The First Response pregnancy test has a sensitivity of 6.3 mIU, which means that it can detect a pregnancy less than 10 days past ovulation. This sensitivity is currently the best on the market. As stated above, as the pregnancy progresses, the amount of hCG doubles every 36 - 48 hours, which in a matter of days will bring this level up to the point where all pregnancy tests will be able to detect it and give a positive result.
But you may need or want to know as early as possible if you are pregnant or not:
Whatever your reason for wanting to know if you have conceived or not, First Response pregnancy tests are the only tests that can detect a pregnancy at 10 days past ovulation, or up to 6 days before your period is due.
First Response Ovulation Tests
First Response also make ovulation tests, which are very easy to use and predict with 99% accuracy the most two fertile days in your cycle. Most women are either unable to tell the days they are ovulating, or are unsure if they are reading ovulation symptoms correctly. Ovulation cramping, sometimes called mittelschmerz, is often experienced, but is not a reliable indicator that ovulation has occurred. Ovulation tests are used to identify the exact days in a woman’s individual cycle that ovulation occurs, in order to maximise the chances of conceiving.
How do ovulation tests work
Some couples, when they are trying to conceive (ttc), do not realise that there are only two days in your cycle that you can become pregnant; these are the two days following the LH (luteinising hormone) surge. This surge occurs just before ovulation happens. The LH surge can be detected in urine - a positive ovulation test result means that the LH surge has been picked up, so in order to maximise your chances of becoming pregnant, intercourse should take place 24 to 36 hours after this surge has been noticed. In other words, ovulation tests identify the best days in your cycle to try to conceive. The First Response ovulation tests have been shown to be over 99% accurate in picking up your LH surge.
When, in your cycle, should you use ovulation testsWhen, in your cycle, should you use ovulation tests
Most women keep a note of the length of their cycles; this is very important if you are trying to determine when to use ovulation tests. Day 1 is considered to be the day on which you start your period; count the days from here until you get your next period - a new day 1. So the length of your cycle is Day 1 until the day before your next period starts. Normal cycles can range in length anywhere from 20 to 45 days. If your cycle varies in length, take the average cycle length over the last three months as being your cycle length.
Counting Day 1 as being the start of your cycle, if you have a regular 28-day cycle, begin ovulation testing on day 11, i.e. count forward 11 days. Please see the table below for the number of days you should count forward, which depends on your cycle length:
Length of
cycle in days |
31 |
32 |
33 |
34 |
35 |
36 |
37 |
38 |
39 |
40 |
No. of days to
count forward |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
e.g. 1: if you get your period on Tuesday 7th September, and you have a regular 28 day cycle, counting 7th as day 1, start ovulation testing on Friday 17th September, i.e. 11 days forward as per the table above.
e.g. 2: if you get your period on Monday 27th September, and you have a 35 day cycle, counting 27th as day 1, start ovulation testing on Thursday 14th October, i.e. 18 days forward as per the table above.
How to use the First Response ovulation tests
First Response ovulation tests are very simple to use, identical to the way you use a pregnancy test. While it is not necessary to test first thing in the morning, you should test at around the same time every day. Avoid excessive drinking of any liquids for about two hours before using the ovulation test.
Easy steps to using the First Response ovulation test:
- remove the protective foil covering from the test
- remove the covering or cap from the test end of the ovulation test
- hold the test at the thumb grip end, with the absorbent test end pointing downwards, and the result window pointing away from your body
- hold the absorbent tip of the ovulation test into your stream of urine for 5 seconds only
- alternatively hold the absorbent tip into a sample of urine that was collected in a clean dry container, again for 5 seconds only
- while holding the ovulation test with the absorbent tip pointing downwards, replace the covering or cap
- lay the test on a flat surface with the result window pointing upwards
- wait for five minutes before you view the result of the ovulation test
- there should be at least one line in the result window; the first line is a reference line to show you that you have carried out the test correctly and that you have waiting the correct amount of time
- compare this reference line to the second line in the ovulation test window - the test line;
- if the test line is not visible or is lighter / paler than the reference line, you are not ovulating; take another test the following day
- if the test line is similar in colour and intensity to the reference line, or is darker than it, then you are ovulating; to maximise your chances of conceiving it is recommended that you have intercourse within the next 24-36 hours.
General notes re ovulation tests:
- ovulation does not always occur at the same time every month, so you may find that you need to start a second set or box of ovulation tests before you detect the LH surge
- ovulation tests are not to be used as a way to prevent a pregnancy from occurring.
First Response pregnancy tests and ovulation tests are delivered the next day from Inhealth’s warehouse in Dublin.
© 2010 Inhealth Ireland