1. Lh Surge And Ovulation Timing Intercourse
Understanding Luteinizing hormone
http://lhhormone.org
Helen asks…
Is it true that you should have intercourse every other day rather
than every day when TTC?
Is it true that you should have intercourse every other day rather than every day when TTC? If
im using an ovulation monitor does it make sense to have intercourse as many times as
possible within the 24-48 hours after my LH surge or should I limit it to 1 time?
Also, Ive heard that saliva can kill sperm and that you should avoid certain types of foreplay. Is
this true?
Pregnancy Advisor’s answers:
It is recommended that you have sex on alternative days while TTC, because the more times
you have sex the weaker you partners semen will become.
I have never heard of saliva killing sperm before.
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2. Sandra asks…
How many days after ovulation do you get your period?
What part of the cycle decides how long it your whole cycle will be? I know all cycles are
different for different women but where does the variance occur? Is it the days from your last
period to ovulation or the days from ovulation to your next period? If I use an ovulation
predictor kit and it says I ovulate today will conception happen in one week and implantation
one week from conception and my missed period be one week from implantation? Or can
ovulation, conception and implantation be further apart than one week?
Let me know if I’m not being clear enough in my question.
Pregnancy Advisor’s answers:
Typically you ovulate miway through your cycle. During a 28 day cycle you should ovulate on
day 14. This can vary and be a little early or later. The key concept according to my OB/GYN is
that the luteal phase is 14 days long (see below for further information). He recommends having
sex between CD8 and 18 every other day if you are trying to get pregnant (CD= cycle day,
counting CD1 as the first day you start your period).
Here is some better information that I hope answers your questions:
A woman’s monthly cycle is measured from the first day of her menstrual period until the first
day of her next period. On average, a woman’s cycle normally is between 28-32 days, but
some women may have much shorter cycles or much longer ones. Ovulation can be calculated
by starting with the day the last menstrual period (LMP) starts or by calculating 12-16 days from
the next expected period. Most women ovulate anywhere between Day 11 – Day 21 of their
cycle, counting from the first day of the LMP. This is what many refer to as the “fertile time” of a
woman’s cycle, because sexual intercourse during this time increases the chance of
pregnancy. Ovulation can occur at various times during a cycle, and may occur on a different
day each month.
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3. The Ovulation Cycle Divided into Two Parts:
The first part of the ovulation cycle is called the follicular phase. This phase starts the first day of
the last menstrual period (LMP) and continues until ovulation. This first half of the cycle can
differ greatly for each woman lasting anywhere from 7 days until 40 days. The second half of
the cycle is called the luteal phase and is from the day of ovulation until the next period begins.
The luteal phase has a more precise timeline and usually is only 12-16 days from the day of
ovulation. This ultimately means that the day of ovulation will determine how long your cycle is.
This also means that outside factors like stress, illness, and disruption of normal routine can
throw off your ovulation which then results in changing the time your period will come. So the
old thought that stress can affect your period is only partly true. Stress can affect your ovulation
which ultimately determines when your period will come, but stress around the time of an
expected period will not make it late—it was already determined when it would come 12-16 days
earlier!
From the Menstrual Period to Ovulation (the details you may not know!)
When your menstrual cycle begins, your estrogen levels are low. Your hypothalamus (which is
in charge of maintaining your hormone levels) sends out a message to your pituitary gland
which then sends out the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). This FSH triggers a few of your
follicles to develop into mature eggs. One of these will develop into the dominant follicle, which
will release a mature egg and the others will disintegrate. As the follicles mature they send out
another hormone, estrogen. The high levels of estrogen will tell the hypothalamus and pituitary
gland that there is a mature egg.
A luteinizing hormone (LH) is then released, referred to as your LH surge. The LH surge causes
the egg to burst through the ovary wall within 24-36 hours and begin its journey down the
fallopian tube for fertilization. The follicle from which the egg was released is called the corpus
luteum, and it will release progesterone that helps thicken and prepare the uterine lining for
implantation. The corpus luteum will produce progesterone for about 12-16 days (the luteal
phase of your cycle.) If an egg is fertilized, the corpus luteum will continue to produce
progesterone for a developing pregnancy until the placenta takes over. You can begin looking
for pregnancy symptoms as early as a week after fertilization. If fertilization does not occur the
egg dissolves after 24 hours.
