hormone picks up in the blood. The reason behind performing the blood tests is to avoid false positive results. Fertility drugs are hormonal and interfere with positive ovulation tests accuracy using test strips or kits.

Pros:

• Intervention by medical professionals
• Avoiding false positive

Risks:

• Expensive and meant for patients of therapies

Types of ovulation tests: OTKs, Test Strips, and Fertility Monitors

If you choose to use a test for detecting ovulation there are a lot of options to select from. Most popular ovulation tests in the market include the test strips and digital kits.

Ovulation Test kits OTKs are the same as OPKs (Ovulation Predictor kits). Fertility monitors have additional functions and are slightly advanced.

Certain ovulation kits like the Clear Fertility Monitor requires testing every day for the entire cycle. PREGMATE strips have no such limitations and you can test for a short span of 3-5 days.

Digital Ovulation tests have flashing symbols for showing positive results. Strips require you to observe the color intensity relative to the control band. Difference between ovulation tests are the duration of testing, hormones tested and the way in which you see your result.

Ovulation Test Kits (OTK): How they work?

The ovulation test kits are like pregnancy tests and work on the same principle. Strips on the tests have detector particles which bind to the hormone in your urine. If there is LH in your urine the test line gets a color. The higher the level of LH the darker is the test band.

Control band will always get a color. It just tells about the working condition of the ovulation test. The test band has a gradient color development. If the test band is darker or equally dark to the control band then you’ve got a positive result.

There is no faint positive ovulation test like pregnancy kits. All lines faint than control band in ovulation kits or strips are negative tests.

At times test the window of ovulation kit get a rose pink color and the band gets a streaking appearance. There is nothing to bother as it still doesn’t affect the accuracy of the test.

What does a positive ovulation test tell you?

A positive ovulation test means that your LH peak has occurred. The pool of LH in urine has increased. Some tests also monitor the levels of estrogen degradation byproduct estrone glucuronide. This helps detect ovulation in 6 days advance.

After 24-36 hours from the LH peak the follicle with the ovum ruptures. Thus, a positive ovulation test means your fertility window has begun. Having sex a day before ovulation allows the sperms to travel to the fallopian tubes and await the egg.

How many days after positive OPK do you ovulate?

Most women have a single LH peak and ovulate after 36 hours of it on an average. The time period of ovulation after LH shoots up can be between 12-36 hours broadly. Ideally, ovulation must occur within 36 hours after getting a positive OPK.

There are cases when women have 2 LH peaks. In that case, the positive test detects both the LH rise and fall which is simultaneous with the second rise. So, ovulation could occur quicker after a positive test in their bodies.

Whatever be the case, once you get a positive result you must start having sex to be able to conceive. Don’t go overboard as having sex once a day is enough for tough sperms that can survive for 5 days!

When to take an Ovulation Test to get a positive test?

Using a fertility monitor counters this problem because you have to follow the instructions every day. But that makes the process cumbersome in a busy lifestyle.

For testing using test strips or one-time digital ovulation tests, you have to find the possible dates of ovulation. You must workout on a menstrual cycle a month before beginning your tests.

Ovulation occurs 14 days after your last menstrual period. If you start counting from the last day of previous menstruation then by the 11th day of your cycle you will ovulate. You must begin your tests a day earlier and take two tests a day.

LH peaks don’t last long like hCG of pregnancy tests. You can miss the peak if you test a single time a day. Thus, taking two tests after the 10th day of cycle for 28 days long cycle will allow you to detect ovulation using kits.

Can I use the ovulation test kit with an irregular period?

You can use ovulation tests with an irregular period because that is the most reliable way for them. Tracking cycle isn’t useful because menses are irregular. But the LH surge is a must for ovulation and is detectable.

How to get a positive ovulation test with an irregular period? For using ovulation test kit with the irregular period you have to find your shortest cycle. Start testing from the ovulation date calculated using the short cycle. You may have to test longer but won’t miss the ovulation as you’re testing from the earliest possibility.

Do hormonal or fertility drugs affect ovulation test results?

Medications such as Clomid that interfere with hormones production and ovulation, affect ovulation test results. Other drugs that affect ovulation tests include:

• Pregonal (menotropins)
• hCG shots Profasi
• Serophene
• Danazol

These drugs alter the hormones in the blood and thus alter ovulation too. False positive ovulation tests are common in women undergoing fertility therapy where egg production is enhanced. Such therapies lead to triplets or even quadruples. That’s because the body produces more follicles as the level of LH is higher.

The ovulation test kit sensitivity lies in the range 10-40 mIU/mL. Whether this LH level is due to a drug artificially or naturally produced by the body, for the kit its a positive test. And you get a positive ovulation test.

When you are taking contraceptives there is progestin in your body. This drug can mask LH and give a false negative ovulation test. After discontinuing contraceptive drugs you must wait for a cycle to pass before starting ovulation tracking.

How to Take An Ovulation Test?

Every ovulation kit is designed differently and you must read the instructions booklet that comes along with it.

Tho the basic test method is of a similar pattern difference in reading symbols or testing time can affect the accuracy of ovulation tests.

Here is a general description of taking an ovulation test using a strip:

1. Get up early in the morning and go to the loo normally unlike pregnancy tests. Don’t collect this urine for ovulation test.
2. Avoid drinking any fluids after getting up in the morning until you take the test. This period can be up to 4 hours. You will have to optimize a suitable time for yourself. Try maintaining the same time for the testing routine.
3. Collect the urine after 10 AM in the morning. It’s better to immediately take the test and not store urine for ovulation test.
4. Take out your test kit with clean hands without touching the strip. Stay in a dry and brightly lot up space to avoid contamination with moisture.
5. Dip the strip in the urine sample for no more than 10 seconds and take it out horizontal. Don’t invert the stick.
6. Read the rest results after the mentioned time. First, you’ll see a dark control band showing that the test is in working condition.
7. Next you’ll wait for the test band to darken like the control band or more.
8. Wait for 10 minutes at most to allow the test results to develop to the darkest shade.
9. Once the test band gets as dark control its a positive ovulation test. If no darkening takes place and the test band stays lighter than control, it’s a negative ovulation test.

For taking a digital ovulation test the steps remain the same except that the results will have symbols that would flash and disappear. Most tests like Clearblue Digital Ovulation Tests use a smiley icon or plus sign to show LH surge.

Fertility apps and monitors will take your data since the first day of menstrual flow. They help in identifying the date to take the ovulation test. Once you feed the result obtained in it the monitor will highlight the entire fertility window for you.

Things OPKs Can’t Tell You

There are a few things that an OPK cannot tell you:

1. An ovulation test kit cannot tell you whether the LH surge you had was because of fertility drugs or disorders. Polycystic ovary syndrome can cause LH surge in the body without ovulation.
2. Ovulation tests cannot tell you when must you have sex for getting pregnant. That’s your work to figure out the actual ovulation.
3. Another limitation of ovulation kits is when some women have multiple LH surges. Some women have 2 or 3 LH surges in a month. Which of the following surge would lead to actual ovulation is not predicted by the kit.
4. Ovulation test kits can miss LH surges when a woman has a short-lived LH surge.
5. Fertility monitors or ovulation kits cannot distinguish the anovulatory cycle. There is no compulsion as to that every LH surge would cause ovulation.
6. The time difference between ovulation and LH surge is 36 hours on average. Kits or strips cannot tell you the exact time of ovulation during this period. You will have to indulge in sex more than once in this entire period.
7. There are no ways to predict whether you will get pregnant after this ovulation using the kits. And the same goes for contraception purposes. Using a kit to detect LH surge and avoiding pregnancy is not a fruitful practice.

Ovulation Test Results [Positive Ovulation Test]

A positive ovulation test strip looks like a pregnancy test positive result with two lines. In ovulation test vs pregnancy test, the only difference is the way you’re supposed to read your ovulation kit.

What does a positive ovulation test look like?

The positive test and negative ovulation test look similar except the darkness of the test band. Even a negative ovulation test will have two lines!

The ovulation test result always is a dark and light line. When the dark line is the test line then it’s a positive result. On the other hand, when the control line is dark than the test line it is a negative test.

What does a positive ovulation strip look like?

A positive ovulation test on the strip is just two dark bands. The test band gets the darkest tinge when you’re 36 hours or less, near ovulation time.

What is a positive digital ovulation test?

Digital ovulation tests use symbols or statements to show a positive result. ClearBlue Digital Ovulation Test shows an empty circle for a negative test. When the test detects a high LH peak then the empty circle becomes a smiley.

Do fertility monitors differentiate positive test?

Fertility apps help you to find the fertility period, predict due date, and time sex. They will not detect a positive test from a false positive or negative. Only the test kit part of the monitor will detect LH surge.

Reason For Positive Ovulation Test

If it is a true positive ovulation test then there are not many reasons for it. Based on the ovulation kit brand you’re using you will know the cause of positive ovulation test.

1) LH surge

Most tests show the rise in the level of LH as a positive result. The test strip has detective particles for only LH. Once the urine gets LH pool the test shows a dark test band. Leutenizing hormone is always in blood circulation and so it ends up in urine. Leaving a few exceptions every chemical in blood has a filtration rate. Why you are not allowed to take ovulation test early morning? The slow filtration rate of ovulation hormone – LH is the reason.

2) Estrogen surge

There is a second type of ovulation tests that use estrogen surge to detect ovulation. Unlike LH the estrogen changes its form a lot before ending up in your urinary bladder. The test is designed to detect the estrogen byproduct.

OPK brands detecting ovulation earliest nearly 6-7 days before the actual day use this chemical. These tests are expensive mostly. Certain tests can detect both estrogen and LH surge making them more accurate.

