Ovulation: The First Step in Reproduction
Ovulation is what happens when a woman's ovaries release an egg. Ovulation is thought to happen no more than once a month, although modern medicine believes some women ovulate up to five times a month, and some women may release more than one egg at once.
The egg settles into the fallopian tubes, where it waits to be fertilised by sperm. It then becomes the incubator for the embryo. If it weren't for ovulation, there would be no babies.
Ovulation and Your Pregnancy Test
Ovulation typically occurs about two weeks after the end of a woman's menstrual period. Since menstrual periods can be difficult to track, ovulations are likewise slightly shifty by nature. It's safe to assume you'll be fertile during the two weeks after the end of your period, however.
A pregnancy test measures the quantity of hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin) in your system. This hormone is only produced after a fertilised egg is settled into the endometrium in the uterus. A positive pregnancy test is not an absolute answer, however; you should take a second pregnancy test the day after, and, if necessary, a third pregnancy test in a week. Having a second pregnancy test result backs up the results of the first, and the third pregnancy test is simply to double-check after giving plenty of time for your period to show up or your body to spontaneously discard the embryo.
If you're uncertain, you can always have your doctor perform a pregnancy test as well. Their pregnancy test is a blood test rather than a urine one, and tests for a different variable, so it tends to be much more accurate.
Timing and Watching
Because you can't directly tell when your body is ovulating, it's difficult to judge when you will be fertile. Some women accomplish this by taking their basal temperature and trying to chart it against the rise and fall of particular fertility hormones. Many others simply treat it reactively, by taking a pregnancy test when they think they've missed a period. There is no one "right way" to know if you're fertile and when you're pregnant.
The best thing you can do is keep your ovulation cycles in mind, and act accordingly. Monitor your body's changes and feedback as closely as possible. Where a pregnancy test is concerned, it's better to take it too late than too soon - taking a pregnancy test two weeks after your missed period won't do any harm, but taking one a day after a missed period might yield inaccurate results. This is also why you should always take more than one pregnancy test - so the results will be closer to accuracy.
If you're trying to get pregnant, congratulations. You're embarking on a wonderful journey together. It would be safe to say you're most fertile two weeks after your period has ended, but keep in mind this doesn't exclude the possibility of getting pregnant at other times, as well. Keep a pregnancy test handy, but try not to be too eager about testing right away!