At this time your hormone levels will decrease and your uterine lining will begin to shed about
12-16 days from ovulation. This is menstruation (menstrual period) and brings us back to day 1
of your cycle. The journey then begins all over again.
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4. Donna asks…
I am one week past ovulation date and my breasts are still really
sore, is this normal for some woman?
My husband and I have been ttc for just 3 months, but this month, i timed it and had
intercourse the day before my LH surge was detected thru opk and two days after, what are
the chances I could be pregnant? Could this be why mt breasts are still tender?
Pregnancy Advisor’s answers:
Your breasts are tender due to elevated progesterone after ovulation. Those symptoms are
common and last up until the next period.
Laura asks…
4/9

5. I’ve been using a ovulation kit and I was just wondering,does it
detect before and while you ovulate?
I’m just wondering because it says it detects the LH surge 24-36 hours before you ovulate.I
keep testing and it’s been over 36 hours.So I’m just wondering if it detects the LH surge while
I’m ovulating also?
Pregnancy Advisor’s answers:
I just popped my head into my husbands account (I am a girl)
It is my understanding that it detects the surge which would be the 24 to 36 hours then you
need to check your temp drop. I think if you have intercourse during the 24 to 36 hours after the
surge this is the optimum time to successfully obtain a fertilized egg. You should probably wait
for more answers though as I don’t know how far ovulation tests have come in ten years. Good
luck !
Lizzie asks…
How long does it take to become pregnant after depo ?
I am trying to become pregnant but I am not sure of my chances. I was on depo from Oct 05-
Aug 07. After intercourse I have recently saw blood and I didn’t know if thats my period
because it goes away after 1 day or a couple of hours. Any advice on how I can become
pregnant and if the depo will prolong that?
5/9

6. Pregnancy Advisor’s answers:
Ok well I was in your shoes a few months ago and now I am pregnant! So here’s how it worked
for me:
I was on depo from June 2007 until Dec 2007. And since I know it could take awhile for periods
to return I had heard it helps if you get on the pill for a month or two to regulate. So I got on Yaz
from March 2008 (3 months from my last shot) to May 2008. I was having VERY irregular
periods during this time, but came off EVERYTHING June 2008.
Because I wasn’t sure when ir IF I’d even ovulate I decided to use the ovulation prediction test
kits that you can buy at Walmart. I bought the Answer ones because they come with 20 test
strips as opposed to like 7 or 8 for the same price!
Anyway so I tested 2x a day until I got a test with a line darker than the comparison line –
meaning it had detected my lh surge. So my and the hubby did our thing that day 2x next day 1x
and the 3rd day 1x.
I was expecting to have to try and try and try because of everything I’d read about depo and
trying to get pregnant PLUS, like I said, my periods were SO irregular I wasn’t quite sure if I’d
really ovulated or if the test had been mistaken.
So I waited as long as I possible could wait and decided to test at 8 days past the date I’d
gotten the positive on the ovulation test kit. Well, shockingly enough, there was a VERY faint
test line. I still thought there was no way I could be pregnant so the following morning I tested
again and sure enough the line was a tiny bit darker. I’m now almost 6 weeks pregnant.
Also let me add that if you do decide to take a pregnancy test THAT early then there is only one
brand that can detect it with such low hcg levels – 1st Response Early Result home pregnancy
test. It is the only one that can detect the pregnancy hormone as low as 6.3 – that’s VERY
impressive considering that anything below a 5 is considered “not pregnant”. And also if you
decide to ever test this early invest in the 2 or 3 pack box of tests so that if it comes up negative
or a faint line (like mine did) you can have extra tests on hand to retest with in a day or two.
I know every woman’s body is different and I know how horrible it is to come off the shot (I’ll
never get it again just because of the stress I went through when I came off of it thinking i might
not be able to get pregnant)…. I just wanted to share my story with you to give you hope and
also to let you know a few tips that I used when coming off the shot to get pregnant!
Best of luck to you!!! And lots and lots of “baby dust”!!
6/9

7. Susan asks…
How Accurate are the home ovulation tests?
