Predicting Ovulation

I am using urine sticks, charting my temperature and using OV-Watch and they are all telling me something different. Why?

All three of those methods of ovulation detection are testing different things.
While LH urine kits look for the presence of lutenizing hormone in the urine 12-36 hours before ovulation, and BBT tells you a temperature rise after ovulation has occurred, OV-Watch detects the chemical surge of chloride ions on the skin approximately 6 days before you ovulate, which is an earlier predictor of a woman’s fertility.

Urine sticks predict ovulation by detecting your  LH surge. That surge typically comes about 24 hours before you ovulate. If you did not get a positive on your urine sticks, you are part of the 30% of women that don't from time to time. In fact, urine testing for the LH surge may miss ovulation in up to 1/3 of women (23- 32%) ¹⁰ ,¹¹ and 1 in 10 women  (9.7%) may see false positive results.¹²  “Even if the LH surge identifies a day with good probability of conception, the brief window of time identified, prospectively limits the opportunity to have multiple acts of intercourse before ovulation.” ⁹
If you are taking your temperature to find when you have ovulated, the rise in temperature only indicates that you have ovulated. No conceptions have been documented in the medical literature on the day after ovulation. ³ In fact, recent evidence indicates that charting your temperature is a highly inaccurate means to detect ovulation.  The lowest point of the temperature and subsequent rise may occur up to 6 days before ovulation but can also be seen 4 days after ovulation when there is not a chance of pregnancy.¹³

Predicting Ovulation with OV Watch

OV-Watch fertility predictor is clinically proven, patented, and FDA-cleared. It is a lightweight, wrist–mounted, chloride ion-sensing medical device. It works entirely different from the LH urine kits and BBT. It senses the chloride ion surge on the surface of your skin that comes approximately 6 days before you ovulate. That surge is an earlier indication of pending ovulation than LH. OV-Watch provides you your entire fertility window- the 4 days before and your time of ovulation.

Utilizing your entire fertile window when you are trying to conceive makes all the difference. The primary benefit of monitoring and utilizing your complete Fertility Window is that you maximize your probability of conceiving. Assuming that you have intercourse during the 4 days before ovulation, studies have shown that you more than double your chances of conceiving that month.

This is because sperm (sperm can live in cervical mucous for up to 5 days⁴) is waiting for the egg, so knowing the 4 days before ovulation is crucial. It is also beneficial for the couple to have the ability to be more spontaneous thus reducing stress related to trying to conceive. Working couples that travel are now able to plan around travel and work commitments. Having the entire fertility window to plan for intercourse allows you to utilize more than just ovulation day.

Having intercourse on the full fertility window that OV-Watch provides doubles your chances of conceiving as compared to using LH test sticks.

References:

1. Wilcox AJ, Weinberg CR, Baird DD. Timing of sexual intercourse in relation to ovulation. Effects on probability of conception, survival of the pregnancy and sex of the baby. N England J Med 1995; 33:1517-21.
2. Dunson D, Baird D, Wilcox A, Weinberg C. Day-specific probabilities of clinical pregnancy based on two studies with imperfect measures of ovulation. Human Reprod 1999; 14:1835-9.
3. Dunson D. Weinberg C, Baird D, Kesner J, Wilcox Aj. Assessing human fertility using several markers of ovulation. Stat Med. 2001; 20:965-8.
4. Katz DF, Human cervical mucous: research update. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1991;165:1984-6.
5. Harrison KL, Wilson LM, Breen TM, Pope AK, Cummins JM, Hennessey JF. Fertilization of human oocytes in relation to varying delay before insemination. Fertil Steril. 1988; 50:294-7.
6. Hull M, Glazener C, Kelly N, et al. Population study of casues, treatment, and outcome of infertility. Br Med J Clin Res Ed. 1985; 291-1693-7
7. Hilgers TW, Daly KD, Prebil AM, Hilgers SK. Cummulative pregnancy rates in patients with apparently normal fertility and fertility-focused intercourse. J Reprod Med 1992;37:864-6.
8. Hilgers TW. The medical applications of natural family planning: A contempory approach to women’s healthcare. Omaha, Nebraska. Pope Paul VI Institute Press, 1991.
9. Stanford JB, While GL, Hatasaka HH. Timing Intercourse to achieve pregnancy: current evidence. Am J Ob Gynecol 2002;100:1333-41.
10. Lewis, V, Queenan J, Hoeger K, Stevens J, Guzick, D. Clomiphene citrate monitoring for intrauterine insemination timing: a randomized trial. Fertil Steril 2006; 85(2):401-6.
11. Nielson MS, Barton SD, Hatasaka HH, Stanford JB. Comparison of several one-step home urinary luteinizing hormone detection test kits to OvuQuick. Fertil Steril 2001; 76(2):384-7.
12. McGovern PG, Myers ER, Silva Susan, et al. Absence of secretory endometrium after false-positive home urine luteinizing hormone testing. Fertil Steril 2004; 82(5):1273-7.
13. Guermandi E, Vegetti W. Reliability of ovulation tests in infertile women. Obstet Gynecol. 2001;97(1):92-6.
14. Hatcher et al, Contraceptive Technology, 16th revised edition, Irvington Publishers, 1994, pp. 537-539