PCOS and Ovulation Testing: How to Track Your Cycle

How do I know when I’m ovulating with PCOS? For women with PCOS, this question can seem almost impossible to answer without expensive bloodwork and invasive procedures like endometrial biopsies and laparoscopies.  However, there are a few ways to track your cycle, detect ovulation and improve your chance of conception.

Fortunately, there are affordable and safe ways to track your ovulation cycle with PCOS, such as ovulation tests, fertility monitors, and basal body temperature charts. The best way to figure out your optimal tracking strategy will depend on whether you want to conceive naturally or get pregnant through in vitro fertilization (IVF).  My favorite tools for tracking ovulation with PCOS  are OOVA, Ovusense and Femometer

• Best Urine Ovulation Test for PCOS – OOVA
• Most Accurate Basal Temperature Tracker for PCOS – Ovusense
• Most Conveninent Basal Temperature Tracker for PCOS – Femometer

Keep reading to learn more about how to track ovulation with PCOS!

Things to Consider When Choosing an Ovulation Test

Not all ovulation tests are created equal. Before you go on a shopping spree, there are a few things you should know. The ideal ovulation test will be able to pinpoint two things—your luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, which indicates that ovulation is approaching, and your estradiol level, which can tell you if it has already happened. You want an accurate measurement of both because they’re crucial for getting pregnant with PCOS. You’ll also want something that measures these markers in multiple ways so you can see what works best for you. Test kits fall into three broad categories: urine tests, saliva tests, and blood tests. Each type comes with its own unique benefits and drawbacks. 

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Urine Tests for ovulation prediction

Uribe test kits usually predict ovulation by determining luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. LH is produced by your brain’s pituitary gland and usually reaches its peak level 24-36 hours before ovulation. By taking a urine test for luteinizing hormone, you can check for subtle increases in levels that can help predict ovulation. 

It’s important to note that for women with PCOS, LH levels may be abnormally elevated, additionally, if you have an irregular cycle, it can be difficult to determine when to test. 

Investing in an ovulation kit that is specially designed for women who have PCOS  and hormone imbalance is the best option

Oova offers a personalized approach that helps you track your cycle day by day – helping you better understand your body’s natural signals of fertility. I tried out Oova on my own PCOS journey and was so impressed by how accurately it tracked my cycles. I highly recommend checking out their website to learn more about how they can help improve ovulation monitoring for those living with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. 

Using a product like Oova may be the saving grace you need. Oova was the answer to my ovulation questions. It helped me pinpoint when I was actually ovulating and time intercourse appropriately. What made this different was that I simply needed to take a urine test, scan it into my app and it will spit out information about my LH level and Progesterone. Because I was working with my naturopathic doctor, she also had access to the result and we can both make next step plans during my journey of conceiving.

Why choose a urine ovulation test specially designed for women who have PCOS?

If you have ever jumped on the trend of tracking ovulation using strips, taking pictures, and crossing your fingers hoping for a peak in LH only to notice that your test results are consistently positive or always negative. This unpredictability can be mental torture and emotionally draining for women who suffer from PCOS. 

Tracking Fertility with a Basal Thermometer

There are a few ways you can track ovulation with PCOS, however basal temperature is one of the best ways to do so. The technique is simple: take your temperature before you get out of bed in the morning for about 10 days around your ovulation date, recording it each day. As your cycle approaches ovulation, you’ll notice that your temperature rises (known as a basal body temperature or BBT). When you see that rise, know that it’s time to check for fertile cervical mucus; if you’ve found fertile CM, then it’s time to conceive! Keep in mind that basal thermometers aren’t 100% effective, so be sure to check other methods when trying to conceive.

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Basal Temperature Chart

The basal body temperature (BBT) is a series of numbers that reflects your core body temperature. It’s generally measured immediately upon waking up after at least three hours of sleep. You can obtain it by using a BBT thermometer or by charting your temperatures. The BBT rise that occurs after ovulation generally ranges from 0.4-0.8 degrees Fahrenheit in most women, so learning how to use your BBT chart effectively is essential when tracking ovulation with PCOS. A rapid rise (1-2 degrees) is often indicative of ovulation, which happens during your luteal phase—the time between ovulation and menstruation—and gives you a window for conception purposes.

My two favorite tools for tracking BBT are Femometer and Ovusense

Ovucore by Ovusense is specially designed for women with irregular periods and PCOS. The device is inserted in the vagina at night and taken it out in the morning. The device will record the temperature and predicts ovulation 24 hours before it occurs. 

Femometer was a lifesaver for me. I found it difficult to track my ovulation by hand and preferred a more automated approach. Femometer basal thermometer made it possible for me to have a clear understanding of my menstrual cycle and predict when I am likely to ovulate.

The Best PCOS ovulation test

Finding an ovulation test that works with your body is a great way to track ovulation when you have PCOS. Because everyone’s body is different, you’ll need to try a few different tests to find one that is most effective for you. If possible, get advice from other women who have PCOS about what tests they’ve had success with. You can also talk with your doctor about which tests are most reliable for diagnosing fertility in women with PCOS. Regardless of what kind of test you end up trying, it will be much more effective if used during mid-cycle (around day 12) rather than just before or after ovulation.

Conclusion about how to track cycles with PCOS

Don’t Give Up! – Even if you find that you have irregular cycles, there are still a number of ways to track your ovulation. PCOS and ovulation testing are possible with patience, dedication, and some experimentation. No matter what kind of test you decide on, be sure to take it at roughly the same time every day for the best results. (Meaning don’t take a temperature reading one night then switch back to a monitor another.) Also, remember that your cycle may vary quite a bit from month to month; however, by tracking multiple metrics simultaneously over time, you can eventually build up a chart of your body’s natural rhythms and better predict when ovulation will occur.

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