My husband and have been actively trying to get pregnant since last month. I bought the First
Response at home ovulation kit (the 20 pack), and there were 2 days when there were 2 lines,
but i hate to say that I am skeptical! Has anyone used them and got pregnant based on the
results? It’s still too soon for me to take a test.
Pregnancy Advisor’s answers:
Ovulation tests detect luteinizing hormone (LH). Just prior to ovulation, women experience a
brief surge in luteinizing hormone. Ovulation predictor kits help you pinpoint this surge and
anticipate ovulation – your most fertile period in your cycle. Luteinizing hormone, in elevated
amounts, is actually the hormone that causes you to ovulate (when the eggs bursts from the
ovarian follicle), so that is why lh tests are so effective in anticipating your most fertile time.
Q: How do I interpret results? The same as pregnancy tests?
Ovulation tests function differently than hCG pregnancy tests. A positive result (indicating an LH
Surge) is indicated by a test band that is of equal or greater intensity (equal or darker) than the
control band. A negative result for the LH Surge is indicated when the test band is of lesser
intensity (lighter) than the control band or cannot be seen. Click here to see diagrams of test
results.
Q: What is the best time of day to take the ovulation test?
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8. Unlike pregnancy tests, morning (first morning urine) is not the best time to collect samples for
ovulation tests, as LH is synthesized in your body early in the morning and will not appear in
your urine until the afternoon. The ideal time to test is in the afternoon, around 2pm, though
testing may safely take place from 10am to early evening.
Q: Should I take the test the same time every day?
Yes, be sure to test at the same time each day. Also, reduce your liquid intake around 2 hours
before testing as a diluted liquid sample can prevent or hinder LH detection.
Q: When should I beginning testing with the ovulation predictor kit?
To determine when to start testing, you must first determine the length of your menstrual cycle.
The length of the menstrual cycle is the number of days from the first day of menstrual bleeding
to the day before bleeding begins on the next period. Determine the usual length of the
menstrual cycle over the last few months. Then, refer to the Cycle Chart to determine on which
day of the menstrual cycle to begin testing. Click Here determine when to begin testing?
Q: How long after my LH surge will ovulation take place?
Generally, ovulation will take place 12-48 hours after the LH surge is first detected (using
afternoon urine samples), though 36 hours is considered to be the average length of time
following the LH surge.
Q: When I get a positive on an ovulation test, when is the best time to have intercourse?
To increase the chance of conception, it is best to have intercourse the day of the LH surge as
well as following three days after.
Q: Does the appearance of faint ‘test band’ indicate an LH surge?
A faint line (or a faint positive test band) does not indicate a positive result for an LH surge.
While the presence of a faint line on a pregnancy test may indicate a positive result, a faint line
on an OPK is always negative.
Q: Does taking my basal body temperature tell me the same thing as an OPK?
Basal Body Temperature only tells of your LH surge after it is over. That is why the BBT
method cannot predict the LH surge. Ovulation tests will tell you – with pinpoint accuracy –
when your chances for conception are greatest.
Q: Can OPKs be used as contraception devices?
Ovulation tests are designed to help facilitate pregnancy. They are not recommended for
contraception.
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9. Q: Can clomid interfere with test results or cause false positives?
Clomid may cause false positives if you test for ovulation too early in your cycle. Please consult
with your doctor about how to use OPKs in conjunction with Clomid – or other fertility and
prescription drugs.
Q: Does a light test line and a dark control line indicate a positive result?
Ovulation tests are unlike pregnancy tests – especially when it comes to interpreting results.
The results are only positive if the test line is equal to or darker than the control line.
Q: I had a positive result yesterday and today. Does that mean there is something wrong?
Such results may indicate that your the tests detected the LH Surge on the way up and again
on the way down.
Q: What if I experience a BBT thermal shift but the ovulation tests failed to detect my LH Surge?
It is possible to miss the surge. If you have a test line that is fairly dark one day then very light
the next, you may have missed the actual surge. If your thermal shift occurs, you probably
ovulated. It may be a good idea to test twice a day when you feel that you are close to
ovulating. Another possibility is that you didn’t hold your urine long enough (resulting in a
diluted sample
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Answering Your Questions on LH Surge
http://LHSurge.org
Lh Surge And Ovulation Timing Intercourse
9/9
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