The rise in estrogen occurs before an increase in LH. In that case, your positive test will occur earlier than anticipated ovulation.

How does the ovulation kit show negative results?

Negative ovulation test is a light test band and dark control band. You will not be able to make out the difference between negative and early positive results.

The faint band of ovulation test will get darker in days nearing ovulation. Even though it can be a faint positive ovulation test, it will still be considered along with negative tests.

Digital ovulation tests show an empty circle or negative sign or don’t make the beep sounds of positive tests. Fertility monitors mark the dates outside the ideal fertile window with a different color code.

Some of our readers ask us if they need to wait for the second line in the ovulation kit. You will get a second line in ovulation negative test too. In extremely rare cases where the LH production is lower than the normal value will show a single band in OTK. Rest every time you test you know that there will always be two bands in ovulation test kits.

What does a negative OTK test look like?

A negative ovulation test is faint test band along with a clear control band. You may not be able to distinguish between a negative and positive test until you see the later.

Reasons For Negative Results

If you keep getting negative ovulation tests you might be anxious about the cause. Here are a few common reasons why you get a negative ovulation test:

1) Testing Early

Calculating when to take the ovulation test when you’re short of strips or kits is stressful. You must wait for a cycle to pass by completely and note down dates of ovulation symptoms and period flow. Keep a track of all signs and changes. This way you’ll reduce the chances of a negative ovulation test and inch closer to finding your fertility peak.

Some women tend to have longer than the average cycle of 28 days. Even women with a 28-day cycle can have different length of individual phases of the menstrual cycle. Testing LH on the 11th day of the menstrual cycle will be of no use if you have a 35+ days cycle length. You must try to tackle ovulation using all methods seeing symptoms, checking cm and taking tests.

2) Having a short menstrual cycle

The general belief is that ovulation occurs on 14th of every menstrual cycle, alas it doesn’t. Women with the short menstrual cycle of 20 days can have early ovulation. You can ovulate on the 4th day after ending your period flow.

Especially women who bleed for more than 6-7 days, ovulate earlier. That’s because the menstrual phases begin overlapping. In that case, if you will try to detect the peak of LH by the 11th day, no doubt it will give a negative test.

3) Stress

Anxiety and physical or mental stress disorder can harm your health to an unimaginable extent. Under stress, your LH peak will not rise enough to cause ovulation. You may not ovulate at all. Maturation of the follicle can cease midway. There are a gazillion things that can happen due to stress. Actual negative ovulation test is the result of the combination of effects of stress and hormonal imbalance.

4) Using early morning urine

The hCG hormone test kits have established a norm that testing is to be done early morning. Not all hormones are the same in fact none are the same. The LH hormone starts building up in the morning hours. It takes just a few hours to increase the levels of LH. And as quickly the hormone rises it falls in level as quickly.

Early morning urine is not fit for the ovulation test. Stored urine also can have altered LH concentration. It’s best to take a test in the afternoon with a fresh urine sample.

5) Not using the kit properly

Every ovulation kit is different and you must follow the instructions carefully. There can be ovulation tests with the scheme where the positive and negative tests are not by color differences of the band. While you may be looking for the positive test as a dark band, the mere presence of test band would not be negative.

The surroundings should be clean and dry. Dropping the kit or heating it affects the accuracy. Every ovulation test sensitivity is different. If you use a low sensitivity test then you can get a negative test for your LH levels.

What is a False Positive Ovulation Test?

When OTK shows positive result without LH surge for ovulation it’s a false positive ovulation test. You can have LH from other sources except for pituitary gland. And it’s possible that you have an LH surge and no ovulation. The kit isn’t designed for detecting actual ovulation. Still, the test is false positive because the outcome isn’t what you’re looking for.

Reasons for False Positive Ovulation Tests

There can be many more reasons for false positive OTK. Individual prescription, stress consequences, environmental factors and a lot more can interfere with the accuracy of OTKs. Moisture in the environment can color the kit window entirely and not let bands form. It’s very important to take the test correctly in an appropriate setting.

1) Fertility therapy

Women infertility treatments involve a step where ovulation is enhanced to avoid the chance of failure. It’s not necessary that only females with ovulation defects undergo this step.

Drugs that induce ovulation can increase LH levels and yet ovulation may not occur. The drug itself gets detected by the kit. In that case, you get a false positive. Some ovulation drugs are similar in structure like the LH hormone to mimic it. Ovulation home test kits are not advanced enough to differentiate the two. For it, any LH coming to it is meant for giving a positive test.

2)Polycystic ovary syndrome

Cysts in the ovary can overproduce LH and give a dark positive OTK. Polycystic ovary syndrome is becoming more common in today’s time. Every 1 in 10 women is suffering from PCOS as per the US Department of Health and Human Services ². 

These cysts in normal women burst themselves after some time. In a PCOS patient, these cysts continue to clump or keep increasing inside the ovaries. They block the normal ovarian passage and cause irregular periods, pain and infertility. Yet the LH produced keeps giving a false positive OTK. The woman is confused that even after a positive OTK she can’t get pregnant. In such a case you must always consult a doctor.

3) Recent pregnancy or miscarriage

After a recent pregnancy, the hormonal state again undergoes a major shift. Lactating mothers have a high level of prolactin. This hormone must prevent LH and menstrual cycle regulators. In case a mother decides to not breastfeed or for any other reason, there can be LH – like hormones. Again the kit will detect it and give a false positive.

4) Pituitary Disorders

The brain’s anterior pituitary gland secretes LH. Disorders of the anterior pituitary can lead to excess LH in blood. The vice versa is possible too where pituitary disorder leads to reduced LH. A false positive test here would be the presence of LH not leading to ovulation.

5) Problem in the metabolism of LH

At times the LH breakdown can be enhanced. Even a low level of LH blood can continuously undergo degradation and reach urine. The false positive OPK would occur detecting a low LH instead of a surge. Unless the LH reaches a certain point the follicle cannot rupture.

6) Defective Kit

A defective kit can give a false positive due to self-developed color. The detector particles attached to the test strip have a life. That is why the tests expire. LH tests are more sensitive and easily get affected by changes in the environment. Exposing the test kit to inappropriate storage conditions can fake a positive ovulation test.

7) Anovulatory Cycle

At times even after everything seems normal and there is an LH surge yet the body can have an anovulatory cycle. In such a cycle the follicle doesn’t release the egg. There can be no evident immediate cause and yet no ovulation would occur. Falling sick or changing contraception or prescriptions can later lead to such a situation. Next cycle can resume back ovulation. In case it doesn’t happen then the condition can be serious.

8) Waiting for too long to read the test

Every test kit has a reading time frame. Digital ovulation tests flash results and then it becomes a blank test. Maximum OTKs have a reading period of 10 minutes. Desperately hoping for a positive result can make you wait longer than the allowed reading time. Refrain from such practice because the result will be false positive.

9) Secondary LH surge

There are women who get secondary and tertiary LH surges. At times kit can detect both an LH rise and fall. This leads to two peaks detection. Either of them has to be the real LH rise. Ovulation occurs a single time every month.

You can keep getting positive OTK for 3 days in a row. That isn’t a false positive because the fertility period lasts for more than a day. Also, some naked eyes may not be able to distinguish slight changes in color intensity.

A secondary LH surge is different from positive OPK for 2 days. When you get a positive result in two different times of the month, that’s secondary LH.

10) High estrogen

Kits that are based on estrogen for detecting ovulation early can also give a false positive. High estrogen levels occur is multiple conditions such as liver disease, phenothiazines for mood disorders and obesity. Menopause symptoms treatment also involves the use of synthetic estrogen. That too leads to high estrogen and affects the secretion of other hormones. Symptoms of high estrogen include insomnia, low libido, and irregular periods.

Is there a False Negative Ovulation Test?

A false negative OTK is despite having LH peak you don’t get a dark test line. It can be killing your hopes while actually, you’re perfectly fine. There are a few common trivial reasons for getting a false negative OTK.

Reasons for False Negative Ovulation Tests

1) Using early morning urine

As we’ve seen early morning pee doesn’t have enough LH. The hormone takes time to build up and pool in your urine. And this process occurs after you wake up. Taking a test in the afternoon saves you a lot of risk and stress. Optimize a time later in the day for taking the test every day until you conceive and graduate to a pregnancy test.

2) Testing ahead of ovulation date

Taking a test way too early than ovulation date will give a negative result. Pregnancy kits can surprise you with early results. A good OTK will never give you an early positive test. That is because the rise in LH has to be brief. If the levels are chronically high ovulation will not be regular. You must test as closest possible to ovulation. Start testing after you see cervical mucus and other signs.

3) Drinking something before ovulation test

You must not use early morning urine and not drink anything after it. Dilute urine will not have enough LH for the kit. Once your body starts making LH in the morning avoid going to the loo.

4) Expired Test

An expired test will have dead detector particles. These particles stuck on the test strip are antibodies – a biological entity. No matter how much lh you pour on them or soak them in they’ll be negative. Always use a test within expiry.

5) Primary Ovarian Insufficiency

Premature menopause is a rising disorder in the recent population. Primary ovarian insufficiency or premature ovarian failure is the early onset of menopause. Women lose their fertility before the actual age arrives.

6) Not allowing the kit time to intensify test band color

Being excited about the results can make you impatient. You must allow the kit enough time to be able to develop results. Every test will begin with a light color and then get dark.

7) Pregnancy

Being pregnant affects the accuracy of OTK negatively. You will get a negative OTK and yet can be ovulating. Some women continue to get periods in pregnancy. In their case, it is extremely important to detect if they are ovulating too. Ovulation and having sex in pregnancy can be dangerous for the developing fetus. If you’ve such doubts immediately let your OB know instead of relying on OTK in pregnancy.

