Tracking your fertility can seem complicated, but with the right tools, it doesn't have to be. Using the Premom app paired with ovulation test kits takes the stress out of trying to get pregnant by helping you pinpoint your unique ovulation day as well as the most fertile days in your cycle.
How does a Premom App read my ovulation tests?
The Premom app automatically reads your uploaded ovulation test results and compares the colors of control and testing lines on your LH tests. The results are summarized as ‘t/c ratio’, allowing the app to monitor your hormone levels and help improve your ovulation prediction.
Ideally, your LH levels should be around 1.0 or higher on your peak day as the test line becomes as dark as a control line. However, some women may ovulate below this level. You’re always looking for the last, darkest day on your ovulation tests. For the majority of women, ovulation occurs in the 24-36 hours after a peak is found. This helps users plan intercourse to achieve pregnancy according to their unique hormone patterns and levels. After ovulation occurs, your LH levels will rapidly decrease to baseline levels.
How Does My Premom App Accommodate Lower Levels?
Premom gets to know you and your cycle the more you log! If the LH highest ratio value (peak) in your previous cycle was below 0.8, then the app will adjust to the following:
Less than 0.5 = Low
Greater than or Equal to 0.5 = High / Peak
Note: Keep Testing Through "Peak"!
In these circumstances, once a ratio reaches 0.5 in the current cycle, the app will be triggered to begin identifying the "peak", and will automatically mark the highest ratio value as the peak. Keep testing until your levels are done rising and begin to drop again. As you continue to test, the app will continue to adjust and choose the highest ratio value in that ovulation cycle as your peak for the cycle.
What are the Two LH Surge Patterns?
There are two LH surge patterns: Gradual (high days for 2-6 days) or Rapid (< 1 day). When you test all the way through your fertile window you can gather information to see your pattern. Knowing the pattern will help you understand your fertility and flow.
My maximum level is 0.4-- Did I ovulate?
It is possible you still ovulated, even though your highest recorded test levels are lower than average, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything was wrong with your cycleIt is likely for some women to fall into a lower spectrum of LH metabolite levels, and is not a major cause for concern as long as a LH peak is being identified in relation to your other testing days.
The Premom app will automatically select your high / peak even if it falls below 0.80, as long as it is 0.50 or higher.
If you’ve caught only low levels this cycle, it also is possible that you may have missed your peak. You may have a rapid LH onset pattern that can make it harder to catch your peak. If this is the case in your cycle, the way you utilize ovulation tests can make a huge difference. Consider testing two times a day between 10 am and 8 pm next cycle to ensure you aren’t missing a rapid LH surge.
Other reasons for these low levels could be not testing enough during your cycle or during the day -- or overly diluted urine samples. Consider keeping your water intake consistent while the ovulation test.
How do I Compare Cycles
Although ovulation test results can vary from cycle to cycle, there is an easy way to make a comparison on the app! When you capture an image of your ovulation test using the Premom app, The app will automatically assign a numerical result for your ovulation test and you may compare your current cycle with the previous one.
Meanwhile, you can also access a physician-designed cycle comparison report in our Premom Premium Membership. The comparison report provides you with additional insights into your unique patterns in fertile windows, moods, and symptoms by comparing your past cycles. By identifying unique patterns, users (especially those with irregular cycles and PCOS) can more accurately identify their fertile windows with ease or identify techniques to improve their testing practices. Premom members also receive a cycle comparison report after at least 2 cycles of tracking with a Premom app and can view the results of up to 3 cycles compared to each other at a time! You can use this cycle comparison to look for patterns that occur over the span of multiple cycles
Need to Double-Check?
If still unsure, basal temp. We offer an easy@Home Bluetooth basal thermometer that pairs with the Premom app. Basal temping confirms ovulation, while ovulation tests predict it. It is recommended to use both fertility tracking methods throughout the menstrual cycle and see where the coverline falls. Women who use both ovulation tests and BBT tracking tend to have an easier time pinpointing their ovulation day and getting pregnant quicker.
When in doubt, reach out via the support tab in the Premom app for added assistance.
Baby dust headed your way!
FAQ
Question: Why is my LH level so low?
Answer: It is possible for some users to ovulate with their maximum LH level lower than 0.5 and that’s just normal for your this cycle. As long as you see a peak compared to your other testing days and notice a rise in BBT about 24 hours after ovulation based on your LH peak, you likely ovulated.
On the other hand, it could be the case that you missed your LH peakIf you still aren’t sure if you have ovulated, you may consider tracking your basal body temperature to confirm your ovulation.
Question: What is the LH level needed for ovulation?
Answer: There is no perfect LH level needed to ovulate, every woman and every cycle is different. Most women experience their LH peak around .08-1.0 however many women will successfully ovulate with a lower or higher LH level. The important thing is to pay attention to your last, darkest day while ovulation testing and keep testing a few days after LH peak to ensure that it was your true peak day.
Monitoring your BBT for a rise in temperature after ovulation can also help to confirm that your observed LH peak resulted in ovulation.
Question: What should I do if my LH surge is low?
If your LH surge is low and you never see a peak, you’ll want to schedule a time to talk to your doctor to identify the cause of these low levels and the potential absence of ovulation.
Some women with longer cycles will have low days for a long time before the LH peak occurs, the first half of the cycle can vary greatly in women and may be quite long. Keep testing twice daily until you better understand your cycles to ensure you aren’t missing a rapid rise.
