Costs Of Ovulation Tests In Canada
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Ovulation tests are a big deal to people wanting to become pregnant, but are the tests essential?
Today, we explore what ovulation tests are for and the costs for people wanting to start a family.
Timing Is Critical When Family Planning
Knowing when you ovulate is exciting.
However, finding out you are pregnant is an overwhelming excitement many women look forward to.
For some, conceiving a child is easier than for others, which may require extra effort, planning, and money invested.
Timing is everything when planning to start a family.
Some extreme measures need to kick-start the process beginning with a fertility calendar and knowing when you ovulate.
Knowing when a woman is ovulating may help ease or prevent worry when reading a negative pregnancy test.
What Is Ovulation?
Ovulation means the release of one or many eggs from your ovaries waiting to get fertilized by healthy waiting sperm.
You must ensure there is sperm waiting for the egg to get pregnant, although this doesn’t always happen for everyone.
When a woman ovulates and releases an egg, it has been separated from its follicle, waiting patiently for fertilization.
OK, maybe not so patiently, as the window of opportunity for fertilization is generally around 12-24 hours.
Our bodies produce luteinizing hormone (LH), which aids in separating the egg from the follicle.
An ovulation test detects the presence of Luteinizing hormone, also known as LH.
The ovaries don’t both release eggs every month either.
One month an egg could drop from the left ovary and the next from the right.
Only testing will help you determine if eggs are being released.
This is true, especially if you struggle to get pregnant, have one tube blocked, or clamped shut from surgery.
Many brands of ovulation tests are available on the market, and the cost of these tests can vary significantly.
When To Use Ovulation Tests
Here are a few tips if you’re unsure when to start using ovulation tests.
Predicting ovulation can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be difficult with all the tests readily available to consumers.
There is no science to calculate ovulation, but there are statistics that your doctor will tell you about.
Understanding your menstrual cycle is essential for knowing when to use start using ovulation tests.
If you plan to conceive, using a calendar to track your menstrual cycle for a few months before creating will be a handy tool if you plan to use ovulation tests.
The length of your cycle may affect when you ovulate.
Typically, women with a longer menstrual cycle will ovulate later than women with a shorter cycle.
Ovulation time can vary from one week after the first day of your last period to three weeks.
Many women typically ovulate around the 14th day of their cycle.
If you have an irregular menstrual cycle figuring out when you are ovulating may take a few months and many ovulation tests.
Having to repeat the ovulation test multiple times can get expensive.
Comparing Brands Of Ovulation Tests
Dollar Store brand ovulation test vs. Well known brand names ovulation tests.
Are ovulation tests accurate?
Well, that all depends, but for the most part, the manufacturers of the ovulation test products.
For example, they say that they are 99% accurate. Yes, they are, although there is always that 1% chance they are not.
Previously, Mr. CBB discussed dollar store pregnancy tests and who would consider one since they are cheaper than the Clear Blue Pregnancy test.
After one pregnancy and paying $18.99 for a pregnancy test, I went the dollar store route to confirm my second pregnancy with my daughter.
I paid $1.00 (before everything went up) for the pregnancy test, which confirmed that I was indeed pregnant.
I was six weeks pregnant, and my daughter was born nine months later.
Dollarama also sells an ovulation test for $1.25 for one single test.
The ovulation test accuracy seems to have worked out well for many people as the test is viral.
Don’t mix the ovulation test with the pregnancy test, as you will not get the results.
Always read the package and instructions on using the test and the best time to do the ovulation test so you don’t waste your money.
The dollar store ovulation test is much cheaper than I have seen at Walmart.
Costly Name Brand Ovulation Tests
Name brands that Walmart sells, such as the First Response Digital ovulation test and the Clear Blue ovulation test, range from 7- 20 tests per box and vary in price from $35.97-$64.97 each box.
After some math, I realized that the average price per single ovulation test from Walmart is approximately $4.56, the cheapest being $2.99 for one test before tax.
Though I have not used an ovulation test, the dollar store ovulation test may be just as practical and may put a significantly smaller hole in your pocket and budget.
Effective Use Of Ovulation Tests
Conceiving should be an exciting, stress-free time in your life, though unfortunately for some, this is not the case.
If you are investing money into the process by purchasing ovulation tests, then using them effectively is essential; after all, you want to get your money’s worth.