8) Missing short-lived LH peak

The LH peak is brief and can last for just a few hours in some women. Missing a short-lived LH peak due to taking a single test a day can give a false negative test. You must start taking two tests a day once you see a slightly darker test line.

9) Naturally having low LH production

Your brand of OTK may not be sensitive enough to detect the LH in your body. It’s not a single value of LH that is normal. The range of LH between 12.5-70 mIU/mL is broad enough. Chances that your body produces low LH and yet ovulates exist. Otk may give false negative but you will still ovulate. Thus it is extremely inefficient to use OTK for contraception or natural family planning.

10) Extremely high levels of LH from tumors

Every kit has a sensitivity range. There exists an upper range of LH sensitivity too. If there is more LH than that the kit will give a negative test. The mechanism behind it is complex. Overpowering the test antibodies prevents the reaction from occurring.

Are ovulation test kits accurate?

Ovulation test kits have their accuracy mentioned on their packaging. Most ovulation test kits claim a 99% accuracy 3 days before ovulation. By that time the LH levels rise up to give a positive test and signal you to get busy.

OTK with high sensitivity is able to detect low LH levels up to 10 mIU/mL. More sensitivity means the ability to detect lower LH levels. But the level must be slightly above 10 mIU/mL for ovulation to occur.

How long will an ovulation test stay positive?

OPK can keep giving a positive result for more than one day. An ovulation test can stay positive for 3 days. The LH peak can stay for 24 hours followed by the time where it gradually declines. You can get up to 5 positive OPKs in a row if you’re testing twice a day. An ovulation test will stay positive for the time there is LH surge.

Why do you keep getting positive ovulation test?

It shows that you have a long LH surge. Nothing to bother about as the positive result means nothing expect more baby making sex. Once 3-4 days of OTK are over you can sit back and relax and wait for a missed period. After that taking, a pregnancy test will check your pregnancy.

The only thing that you have to make sure is that the positive ovulation test 2 days in a row is alike. If it is darker than what you saw the day before then you’re not testing right. The darkest band is true positive OPK.

Positive ovulation test: When Will I Ovulate?

Once you get a positive OTK you can ovulate anywhere in the next 36 hours. If you want to make out the exact ovulation time then check your cervical mucus and BBT. Once you detect a thermal shift of 1 ° it means you ovulated.

Women who get a positive ovulation test for days can ovulate in between those tests too. The LH levels can stay up until rupture of the follicle.

Chances of Getting Pregnant After A Positive Ovulation Test

There exists a 35% chance of getting pregnant with sex on the day of the positive test. The time needed for sperms travels up to the fallopian tubes, site of fertilization and ovulation overlaps. Thus the highest chance of getting pregnant is by having sex day before ovulation.

When will you get pregnant after a positive ovulation test? If you’re to conceive in this cycle then you will get pregnant in the next 24 hours after ovulation. But this time is not from the positive test. You can get pregnant in the next 3 days for sure if you’re to conceive this month.

When to have sex after a positive ovulation test?

When to have sex after a positive OPK is the first step in understanding your fertility. Couples go overboard with sex and tire themselves. Instead, it’s the right time that solves TTC troubles. You must understand that intercourse alone cannot get you pregnant.

There’s no way to speed up the process by doing a lot of baby making in one go. Having sex a day or two before ovulation and the ovulation day is enough. Couples who follow the leave-no-day plan miserably fail. Sperm count reduces with two closely spaced intercourse. Your bodies need to be receptive.

PGF2 and PGE2 prostaglandins increase after ovulation and cause cramps. You might feel that you have cramps after sex near ovulation. But the real reason for cramps after sex in the fertility window is after effects of ovulation themselves.

Used Ovulation Test Kit – No LH Surge

Even after using ovulation test kits for long and not seeing LH surge you can wait for 6 months if you’re above 35 to seek infertility treatment. For females under 35, the 1-year wait is recommended before seeking infertility therapies.

There are chances that you miss LH surge or take longer to tune your cycle. False negative or negative OTK due to reasons other than no LH are common. It takes time to learn and ace taking ovulation tests.

What can I do if I’m not getting pregnant after monitoring ovulation for months?

You must first identify the barrier between you and getting pregnant. At times psychological reasons can be enough to prevent pregnancy. Just anxiety to get pregnant under pressure of a sketched life plan can be an obstacle. Eating right and maintaining a healthy weight is equally important. Your male partner too can have infertility issues.

Going for gynecological counseling can be beneficial for couples TTC and unaware of the option and hurdles.

The post Positive Ovulation Test: Everything A TTC Woman Must Know! appeared first on Pregnancy.

In case a woman had sex with multiple partners she can find out the father of the child. You have to add 266 days to the first day of the last menstrual period.

Doctors calculate pregnancy by taking two weeks extra including the ones before ovulation. Usually, women take a pregnancy test when their period is late. But conception occurs two weeks before period.

How do doctors calculate gestational age?

They estimate the gestational age by adding two weeks starting from the first day of last period. A retro-conception calculator can tell you about your birth. You can use it to find out when your mother conceived by entering your birth date.

The conception date is mostly the ovulation day or next. The egg can remain viable only for 24 hours.

When did I conceive and how many weeks am I?

The conception calculator takes two inputs of information. It needs the length of your menstrual cycle and the first day of last period. Usually, pregnancy lasts for 36-40 weeks, and the calculator adds the number of days.

When did I conceive?

Conception occurs within 24 hours after ovulation. So the date of conception is the ovulation day of the previous cycle. It will always be an estimate. No one can tell you the exact time of conception. Certain factors release in blood after fertilization occurs. Advanced blood tests within a short time frame after fertilization can tell when did conception occur.

Conception date calculator will also help in preparing for two due dates. However, even after calculating gestational age doctor assesses it at every stage. After the first ultrasound, your doctor will refer to the conception calendar. But she will estimate the due date based on ultrasound and rely on it.

How do you calculate your due date?

The date of conception is an assumption based on the fact that ovulation occurs 11-14 days after the first day of last period. A due date calculator IVF tells the more exact date of conception. It is because fertility experts know the time of embryo transfer.

If you want to calculate the exact date of conception, then you need to add two weeks extra. A gestational age calculator will make the work easy for you. When you calculate conception date, you need to consider the usual length of your cycle. If you have a shorter period then you need to subtract those many days.

A longer cycle implies that you have to add extra days to calculate the date.

You can also calculate the date of conception from the day of having sex. Other methods for determining conception date include the early ultrasounds. The ultrasounds between 8-18 weeks can help calculate the baby’s age. When the baby is only two weeks old, it has a gestational age of 4 weeks.

Ultrasound to calculate conception date

The crown to rump ratio is the measure of the growth of the baby. Doctors use ultrasound during pregnancy to measure the length of the embryo. If the baby is too small for the present stage of pregnancy, then it can be a blighted ovum. The baby must keep growing according to the conception date.

How accurate is a conception calculator?

A conception calculator is fairly accurate for women with regular cycles. Those who have irregular period cannot figure out the length of the cycle. Some women may forget her last menstrual period date and make a mistake.

Ultrasound dating can contradict the conception date because of slow development.

How to use a conception calculator?

You don’t have to do much for using a conception calculator. All you have to do it type the length of the menstrual cycle and the first day of last period. When you will input this information, the calculator will generate the answer. If you want to calculate your gestational age, then add two weeks to the answer.

Special cases of having longer or shower cycles require extra steps. But that is why you calculate the date manually. Once you use an online conception calculator, it won’t matter.

How does conception calculator work?

A conception calculator considers the fact that a pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks. It does consider the personal aspects by incorporating the length of the menstrual cycle in its calculations.

However, only about 5 in 100 births are on the due date. Rest all are either earlier or later. The wheel conception calculator at gynecologist clinic is the non-digital version. When you use the information from ultrasound scans along with conception calculator, the results are accurate.

The date of conception is an assumption but the ultrasound shows the growth of the baby. So, dating scans are more reliable than the conception calculator. But once the baby crosses the 18th week, it is difficult to figure out due date using ultrasound. The crown to rump ratio is only good for the fetus.

You can even use an ovulation calculator to find out the date of conception. Ovulation after the first day of last period before you conceived will be used to calculate. Most women ovulate between the 11th to 14th day after the first day of the period. Conception can occur practically only within 24 hours after ovulation. So the date of ovulation will also be conception date.

The reason for taking the first day of last period and not the last day is the length of the luteal phase. Some calculators require you to input information about the luteal phase too. When the egg is out of the ovary, the follicle secretes progesterone. This stage is the luteal phase. When a woman has a longer cycle, her luteal phase remains constant. However, her ovulation date shifts ahead of the 14th day. So her conception date will also be later.

Irregular period or forgetting the date of your period can make the conception calculator dicy. There are other methods for determining the day of ovulation and conception. The pros of the conception calculator are its ease of use and accessibility.

The post Conception Calculator: Can I Find Out The Exact Day Of Conception? appeared first on Pregnancy.

The chromosomes are gene carriers which transfer your characters to your baby. Normally occurring in pairs chromosomes can delete or add on during formation of genetic material.

First trimester screen performed at the 11th week highlights the probability of having a baby with a genetic disorder. Compared to the second trimester Quad Screening, first-trimester screen doesn’t tell anything of neural tube defects.

Singapore Medical Journal in 2015 published an article about the effectiveness of nuchal translucency and FTS done together titled ‘Combined first trimester screen or noninvasive prenatal testing or both.’ ¹

What is a first trimester screen?

