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(text on screen): Ask the Expert
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Fertility Authority. Your Most Trusted Source
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How do I know if I'm ovulating?
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Eric Flisser, M.D., Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York: The only real proof of ovulation, without doing any in-depth testing, is a regular period.
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So, a woman who has a predictable period every, say, 21, to 35 days, is most likely ovulating.
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A period only really comes in an organized way when there's the release of progesterone hormone,
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which is initiated at the time of ovulation, and then when it is withdrawn when no pregnancy results.
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Then that drop in progesterone is what initiates the period.
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So, without any other testing, that's the, really, only kind of rule of thumb that anyone can use
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to determine whether or not they're ovulating regularly.
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Not all bleeding, obviously, is a period, so it can be confusing,
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but it's unlikely that a woman would have irregular, predictable bleeding patterns without having ovulation.
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The additional tests that can be done are, primarily, blood tests.
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You can look at the progesterone level after the date of expected ovulation to see whether it's risen to a level that is associated with ovulation.
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And then there are some indirect kinds of tests that can be done which don't necessarily prove ovulation,
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but can be very helpful, like using a home ovulation predictor kit.
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And those are urinary tests, or sometimes skin tests, that can be used to predict the LH surge,
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which is the brain hormone that triggers the release of the egg.
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If a woman can consistently pick up the LH surge at a predictable time each month, then it's also likely that she's ovulating.
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While that's clearly not proof of ovulation, and there are some medical conditions
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in which the LH surge can be mistaken for just a constantly elevated LH level.
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The primary one is polycystic ovary syndrome, where LH levels can be abnormally high
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and sometimes reach the threshold of the urine test and turn the test positive.
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And, certainly, perimenopause and menopause are also associated with high LH levels, in which case the tests will be positive every day.
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Normally, that test would only be positive for approximately 36 to 48 hours.
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(text on screen): Ask the Expert
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Fertility Authority. Your Most Trusted Source
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