Unlike a pregnancy test most accurately used first thing in the morning, this is not the case for an ovulation test.
Luteinizing hormone is produced in our bodies in the morning and is undetectable until later.
Between 10 am and 7 pm are the most recommended times to use them, and it is also a good idea to use them simultaneously every day.
Reducing the amount of fluids, you take two hours before using the test is also recommended.
Having excessive liquid may dilute the amount of luteinizing hormone in your urine.
Signs Of Ovulation
Some women may not experience or be able to detect signs of ovulation, while others may. A common symptom of ovulation is a drop in your basal temperature.
According to my doctor, most women ovulate anywhere from 10-14 days after the start of their period.
You count the first day of your period as day one up until day 10-17, depending on if you are on a regular 28-day cycle.
Some women are on a 30-day cycle, meaning ovulation times will differ.
I don’t think there is any number or science that can accurately predict ovulation other than taking an ovulation test.
This may also differ for those with an irregular period, but it is just a ballpark number, and your body will tell you when the right time to conceive will be.
Some people have sex in the ovulation window for years, and nothing happens until they take an ovulation test, only to find out that they were ovulating at a different time.
To use temperature as an indicator of ovulation, a basal thermometer needs to be used as the drop in temperature will be only slight, and a regular thermometer will not be able to detect it.
Take your temperature first thing in the morning and record it at the same time every day; a drop in temperature may indicate that you are about to ovulate.
Other signs of ovulation are increased cervical mucus, stomach pains over the ovaries, and increased desire for sex.
Get Jiggy With It
You have a positive ovulation test result. Now what?
Once you have received a positive ovulation test result when using an ovulation test, it is time to get to work.
Remember, the window of opportunity for the egg to survive and be fertilized is not very big, so don’t waste too much time.
My doctor told me to ensure we have sex at least 2-3 times a week or every few days so there is enough sperm waiting for the egg when it is released.
You don’t have to have sex every day, but you do need to make sure you have sex regularly, although having accurate ovulation test detection is critical to the entire process.
Have some fun, and good luck may be on your side.
Discussion: Have you used an ovulation test, and did it work for you?
Please share your comments below.
Thanks for reading and stopping by,
Mr. CBB
Ovulation tests are a little more accurate than any calculator, so between the two things you’re talking about, don’t give the calculator any credit at all and trust the ovulation test instead. However, even ovulation tests can’t tell you for sure whether you actually ovulate, nor can it tell you when it happens. Ovulation test strips just tell you when you have a certain hormone called Luteinizing Hormone (LH) present at a certain prerequisite high level.
We tried them and tried them, spent way too much on CBFM and also on fertility medications. Finally threw our hands up and decided to get on with life and forget about getting pregnant and it happened! So for some, the kits might work. For us, I think the stress of knowing exactly when everything was happening with the CBFM made it stressful and harder to get pregnant for us. I hated hearing it while trying, but what really made it happen for us was forgetting about trying and just enjoying life.
I would highly recommend the Clear blue Digital Fertility Monitor. It’s expensive but if you are serious about getting pregnant it works, and it’s cheaper in the long run. I got pregnant the first month using it (after months of trying) then I leant it to a coworker who got pregnant her first month using it after trying for over a year to get pregnant with regular ovulation predictor kids. I have tried those OPKS from the dollar store but I can’t get a clear reading off them to save my life! Lol
Another great article Katrina!!!! I never used the tests. I’m not even sure if they were readily available back then! I’ve had friends over the years go to a lot of trouble and such in order to get pregnant but I didn’t have any trouble there. Witness that I have three kids…Lol! I wonder if some might use these tests to make sure they don’t get pregnant? To see if it’s safe to have sex then or not…..
We tried the ovulation test kit and a spent an arm and a leg on them, but feeling frustrated after trying for more than a year we thought it was worth a try because we felt like nothing was ever gonna work!! We bought one kit and it didn’t work, so I refused to spend any more money on any of them, kinda wish we knew they were at the dollar store before buying that expensive one.
We also tried many other things like taking your temperature to help track when you ovulate, even downlaoded an app that was supposed to help predict when your about to ovulate, even had a calender on our phone to keep try of the dates of everything that happened and read every book and article we could. Then finally after two years of trying it happened!!!! Just when we gave up all hope our love child was created. 🙂
Oh my goodness who knew the baby would be so expensive even before it was CONCEIVED?!