The first trimester screen (FTS) is a prenatal test that uses blood test and ultrasound for detecting genetic abnormalities in the fetus. Mothers who have a history of genetic defects pregnancy or miscarriage must get the test. However, the test is only a screening and doesn’t tell anything about the actual condition. You may get a positive test and yet have a healthy baby or vice versa.

Some mums who are not ready to face the anxiety that comes along such screenings can skip the test. Others who are well sure of the chances can straightaway head for a diagnostic test. Amniocentesis and other invasive tests have a risk of miscarriage associated with them.

At times you can get a Quad or Triple screen test along with the first trimester screen in the transition week from first to the second trimester. In that case, the test will be a sequential screening and be more precise. First trimester sequential test is capable of detecting the risk of neural tube defects and Downs Syndrome.

An FTS comprises of estimating hCG and PAPP-A protein in maternal blood and nuchal translucency of the baby. Levels of hCG higher than normal mean that there are twins or risk of trisomy syndromes.

What is a screening test?

Any screening test is an assessment of risks, not disorder. FTS screens you for the presence of genetic diseases. It’s a quantification screening where you get to know the relative risk level as a ration. Other screenings such as a pregnancy kit only detect the presence. They don’t talk about how much.

How does risk from genetic disorders show up in screening tests?

All the human inheritance of traits like color, height, etc. is through genetic material. The blueprint of your body is your genetic material. Genes are small packs of genetic material arranged together on chromosomes. Every trait gets a gene copy from mother and father.

It’s only sex chromosomes in boys who don’t have a pair. Men have a Y chromosome which lacks one arm. The chromosomes replicate during cell division. Genetic defects arise when during this replication errors occur. Either something gets deleted, added, substituted or an entire chromosome vanishes or a new one comes.

For observing these changes in DNA, you need invasive tests or have to get a prenatal cell-free DNA test. Screening tests use markers (not sketch pens). Markers such as elevated or reduced levels of proteins and hormones are parameters of screening tests.

Every lab follows a standard cut off value for comparing the obtained values. Individuals who have more than the standard cut off are at higher risk than those with lower values. Most labs consider 1:250 chance of Downs Syndrome as the threshold, beyond this a baby has a high risk of having Downs Syndrome.

Remember that FTS alone cannot tell you exactly whether your baby has trisomy 21 or not.

What are the diagnostic tests?

Genetic defects in fetus occur when there is trisomy (3 chromosomes instead of a pair) or deletion. There are many reasons for such mutations either hereditary or due to exposure to radiation. During the life inside the womb, the baby shed a lot of cells and produces specific proteins that tell a lot. When these cells cross the placenta, they enter the mother’s blood.

A doctor can extract the genetic material from these cells and learn about the baby’s genetic makeup. Disorders due to problems in the DNA show up as abnormalities in the extracted gene pool from the cell. A single blood sample has enough genetic material to perform multiple tests.

Amniocentesis, Chorionic villus sampling, and cell-free prenatal DNA test are examples of diagnostic tests.

What does First Trimester Screen test?

FTS looks for PAPP-A, hCG and Nuchal Translucency:

1) PAPP-A

The placenta and baby produce this largest pregnancy-associated protein. Functions of PAPP-A ² include protecting the fetus from the mother’s immune system, forming new blood vessels and mineralization.

• 32 DPO levels of PAPP-A start increasing
• Placental layer Syncytiocytotrophoblast is the production site along ovaries, luteal cells
• Doubling occurs every 2 days
• Keeps rising in decreasing pace until delivery
• Pregnancy week 5 have serum levels around 10 µg/L
• Acts on insulin growth factor responsible for the growth of the baby
• Also found in males
• Pregnant women serum have it bound to immune system proteins

Maternal high levels of PAPP-A indicate risk of Downs Syndrome. Reduced level of PAPP-A means that there are chances your baby might have Edwards Syndrome (Trisomy 18). Other indications of adverse pregnancy outcomes include Preeclampsia, stillbirth, premature birth, and intrauterine growth restriction³.

2) hCG

The first test that you take during pregnancy detection looks for hCG. Higher levels of hCG mean that you could be carrying twins. The low levels of hormone sign a threatened miscarriage or blighted ovum.

3) Nuchal Translucency

Nuchal translucency⁴ is the fluid under skin layers near the head and skin, and gynecologists can measure it during the ultrasound. Wider nuchal translucency is a sign of chromosomal disabilities and heart defects.

NT depends on the crown-rump length. As the baby grows the NT increases. Levels of NT tell about both structural deformities and chromosomal aneuploidy (abnormal number of chromosomes).

4) Crown Rump Length

Measurement of the length from top of head to the buttock is CRL ratio. At every stage of pregnancy, the CRL must be of certain value. First trimester screen estimates the age of the baby using the CRL ratio.

The sex determination from the first-trimester screen is not as reliable as you need to wait until the 16^th week. Doctors do predict the gender, you better trust them at your risk.

When is the First Trimester Screen done?

First Time Screening is generally done between the 11-14^th week of pregnancy. Some women who avoid getting multiple prenatal tests don’t get it until the 14^th week. Later along with Quad screen, they get the test as integrated screening.

First Trimester Screen is optional, and you can skip it as per will.

How is the First Trimester Screen performed?

There are no elaborate procedures or invasive steps in a first-trimester screen. The blood test is for the mother and nuchal translucency ultrasound for baby.

Before the test

You can eat or drink anything before getting the first-trimester screen. Make sure you are ready mentally for the anxiety that is going to come along with the results. You could get a result that calls for further genetic testing. Just in case you don’t want to take any invasive tests then FTS will serve you no good.

Discuss with your counselor about the pros and cons of First Trimester Screening during pregnancy. Practically mothers who don’t think results would affect the course of their pregnancy can skip the test. It’s not expensive like other tests and most health insurances cover it.

Treatments for genetic defects in the fetus while in the womb are not successful often.

During the test

For hCG and PAPP – A test – Your doctor will find a suitable vein to draw a sample of blood from. The sample will take a week for testing and giving you the results.

Smoking can affect the accuracy of the First Trimester Screen.

For Nuchal translucency – Commonly a woman goes through many ultrasound scans when pregnant. This one would feel no different. By the 11^th week, you don’t need a full bladder for seeing inside the belly. The sonographer will place a transducer with some gel on your lower abdomen and move around the device.

Ultrasound waves will come out and reflect from different parts of your baby. An image appears on the screen, and you can see your little one, hear the heartbeat and cry tears of joy.

The perinatologist will see the amount of fluid surrounding your baby’s head and neck. If the fluid is more and NT is wider than normal, then it could mean that it is a high-risk pregnancy.

After the test

You will get a report with figures like 1:xyz risk for Down’s Syndrome, Edward Syndrome and trisomy 13. Soon there will be follow up appointment where your OB will brief you about the results.

Remember that the results are not final and have cases of false negatives and positives. A false negative result means that despite you have the condition, but your test says no.

What do First Trimester Screen Results Mean?

First-trimester result such as 1:1000 risk means that out of 1000 women like you only 1 would have a baby with chromosomal defects. When you take FTS along with Quad Screen, you also come to know of specific proteins and their levels.

Look at the results in an alternative manner, like 1:300 implies you have a risk higher than 1:1000 but lower than the cut off 1:250. A lot of factors like mothers age, race, weight, past pregnancies and prescription also affect results.

Another way to understand the results is that having a 1:100 risk would mean it’s 99% likely that your baby is safe.

Every test has its limitations, and the cases of false results make it essential that you talk with your OB about it.

Abnormal results: High-Risk First Trimester Screen

After getting these results, you can go to have a level 2 ultrasound which is more detailed to look for nuchal translucency. Other tests such as amniocentesis looking for amniotic fluid and CVS testing the tissue from placenta reveal more.

Normal Results: Low-Risk First Trimester Screen

Chances for having a birth defect are less but not zero. Remember only 85 out of 100 women will know if they have a high risk. Rest 15 wouldn’t know it but can have a high risk of trisomy or monosomy disorder.

What are the risks of First trimester screen?

No risks are reported from taking an FTS during the 11^th – 14^th week of pregnancy. These tests only have psychological challenges that come along such as decision making. You have to decide for yourself whether you want to learn about the risk or be an ostrich mama.

Parents who elect out of having such tests have healthy babies and some face disappointment too.

How accurate is the First trimester screen results?

The screening is 85% accurate for determining the risk of Downs Syndrome. That means that out of 100 results 25 are not correct. And amongst them are false positive with their taxing mental tyranny. They make you panic take a lot of other tests and live with anxiety.

Remember that positive doesn’t mean your baby has the disorder. It could mean anything above 1:200 chance of having trisomy 121, 17, or 13.

Why should I get a First Trimester Screen?

After getting an FTS, you will be able to decide the future course of your pregnancy. One can prepare for a baby with the calculated probability of having abnormalities. Generally, a pregnant mother gets a clearer idea of further testing she needs after it. Couples who get sad news can contemplate elective abortion based on their personal choices. A dating scan also will tell you about the time left until the baby comes in your life.

How should you decide whether you must get FTS or not? If you are above 35 years and are nulliparous (never given birth) due to uncontrolled causes, consider getting it.

You can ask yourself how the results would affect you and your decision to have the baby. Are you willing to get a diagnostic test after this first-trimester screen like amniocentesis? Can you bear the anxiety until term if you find any negative results?

The post First Trimester Screen appeared first on Pregnancy.

How much are 13 weeks pregnant in months?

The week after first three months or first trimester is 13 weeks pregnant. After crossing the first trimester, there is more stability in pregnancy. The risk of miscarriage in 13 weeks is lower than the first 12 weeks.

Now comes the time for the definitive 13-week ultrasound. The 13-week ultrasound establishes that development of the fetus during the first trimester is complete.

