By Keeva Stratton
It seems that for many women, by the time they’ve found the right man with whom to start a family, getting pregnant may not be as simple as they’d hoped. Understanding ovulation is one of the main keys to success, but while many women think they know when they’re ovulating, a recent study showed that 1 in 3 women get it wrong.
Clearblue has recently launched their new Digital Ovulation test to help women more accurately predict when they’re most fertile. We spoke with Dr. Jayne Ellis, Director of External Affairs for Clearblue, to learn more about the tricky business of predicting ovulation.
RESCU: What are the common mistakes women make when trying to predict their ovulation cycle?
Dr. Jayne Ellis: Based on our studies we know that women often assume they will be ovulating in the middle of their cycle, but for almost 50% of women this is not the case.
A recent Clearblue study showed that the Calendar method can be misleading, as only one in three women would have correctly identified peak fertility days. Using temperature monitoring is also common, but this identifies ovulation after the event, so a woman uses data from her last cycle, which is inaccurate. Cycle lengths and fertile days vary amongst all women, and from cycle to cycle, therefore methods based on menstrual cycle history cannot adapt correctly to the variability.
RESCU: What are the general misconceptions you’ve encountered about conceiving?
Dr. Jayne Ellis: When women start trying to conceive they expect it to happen quickly and do not anticipate any problems. They often do not realise there are only a few days each cycle in which they are fertile and that these days can be different from cycle to cycle.
They lack familiarity with methods to help them identify their fertile days and they are unaware that methods to help them time intercourse to the correct days can improve their chances of conception.
RESCU: Are there other factors—such as lifestyle, exercise, diet, stress—that can affect conception?
Dr. Jayne Ellis: Being underweight or overweight and smoking are some of the biggest factors known to impact conception (assuming couples are having regular intercourse). Having a BMI (body mass index) above 29 or below 19 can affect the time it takes to conceive, and smoking has been shown to reduce fertility in men and women. Medication can also impact conception and should be avoided, or advice from a doctor sought.
Positive factors women should implement in their lifestyle include taking folic acid supplements and reducing alcohol consumption.
RESCU: What advice would you give to women who are struggling to conceive?
Dr. Jayne Ellis: If the woman is 30 or younger and is just starting to try, they should use the Clearblue Fertility Monitor (or CB DOT) to help time intercourse at the optimum time of the month. This will give her the best chance to conceive as you’ll know when to have intercourse to time with ovulation.
If she is over 30 (especially if over 35), and has been trying for at least six months, we would suggest that you see your GP. It’s easy to have reassurance regarding ovulation and possibly also a sperm test for your partner. Fertility often declines after 35 and so it’s worth going to the doctor sooner rather than later.
RESCU: How can the Clearblue Digital Ovulation test help women wanting to conceive?
Dr. Jayne Ellis: Using the Clearblue Digital Ovulation test to help time intercourse at the optimum time of the month, can give women the best chance to conceive (as they will know when to have intercourse to time with ovulation). It has been shown that women who are aware of their fertile days have an increased likelihood of conceiving.
Hormone monitoring methods, such as the Clearblue Digital Ovulation test, prospectively identify the fertile days. Therefore, the time of peak fertility can be identified more accurately.
RESCU: When you have established your ovulation timings, what then? What is the best time to have sex in order to maximise your chances?
Dr. Jayne Ellis: When women see the LH surge symbol on the screen of the reader (The Smiley Face) they are about to ovulate and their chances of conception are now highest from now for two days. They need to do this each cycle, as peak fertility days vary each cycle.
The Clearblue Digital Ovulation Test is available nationally from major supermarkets and pharmacies in a pack of seven tests (RRP $69.99). For more information on the Clearblue Digital Ovulation Test and other products in the range, visit www.clearblue.com/au or call Clearblue’s Careline on 1800 125 021.