It will help you see many things that you couldn’t see in the earlier ultrasound such as 7-week ultrasound. The reason for this is that now your baby looks less of a fish and acquires more human baby form.

The size of the baby at 13 weeks is large enough to be easily recognized by you. Your doctor might even be able to make out the gender of the baby by 13-week ultrasound.

How big is the baby at 13 weeks?

Baby at 13 weeks is of the size of a lemon. The size of the head reduces and now is much more proportionate. The length of the baby is around 3 inches or less and weighs nearly 28.3g.

During the 13 week ultrasound, you’ll be able to see that your baby’s intestines move inside the body. Your baby will now have twenty teeth.

Undoubtedly baby’s heartbeats will be detected by the 13th week of pregnancy. A 13 week baby will respond to external stimuli, but the size of the uterus is larger than what can allow you to feel it.

What changes occur in the baby at 13 weeks?

During 13 week of pregnancy, the rib cage forms to cover and protect the lungs. The major development during the first week of the second trimester is the formation of ribs and lungs. You will see your baby opening mouth as if gasping air. The muscles of the face also form, and your baby now moves them which appear as expressions.

There is a growth of more hair during this stage of pregnancy. Your baby has tiny hair all over the body. These fetal skin hair fall off after birth. The skin of the fetus is very delicate and allows one to see through it. The vocal cords form and your baby now has unique fingerprints.

Your baby’s bones will start forming other than the rib cage. The excretory system is now active, and baby excretes in the amniotic fluid around. Now your baby has intestines inside the body and bowels formed. The voice box formation starts in the form of vocal cords.

13 week ultrasound

During the 13 week ultrasound, you might see your baby kicking, but you will not feel it. Your baby is only the size of an egg and weighs around 25 gram. Hence, the movements will still not be enough to let you feel them. There are other things that you can see in a 13 week scan such as yawning of the baby. Your doctor will take longer to complete the procedure if your baby takes longer to wake up!

What happens during 13 weeks ultrasound?

Now that your baby is big, your uterus will expand. It is less likely that you need to drink water or get a transvaginal ultrasound. Your doctor will place a device on you 13 weeks pregnant belly and some gel for easy gliding. Some movements over your 13 week baby bump will wake the baby and then the doctor will check for all major signs of 13 weeks.

You can still see through the skin of your baby. This is a reason why you can see the organs developing and blood vessels. You can look at the intestines inside the body of the baby. Other features will become clearer during the 13 week ultrasound.

The heartbeat of the fetus will still be way higher than an adult heartbeat. Sex organs are now developed but still on borderline and difficult to see. During an ultrasound, your baby will show movements of kicking and squishing. You will still not be able to feel anything.

What do you see in 13 week ultrasound?

One of the most beautiful things you see in a 13 week ultrasound is the sucking of thumb by the fetus. Whenever hungry the fetus moves arms and fingers and starts thumb suckling. It is a heartwarming experience for parents to see their baby sucking thumb during 13-week ultrasound!

There are many things that you can expect to see during 13 week scan. However, even if you don’t see some of them, your doctor might tell you reasons to not worry.

• Thumb sucking by baby and opening his or her mouth or even yawning
• Smaller head than the body and a neck which is limp
• Intestines move inside the body of the baby
• Onset of rib cage formation and other bones forming
• Hair on the skin of the baby
• Heartbeat twice as that of adult human being
• Most organs and limbs have formed and movements such as kicking show
• Movement and responsiveness such as squishing
• Sex organs (not always)
• Skin is still clear and allows you to see through

Baby’s Gender in 13 week ultrasound

Baby at 13 weeks ultrasound is too small to show his or her genitals. However, Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing can detect gender at 13 weeks pregnancy.

During13 weeks pregnant ultrasound your doctor can see the sex organs of the baby. If the position favors 13 weeks pregnant ultrasound gender prediction then you’ll come to know whether you have a boy or girl.

But there are many reports that the doctor mistook umbilical cord for a penis. Therefore 13 week ultrasound gender accuracy is highly dependent on chance.

Pictures of 13 week ultrasound boy or baby girl are available but it is difficult until 18-20 weeks to conclusively predict the gender.

Genetic disorders change the fluid composition near the baby, 13 week ultrasound Down’s syndrome allows such diagnosis. Even early pregnancy ultrasound can diagnose Down’s Syndrome.

How long does 13 week ultrasound take?

A 13 week ultrasound will take about 20-30 minutes depending on how easily things can be visualized. If your doctor wants to do other steps like nuchal scan, then it will take longer.

A 13 week 3-D ultrasound gives a clearer picture. Nevertheless, if you intend on knowing the gender of the baby in 13 week ultrasound then it might take longer. Even after that, there is no guarantee that the sex of the baby by 13 week scan is right.

A 13-week ultrasound twin can also take longer as twins are slightly underweight than a single fetus. Visualizing them will take longer as the same space now has two fetuses.

How does 13 week pregnant look like?

During the first trimester, there is the development of organ systems. As you move to 13th week of pregnancy, now you’ll see weight gain and growth of the baby.

There are guidelines for, depending on body weight and other factors, how rapidly and how much weight gain is healthy during pregnancy. After first trimester you gain about 4-5 pounds.

As you don’t have mood swings due to the nasty hormones now you will able to see the pregnancy glow. Your breasts will grow in size and yet you will not be as heavy as a pregnant woman. Blood will rush towards your lips and other regions making you look more appealing than the potato bag during the first trimester.

The desire for sex during pregnancy peaks during the second trimester. The levels of hormone relaxin will also increase, and your joints will loosen. Relaxin will allow other muscles to relax but your energy levels will not be as low as first 12 weeks.

As the uterus grows and fluids fill it the baby bump is now seen externally. The 13 week pregnant belly is the first external change you see. Some people consider this as the right time for disclosing the news to others about their baby.

13 weeks pregnant symptoms

After completing the first trimester of pregnancy you’ll feel better and less ill. The chances of having an early miscarriage reduce drastically. Now your baby is growing rapidly and soon you’ll put up a lot of weight.

Your energy levels will increase and mood swings will subside. The second trimester is safest for getting any treatment such as dental work or dying hair while pregnant.

13 weeks pregnant with twins mothers will still have nausea and morning sickness. Sex during pregnancy seems most appealing during the second trimester. Other 13 weeks pregnancy symptoms include veins showing up. The blue veins that you can see in 13 weeks pregnant belly is because of the growth of womb.

It is only after 13 weeks pregnancy, that most women start looking pregnant. After this stage, you need to reduce the duration of running while pregnant and other exercises.

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But once you are pregnant then cramps and bleeding are not things you’d be able to ignore. The sight of blood during pregnancy is not uncommon and spotting happens all the while at random occasions.

Cramping in early pregnancy if they are mild. As the uterus moves up it causes accommodation pain and cramps. The uterus during the first trimester is in the lower abdomen and later it rises up.

How does Cramping In Early Pregnancy feel?

Cramping in early pregnancy feel like a downward tingling sensation. It is like as if someone is poking you inside your uterus. Later on, the cramps become a little intense as the membrane of egg fuses with endometrial lining. Gradually the embryo drills its path into the lining. After that, the cramping subsides.

Implantation cramps are not like menstrual cramping and last only for a day. During implantation, you’ll not feel the need for taking any painkillers.

It is important to keep stress away and stay calm during implantation. The embryo before implantation releases chemicals that are new for mother. This causes nausea and dizziness. It is better to avoid any strenuous work during implantation.

Are early pregnancy cramps normal?

Early pregnancy cramps are normal until there is no other symptom. If you have symptoms like bleeding or chest pain then it could be an early miscarriage.

Chemical pregnancy leads to such a state. If the cramps get severe and you are having repeated cramping in less than 7 seconds then you need to consult a doctor. In any case pain in tubes or ovary pain during pregnancy is not normal. The ovulation process stops during pregnancy and thus you have no pain.

Early pregnancy cramps vs period cramps

Early pregnancy cramps happen after a missed period. It takes around 2-3 weeks to reach that point in pregnancy when you have cramps.

PMS cramps are spasmodic and painful. You can’t simply ignore them. But early pregnancy cramps or implantation cramps go unnoticed. The timing and intensity of pain during early pregnancy cramps is very less compared to period cramps.

During early pregnancy cramping, you don’t have bleeding. But period cramps are signs that menses will begin.

What causes abnormal early pregnancy cramps?

1) Blighted ovum

In this condition, normal fertilization occurs. But after that, the egg doesn’t develop. The embryo doesn’t develop and instead becomes a sessile tumor growth. There is no cancerous expansion or metastasis. But the blighted ovum or defective egg causes early pregnancy cramps which are not normal.

2) Miscarriage

During a miscarriage, the uterus pushes out the embryo and lining. Parts of placenta also come along the bleeding. There are lots of clots and heavy bleeding during the miscarriage. The vagina contracts and the sharp cramps increase in severity.

3) Ectopic pregnancy

When the implantation doesn’t occur in the right place it is an ectopic pregnancy. This condition also leads to abnormal cramps during early pregnancy. One of the major symptoms of tubal pregnancy is severe cramps near ovaries.

4) Tumor

Any growth like polyps or tumors can cause complications in pregnancy and pain. Cramping may be because of the torsion or twisting of such outgrowth. If the tissue pinches off the wall then the pain is even more severe. Abnormal early pregnancy cramps can occur because of tumor blocking the path of the embryo.

5) Ovarian cysts

Cysts torsion and rupture causes immense pain. There may be ovarian cysts due to diseases like PCOD before pregnancy. During pregnancy due to fluctuations in hormones, these cysts can rupture and cause pain.

6) Fibroids

Degradation of fibroids during pregnancy causes cramping. The changes in uterus shape and size cause cramping. The cramps happen during different times in the day.

When to see a doctor for implantation cramping?

Symptoms with abnormal cramps like vomiting and queasiness need medical attention. It may be because of the above-mentioned reasons. Conditions like Ectopic pregnancy need immediate treatment or they can cause damage to fertility. Removal of any reproductive organ adversely affects the fertility.

There are abnormal early pregnancy symptoms with cramps like sweating and shivering. Chills along with cramps are not normal and hint an underlying condition. Drop in blood pressure is because of the abnormally fluctuating hormones.

Fever due to any infections which lead to cramps also calls for treatment. Loss of consciousness or lightheadedness is not normal if it occurs frequently for a long time during early pregnancy.

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Why is it important to know how to take basal body temperature?

Basal body temperature is crucial for timing ovulation. When you want to get pregnant fast, the first advice is to start with charting basal body temperature. But before that, you’ve to understand how to take basal body temperature.

Basal body temperature and pregnancy (or BBT and implantation) connections are more complicated to understand. The key to being able to chart or record basal body temperature accurately is to know what is basal body temperature.

What is the basal body temperature for women?

Basal body temperature is the temperature of your body when you are at rest. All the normal processes like digestion, breathing, and others go on every time. They generate and consume energy, and in the process, there is a production of body heat. When you are sleeping all these processes, attain a basal level. During this time the body temperature is BBT.

One can record this after getting up before indulging in any activity. You must register the temperature just after waking up and keep all things ready at your bedside.

Basal body temperature for women is like the planner for timing their sexual activities for avoiding pregnancy or conceiving. During ovulation, the skyrocketing LH hormone and changes make the BBT rise by a degree or half. This rise is basal body temperature reading helps find the most fertile days of the month.

Implantation dip is also entirely dependent on the rise of basal body temperature after implantation. However, the implantation dip is not a very reliable indicator of pregnancy.

How to take an accurate basal body temperature?

The most important thing to remember while taking the basal body temperature is to keep still and be regular. Once you do some work, even if insignificant as getting up and walking a bit your BBT reading changes. 

Another thing you must not be careless about is your regularity of taking BBT readings. Even a single day missed can ruin the entire activity. Even you can estimate that roughly your ovulation must be around this date you must still take BBT every day.

Take a reading of basal body temperature before getting up

When you decide to start taking accurate basal body temperature reading for the next one month, give a time slot to it. Keep all things in your drawer next to your bed. 

All things should be ready so that you don’t have to move to get basal thermometer or diary. The best time to take basal body temperature is your normal waking up time. Don’t get up early for that purpose, because then you may not be able to maintain that time.

Maintain a record of basal body temperature every day

Even if you have a digital thermometer which can record and store the readings keep a record. The backup will help you be less dependent on electronic devices and keep things handy. 

A basal thermometer is specially meant for this purpose. You can get one of the regular thermometers also. 

If you are careful while taking basal body temperature, then it won’t make much difference whether you use a digital thermometer or regular one.

Tips for accurate basal body temperature reading

1) Use a digital thermometer

When you get up from sleep, you know what happens. Drowsy eyes and unlike men you don’t feel all energetic. When you are taking basal body temperature, it is best that you lay in your covers and record the temperature. 

Stretching or getting up can alter that actual reading. A digital thermometer is not very different from a regular one but will help you in the long exercise. It’s not about a day. You might not get success in the first month and will have to repeat the process next month. 

A digital thermometer will make it easier and you’ll take an accurate basal body temperature reading.

2) Record temperature at the same time of day

Though we are already talking about recording temperature after getting up, still you need to fix a time. The time of taking the basal body temperature should be nearly the same every day. 

If you have a routine of getting up, then it will go along. Otherwise, you must first decide a time best suitable and take the temperature every day at the same time.

3) Sleep well before taking a reading of BBT

Stress or fatigue can affect your body processes. Make sure that you sleep well before taking BBT reading. Even if you get up during night hours, don’t take the reading then. You need to be at ease while charting basal body temperature.

4) Maintain a record

Even if you have a digital thermometer backup, don’t rely on it. Maintain a record of the readings. You need first to establish your body temperature ranges. Everyone has a specific body temperature that will be around 37° C., but that is an average as human body temperature which can vary. So you must first note the temperature range in which your body temperature shuttles. You can decide a scale or use excel sheet for plotting a graph of BBT vs. time in days.

5) Do not skip any day for measuring basal body temperature

The biggest mistake while recording BBT is neglecting the importance of taking a reading every day. If you start near your expected ovulation, you might not be able to distinguish normal fluctuations from the actual rise. The rise of BBT during ovulation is not more than a degree. You need to record the temperature every day. You might see such ambiguities and will have to analyze the BBT chart. Any irregularities in the BBT which should not differ too much near ovulation time are of importance.

6) Keep everything you need next to you previous night

It seems an easy thing to record temperature every day. But when you do it, you will realize how many times you forget it when you wake up stressed about your work. Set a reminder and keep everything near you the night before. 

Don’t pick the pen, diary, glasses, and thermometer from the place. Keep these things separate solely for this work.

7) Measure the temperature of the same area

You can record BBT by putting the basal thermometer in the armpits or under your tongue. Whatever you decide, don’t change the area and record BBT from the same place for the next 28-30 days.

8) Do not eat or drink or move before taking a reading

Avoid drinking even a glass of water, nothing that could disturb the state of rest. Even if you have some ongoing prescriptions or detox pills, you must keep it for later.

9) Look for every slight change in BBT

Don’t take the reading and then think that you’ll note it later. You should note it down as it appears even if it is not what you expected.

10) Mention factors that affect basal body temperature

Use a pencil if you are plotting a chart to write down factors such as flu or fever. Stress, overworked, illness or any medicines all need to go on that chart.

Basal body temperature for pregnancy

While basal body temperature will help you a lot for determining ovulation, it won’t be of much help for pregnancy.

When you are pregnant, you need to observe a triphasic pattern of BBT. Since noticing a slight rise in BBT seems so tricky, a triphasic pattern is a far possibility.

Can you confirm pregnancy using basal body temperature reading?

A woman who is long being charting her basal body temperature will be able to make out any changes. She can detect pregnancy if there is a fall in BBT before ovulation followed by a rise and then restoring normal BBT.

Basal body temperature FAQs

What is basal body thermometer?

A basal body thermometer is just like any other thermometer. The scale of this thermometer is around the range of BBT that is 96 -100 F. It is larger and allows one to record BBT orally or from the vagina.

How can I take my basal body temperature?

You can take your basal body temperature by recording the temperature before getting up. Do not indulge in any activity before taking the reading. You must allow the basal thermometer to stay at the recording region for 5 minutes or as it says. Jot down the temperature in your diary.

How can I chart basal body temperature?

You can either manually chart the temperature or use any graph making software to make a chart. Just put the dot honestly, and you’ll see a pattern. You can even get a BBT chart from your gynecologist and record temperature on it.

When do I know ovulation by basal body temperature?

During ovulation, the basal body temperature rises by a degree or half. Most women record around 96-97 F before ovulation and 97.5- 98 F on the day of ovulation.

The pattern of BBT varies from a person based on many factors and can even vary during a cycle. If you are on birth control and then you stop, your BBT pattern can change.

How to check whether basal body temperature reading is accurate?

When you see a pattern and nearly similar readings you will know that you are doing it right. 

Alcohol, smoking, sexual intercourse, stress, illness, etc. can affect the accuracy of charting basal body temperature. 

If you don’t see any pattern or get haphazard readings, then you need to check your method of taking BBT.

Despite the popularity of this method it is not well understood by most women. You need to have sex before ovulation to be able to conceive. 

During the fertility period, chances of getting pregnant are maximum when you have sex day before period. So charting basal body temperature for beginners will not lead to pregnancy. 

You need to understand and predict ovulation date using basal body temperature. Probably in the next cycle when you are aware of the time of ovulation, you’ll have higher chances of getting pregnant.

 Similarly, those who take basal body temperature to detect pregnancy will be able to do so if they already know their BBT pattern.

The post How To Take Basal Body Temperature? appeared first on Pregnancy.

Bleeding after sex but before period does not always mean that you are pregnant. There are many underlying health causes for spotting one week after ovulation.

Mid-cycle cramping and spotting are one of the concomitant symptoms of pregnancy. Spotting week after ovulation is mostly considered as implantation bleeding. Implantation bleeding, unlike menses, is not heavy blood flow.

A woman is born with a fixed number of eggs at the time of birth. They undergo a division and arrest in that state until if fertilization occurs. Otherwise, most oocyte goes out of the body along with period.

Every month an ovary releases an oocyte for fertilization. The oocyte is viable for 24 hours and later on, failure comes out of the vagina as a period. When a woman conceives the oocyte fuses with a sperm and becomes an egg. Later the egg attaches to the uterus and gains nourishment from mother.

Spotting before ovulation

Spotting before ovulation or after it is a doubt we have all had. Similarly, most women don’t know that having sex before the day of ovulation has more chances of getting you pregnant than on ovulation.

This is because the sperms need to make it to the tubes crossing the harsh conditions of the vagina. Spotting before ovulation is not because of it.

Ovulation spotting occurs on the 14th day of the menstrual cycle. Bleeding before that cannot be because of ovulation. Ovulation is the release of the egg from the ovary every month.

After the Graffian follicle matures by deposition of granulosa cells the follicle ruptures. It releases a secondary oocyte. Commonly the reference for it is ovum. After fertilization, the secondary oocyte gets a dividing apparatus from the sperm. Then it becomes an egg or zygote.

Spotting before ovulation is not normal but may not be serious either.

The reasons for spotting before ovulation are:

1) Sexual intercourse

Deep penetrative sex can cause rubbing that leads to pre-ovulation bleeding. The vaginal wall becomes thin when the woman approaches menopause. This is the Perimenopause stage. During this time she can have spotting before ovulation because of rough coitus.

2) Hormonal imbalance

Hormonal imbalance can cause bleeding before ovulation. Breakout bleeding may also be a reason for this event. Hormone fluctuations happen throughout menstrual cycle. If there is abnormal rise or fall of Ovarian or sex hormones then bleeding can happen.

3) Birth control pills

Taking emergency contraceptive has a side effect of causing bleeding. Bleeding before ovulation may have no relation to ovulation except the reference of time. Infection or PCOS and other diseases can also cause bleeding.

Physiological bleeding after ovulation

Spotting a week after ovulation can’t be period. Ovulation occurs on the 14th day of the cycle. After this, the egg cyst releases progesterone hormone and maintains the uterine lining.

By the end of the luteal phase which lasts for about 12 days the lining gradually begins disintegrating. Spotting 2 weeks after ovulation is period or menses that every fertile woman goes through every month.

The PMS and menstrual cramps are extremely painful and cause suspension of daily activities.

Implantation cramps because of early pregnancy don’t cause so much pain. The spotting one week after ovulation is because of egg embedment.

Implantation bleeding is brown and scanty. Spotting week after ovulation because of implantation lasts for a day or two only.

The egg moves gradually into the upper layer of endometrial lining. As it sinks in it causes the capillaries to bleed and lead to implantation bleeding.

Physiological bleeding after ovulation is because of implantation if the woman is pregnant.

Concomitant symptoms

One can confirm that spotting a week after ovulation is because of implantation when she sees other symptoms.

Symptoms after implantation signs of pregnancy are concomitant. Spotting one week after ovulation is a sign that you need to take a pregnancy test.

After implantation, the egg forms a placenta from the egg membrane. This layer secretes hCG hormone that has a major role in pregnancy. This hormone doubles every 48-72 hours and controls the secretion of other hormones. It starts coming along with urine during pregnancy.

Pregnancy tests detect the presence of this hormone in urine. Spotting week after ovulation is a sign that you need to take a pregnancy test. Other early pregnancy symptoms like nasal congestion, bloating, cravings and aversions confirm that it was implantation spotting.

Spotting 2 weeks after ovulation

Spotting a week after ovulation can be because of an early period. Some women may have luteal phase defect and there lining will not form.

The regressed uterine lining will only cause spotting. Spotting 2 weeks after ovulation is the right time for onset of period. The menstrual cycle has/4 phases.

The ovulation phase is actually the shortest and is only for one day. After ovulation, the luteal phase or secretory phase maintains the lining of the uterus. Following this is the menstrual phase that is when you have 3-5 days long bleeding.

On the first day of the period, it is not like a filled balloon bursting. It takes time to start as a heavy flow. Spotting 2 weeks after ovulation is a sign that your menstrual phase started.

Infections can cause spotting one week after ovulation if you had unprotected sex with an unknown partner. Women who have very short menstrual cycles also have spotting week after ovulation.

The menstrual cycle must be of about 26-28 days. If a woman has a shorter menstrual cycle she may spot a week before period. Anemic women have less blood and can spot week after ovulation.

Spotting for a week after ovulation

Duration of spotting also counts as a measure of emergency for treatment. Spotting a week after ovulation is normal even if you are pregnant. It may be because of some hormonal imbalance.

Women who take continuous birth control can have random spotting. This is because their hormones fluctuate with the dose of birth control. If they forget a pill or overdose then spotting one week after ovulation may be because of it.

Spotting a week after ovulation can also be because of vaginal dryness. Bleeding after sex is because of insufficient lubrication.

Spotting continuing for a week is a sign of sexually transmitted disease. Most STDs cause bleeding and vaginal discharge.

The color of vaginal discharge is a sign of infection and thrush. Yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis cans cause spotting for a week after ovulation.

Other reasons may be because of douching or scented soaps. Hair removal creams or use of sharp razors can cause bleeding cuts. The color of spotting will be bright red in this case.

Other causes of vaginal bleeding a week after ovulation

Vaginal bleeding can be because of many reasons like IUD such as Mirena. They can irritate the lining of the uterus and cause spotting. Spotting a week after ovulation need not necessarily be with relation to it.

Some medications like antiepileptic drugs or entertainment drugs can cause spotting one week after ovulation. But this is not related to ovulation and instead is a hormonal disorder.

Thyroid dysfunction and obesity can cause breakout bleeding and random spotting throughout the month.

Spotting week after ovulation is a sign of pregnancy if you see other symptoms along. The other thing to remember is that the pregnancy test while implantation has a chance of giving a false negative pregnancy test.

The placenta takes about a week for reaching the hCG concentration of 25 mIU/mL. Pregnancy tests can detect this with 99% accuracy. Below this hCG level, the accuracy of pregnancy test is very low. You must wait for spotting 2 weeks after ovulation to confirm whether you are pregnant.

Sometime a mid-cycle bleeding might mimic implantation bleeding. Only after you miss your period then you reach the right time for taking a pregnancy test.

The post Spotting A Week After Ovulation appeared first on Pregnancy.

Fertile days after a period are two weeks after a period in a normal 28 days cycle. Fertility window symptoms are symptoms before and after ovulation together.

The difference between fertility and ovulation is enough to spend a few minutes reading about it. Most blogs talk of how important ovulation is for getting pregnant. But it is very difficult to pinpoint ovulation. The menstrual cycle keeps fluctuating. 

So let’s learn how to find the fertility window! ???? 

When are you most fertile?

If fertility was restricted to ovulation of an ovum then you’d have a fertility window of 24 hours. But just having 14 fertile days throughout the year won’t lead us to 7 billion so easily!

A woman is most fertile for 5 days every month. Take note that the above line does not mean that one cannot get pregnant when not in the fertile period. The 5 days period of fertility is not because of the ovum. Your period of fertility is the virtue of the lifespan of sperm inside your vagina!

How long does sperm live?

Sperm can live for minutes, hours, days or years. The conditions given determine how long the sperm will survive. How long does it take for sperm to die? Sperm exposed to air can die within a few minutes. Even inside the body, the sperm can die during the travel to the site of fertilization. If the sperm doesn’t enter the vagina then it can die outside the body within minutes as soon as it dries. In the laboratory by cryopreservation sperms for infertility treatments live for years.

How long does sperm live outside the body? Outside the body sperm cannot live for long. When stored in a container at body temperature, sperm can live for some hours.

How long does sperm last?

Once the sperms move inside the cervix into the uterus it can last for 5 days. The survival of sperm inside cervical mucus determines the fertility window period.

How long can sperm survive? Sperm can live for three days ideally but some studies showed it survives up to 5 days.

The fertility window depends on how long can a sperm live inside your body. Unlike the sperms, the egg is only viable for 24 hours. The length and state of the menstrual cycle also influence the success of getting pregnant.

How long does sperm stay inside of you?

The sperm can live for as long as 6 days inside your body. Generally, sperms live for 72 hours but can even survive for 5 days inside the female tract. After coitus, the seminal fluid condenses and then travels up to the uterus. If the egg is present which is only near ovulation then the sperms reaching the fallopian tubes can fertilize the egg. The fusion of sperm and egg takes place in the tube. After fertilization, the zygote moves down the tubes back to the uterus.

How long does sperm live in the uterus?

The sperms are present in a huge number in a healthy seminal fluid. It is not only about how long can sperm live and instead about the total sperm count. Out-of-the total number of sperms per discharge which is 100 million only a few reach the egg.

How long do Sperms stay in the vagina?

Sperms do not stay in the vagina for long and start moving up after unprotected sex. But there are several factors that hamper or support its movement. The cervical fluid has the nutrients to nourish the sperms.

During the fertility window period, the cervical mucus is egg white and stringy which is ideal. It allows the movement of healthy sperms up to the tubes.

Birth control pills alter the composition of the cervical mucus and slow sperm movement. Going to the bathroom after having sex can also reduce the chances of conceiving. Washing using corrosive soaps or the use of sperm jellies further reduces the time sperm lives inside the vagina. How deep the sperms reached during coitus is another factor that influences success while actively trying to conceive.

Sperm life includes the time for which they stay inside the vagina, uterus, and tubes. The fertility window depends not only on are sperm alive but on their motility and health.

How many sperms can fertilize an egg?

Only a single sperm can fertilize an egg. From millions of sperms, only a few reach the tubes and fewer to the egg. The egg has zona pellucida covering it enveloped by corona radiata. The processes coming out of the membrane of the ovum prevent sperms from reaching the egg and allow only one to fertilize it.

When a sperm crosses the membrane of the egg the membrane dissolves and forms a cone of reception. After the entry of one sperm the membrane polarity changes preventing entry of more sperm. This prevents the egg from having an abnormal extra copy of genetic material.

How long does it take sperm to get to the egg?

Healthy sperm can reach an egg within a few hours. A good climax gives a head start to the sperm’s journey up the cervix. The length of the cervix to tubes is about 18cm. Healthy sperms travel at a rate of 10 miles per hour. The sperm can make up the way in 45 minutes. But the sperm motion faces many barriers inside the female body.

How long does the egg wait for sperm? The egg can live for only 24 hours. So after ovulation, the egg waits for fertilization for about a day. After that or before that, sperms wait for the egg or are present in tubes to eventually die.

How do you calculate your fertility window?

Inside a woman’s body, there are about 600000 eggs at the start of the reproductive phase.

Every month nearly 3-30 eggs mature inside an ovary. However, only one of them ripens and comes out of ovary when there is an LH surge. The Luteinizing hormone is responsible for the rupture of the Graffian follicle.

How long does LH surge last? The LH surge lasts for 12 to 24 hours and is the time when ovulation occurs. The LH surge, ovulation, and conception have to be simultaneous events in order to get you pregnant.

How long after LH surge can you pregnant? The egg is viable for 24 hours and fertilization must occur within it. But to calculate fertile days you don’t have to find out those particular 24 hours.

The fertile period is longer than the time for which the LH surge occurs. But even during the fertility window, the peak fertility is for a shorter time.

How long does peak fertility last? Peak fertility is only for 48 hours or less. The term peak fertility refers to the period when having sex will most likely lead to pregnancy.

Abstinence during the peak fertility days prevents conception. Conception does not require you to have sex during peak fertility time. You can have sex earlier and wait for peak fertility window time.

How to improve your chances while trying to conceive (TTC)?

Some facts about the chances of getting pregnant when trying to conceive

1. Frequency of baby-making act: Sex every day doesn’t increase your chances of getting pregnant instead it lowers the quality of sperms produced. You must have sex near the day of ovulation rather than just after ovulation. But a woman’s cycle is not timed to the ticking of the clock. Some months you can have a shorter or a longer cycle. So waiting for the temperature to rise up won’t really help to get pregnant. You and your partner must have sex often during the entire week midway your cycle.

2. Sex positions for getting pregnant fast: There is no such sex position for getting pregnant that can significantly increase your chances but any position which puts the woman at the bottom is more conducive for conception. Washing your vagina or peeing after sex reduces the seminal fluid inside the vagina. The sperms inside your body move guided by the cervical contractions or fallopian tubes bristles. Climax is not essential for getting pregnant. Mild contractions of the uterus and bristles inside the tube guide the sperms up to the egg. Lying down after sex reduces the effect of gravity against the sperm’s motion.

3. Ovulation testing kits: The LH surge can be determined using ovulation test kits. Digital ovulation kits or regular OTKs can help detect ovulation. You have to take the test using your urine. They are accurate and fairly effective in getting pregnant fast.

4. Basal thermometer: Charting basal body temperature is a very popular yet tricky practice. Your temperature rises by a degree or half of the day of ovulation. Tracking ovulation using basal body temperature with a basal thermometer requires you to take a reading every day. Before you get out of your bed after waking up your body is at BBT. You must also look for ovulation signs such as a change in cervical mucus and position.

5. Ovulation Calculator or sensors: Some latest devices have vaginal and oral sensors that can detect ovulation. An online ovulation calculator requires you to input details about the menstrual cycle. A woman with an irregular period might find it difficult to follow this method.

Can you get pregnant a day before your fertile window?

You cannot get pregnant a day before your fertility window. The fertility window includes the days when you have chances of getting pregnant. Moreover getting pregnant refers to conceiving that happens only after ovulation.

A fertility window is a time when having sex can cause pregnancy. The first day of the fertility window itself has a very low chance of pregnancy. No matter whichever day coitus gets the sperms inside your body pregnancy occurs only after ovulation.

If you mean to ask if you can get pregnant a day before the fertility window for having sex, then the answer is Yes. There can be a change in ovulation date and so you can get pregnant before the fertility window. That is a case of miscalculation or being unaware.

Can you get pregnant during your fertile days?

Certainly one will get pregnant during her fertile days. But even when everything is correct a woman has only a 27-33% chance of getting pregnant every month. With increasing age and other factors such as heavy smoking this probability reduces. The symptoms of ovulation are important in determining the fertile window.

The post Fertility Window: How To Calculate Your Fertile Days? appeared first on Pregnancy.

Can cramps but no period mean I’m pregnant?

Yes. Depending upon the intensity of pain of cramps you can take it as a symptom of pregnancy.

Implantation cramps are not as painful as menstrual cramping. These cramps occur because of egg embedment the burrowing causes leaking of blood vessels.

The cramping along with bleeding during implantation is a sign that you could be pregnant. However, if you are not sexually active or are not having any pregnancy symptoms, merely cramping isn’t enough to declare a pregnancy.

I have cramps but no period: What Does it Mean?

Until they become pregnant, women associate cramping with menses. Most of them have cramps before their period is about to begin. But when they have cramps and period doesn’t start soon, the first thought they have for it is they could be pregnant.

After growing up, we tend to forget that there is something simple called stomach ache due to spoilt food consumption. Any pain in the abdomen first makes us search the possible causes due to the reproductive system.

But cramps can be because you are not eating well and have disorders like Anorexia or Bulimia.

Period cramps but no period

Cramping but no period is more likely talked about as menstrual cramps but no period. 

Here there could be a long text giving you all sorts of hope about being pregnant, but that can be disastrous.

In case you are having wild spasms and an unbearable pain then you need immediate treatment. Taking it as pa regnancy sign could be a life-threatening mistake.

There are many reasons for cramping but no period. Some of them might have no relation to the period, like an eating disorder or ovary torsion. And pregnancy is only of the many reasons.

If you have mild cramps, but no period then it may be ovulation and not pregnancy. In that case, you won’t term them as period cramps but no period.

Cramping for two weeks but no period

When the cramping continues for weeks then also you can’t simply take it as because of pregnancy. In fact, during implantation, the cramps will last for only 2 days. So cramping for two weeks but no period is a sign of disease.

STDs and other infections can cause itching and cramping. PCOS is a condition when the ovaries have a lot of cysts, and they can rupture. If the cyst is small or if there are repeated cysts rupture then you may have also bleeding.

During ovary torsion which is twisting of the ovary, the pain is so intense that one cannot withstand it for two weeks. Ovarian cancer at an early stage can also cause cramping for weeks

Why Do I Have Cramps but No Period

1) Ectopic pregnancy 

During Ectopic pregnancy the implantation occurs inside the tubes. There may be a blockage or scar that leads to implantation at the wrong place. The trophoblast guides the blastocyst, and the egg later remains until implantation. There can be genetic defects that cause implantation at the wrong site. The pain during tubal pregnancy is unbearable.

2) Inflammatory disease

Inflammatory disease such as pelvic inflammatory disease PID can cause cramps. The fertility of women will also suffer if the inflammation spreads up to the ovaries. A period will not happen when the endometrial lining also gets inflammation. The inflammatory diseases cause cramping because the walls become more sensitive.

3) Pelvic muscle spasms

When you meet an accident that causes trauma, then you can have spasms. Pelvic muscle spasms cause cramping, and there are many reasons for its occurrence. 

A trauma because of rough sex can also cause cramps. There is no relation with the happening of period and cramps in this case.

4) Appendicitis

There is a vestigial organ at the end of the large intestine. There can be infections in the large intestine that increase or affect the bacterial population adversely. The appendix is near the reproductive machinery, and so Appendicitis causes cramping because of the inflammation.

5) Ulcers

Ulcers are open sores which don’t heal quickly. Intestinal Ulcers cause sharp burning pain. Cramping is another symptom along with a burning sensation. Again this cause of cramps but no period has no relation to the reproductive cycle.

6) Ovarian cancer

When there is an abnormal division of cells of the ovaries it causes cancer. Ovarian cancer at early stages causes a lot of cramping. The ovary can turn over itself and cut off the blood supply. 

Ovary pain during pregnancy is because of ovary torsion. The tubes are thin and easily twist and turn over themselves.

7) Eating disorder

Any eating disorder can cause cramping of the intestine or gastrointestinal tract. Bulimia is an eating disorder in which the patient vomits after eating. 

Anorexia patient doesn’t eat fearing weight gain. These eating disorders cause painful cramps randomly.

8) Endometriosis

When the tissue of the uterus grows outside it invading other organs, then it leads to Endometriosis. The invasion of other tissues make the region rigid and lose the flexibility. It causes cramps and pain.

9) Ruptured cysts

A cyst is the cover of the ovum that bursts open to release an egg. Cysts cause a lot of pain and cramps. The reason for cramping is because of the twisting of cysts. They are an undifferentiated mass of cells that cause pain because of pinching from the endometrial lining.

10) Miscarriage 

Miscarriage is the loss of the baby before the 20th week. Heavy bleeding for more than one week is because of miscarriage. If there is a very early miscarriage, it is also because of a chemical pregnancy. Chemical pregnancy first seems normal with pregnancy symptoms and later starts bleeding.

11) Painful bladder syndrome

Urinary bladder inflammation due to infections or any other disease can cause cramps. The close location of the uterus and urinary bladder and even the external genitalia makes distinction difficult. You might be having a burning sensation near the urinary opening, and it feels like vaginal cramps.

12) Crohn’s disease

Ileitis or inflammation of the digestive tract causes abdominal cramps. It is a chronic disease of bowels and cramping is severe. The patient has problems during climbing or any activity that lays stress on the abdomen.

13) Pregnancy

Cramps but no period is an early symptom of pregnancy. Early pregnancy cramps are not painful and happen due to multiple reasons. Pregnancy cramps may be because of constipation or due to the accommodation of the uterus. After pregnancy, the periods stop because ovulation ceases. Since one egg is developing, the others stop.

14) Implantation

Implantation also leads to cramps during early pregnancy. Cramps but no period is a sign that there is a chance of implantation. When the egg embedment takes place, then the endometrial lining bleeds and cramping happens. 

The embryo attaches to the lining to extend villi to obtain nutrients and start growing.

15) Ovulation

Ovulation also causes pain because of rupture of cyst and LH surge. There may be spotting but very rarely. Cramps but no period could be because you are expecting your period early or ovulation occurred late. Stress, illness, and birth control pills can affect ovulation date.

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