You are carefully watching your ovulation chart and conducting pregnancy tests, and have a fair idea of your ovulation. But is it still possible that you can get a positive pregnancy test after a week past ovulation? The answer is in the affirmative though it is rarest of the rare case.

During your ovulation cycle, your ovary releases the ripest egg into the fallopian tube for fertilization. Popping up of most mature egg into fallopian tube is called ovulation. We are familiar with the process of fertilization. When a female gamete called egg meets with a sperm in a women’s fallopian tube, this phenomenon is known as fertilization. The lifespan of female gamete or egg is twenty four hours. So for conception the sperm has to reach that egg within twenty four hours. If the egg is not fertilized it will be shed out of your body through menstrual cycle. Then how come anyone be pregnant a week after ovulation?

We know that ovulation and periods happen at different times in your body. The best time for conceiving is when you ovulate. But there are many exceptions. Sometimes it is possible for the egg to survive for three or more days. So theoretically you have ovulated but egg is not out of your body. If you have an intercourse during these days you can get pregnant because the egg is still surviving past its prime. Though this is extremely uncommon.

You can conceive while having your periods. Suppose you have a very short menstrual cycle. An extremely short menstrual cycle makes it possible that you are ovulating and having periods at the same time. If you indulge in intercourse during this time it is possibility that you can conceive.

If you want to know when you are ovulating listen to your body’s whisperings. If you pay a close attention, you are likely to spot certain changes in your body.

Slight Abdominal Pain
One fifth of women can experience pain in the lower abdominal area during ovulation. The intensity of pain may vary. It could be a mild ache or cramps. A German word “mittelschmer ” (means middle pain) is used to describe this pain. The duration of this pain may also vary from a few minutes to a few hours. Pay attention to this pain every month. This way you will be able to pinpoint this trend correctly.

Changes in Cervical Mucus
When your body experiences a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH), volume and texture of your mucus discharge changes. During ovulation volume of mucus increases and mucus becomes clear, slippery and stretchy. This particular type of texture helps the sperm to sail through its journey easily. It’s the nature’s way to ensure that at least one sperm reaches the egg.

Secretion of pheromones
When you are ovulating your body secretes pheromones. Men find the smell of pheromones quite sexy. During ovulation nature makes you more attractive to the opposite sex to accomplish the purpose of procreation. You might be quite unaware of pheromones but men are clearly not!

Taking care to look attractive
Humans don’t exhibit their courtship as brazenly as the animal world, but when you are ovulating, you take special care to dress and pay more attention to your looks and accessories. Unconsciously you do things that make you look hot and catch the attention of a male.

Socializing
You feel the need to socialize more, flirt more and feel a surge in sexual desire. If you are in a committed relationship, you crave for your partner sexually. You tend to go out, socialize with men, and be a bit more flirtatious while ovulating.

While conceiving is a cakewalk for some women, some find it exceptionally difficult to get pregnant. Among all those women in whom ovulation remains allusive, a majority of them are not suffering from fertility problems.

For many couples it’s just that timing is inaccurate. Today’s fast-paced life is taking its toll on reproductive cycles too. People are so tired and exhausted running various errands that they just collapse in the bed at night, having no energy for sex. In fact sex is almost relegated to a weekend activity.

High stress-level of modern day’s lifestyle is also affecting the reproductive cycles of both men and women. Since productive sex happens so infrequently, the couples are unable to pin down an optimal time for baby-making sex.

When sex life is erratic, the chances of conceiving become slimmer because there is normally a short span of time for women to conceive between two menstrual cycles. If couples can’t have sex during this period then it will be another wait for the next most fertile time frame.

The female reproductive system discharges a mature egg from the follicle to the fallopian tube during each menstrual cycle. This simple process is known as ovulation. We are aware of the fact that union of egg and sperm is essential for conceiving. This egg is simply unavailable for fertilization most of the time. The egg is accessible for fertilization for 12 to 24 hours only. But the life span of sperms in the female genital tracts is around 5 days. These 5-6 days are crucial for fertilization. If no sex happens in this duration then a couple has to wait for next ovulation. It is amply clear that conceiving greatly depends on right timings.

Ovulation plays a decisive role in conceiving. Knowing your ovulation period increases your chances of getting pregnant. The most appropriate time for conceiving is the day before ovulation or on the exact date of ovulation. But the experts advise to have sex for 5 to 6 days leading to ovulation. This ensures that healthy sperm is available for fertilization

While conceiving is a cakewalk for some women, some find it exceptionally difficult to get pregnant. Among all those women in whom ovulation remains allusive, a majority of them are not suffering from fertility problems.

For many couples it’s just that timing is inaccurate. Today’s fast-paced life is taking its toll on reproductive cycles too. People are so tired and exhausted running various errands that they just collapse in the bed at night, having no energy for sex. In fact sex is almost relegated to a weekend activity.

High stress-level of modern day’s lifestyle is also affecting the reproductive cycles of both men and women. Since productive sex happens so infrequently, the couples are unable to pin down an optimal time for baby-making sex.

When sex life is erratic, the chances of conceiving become slimmer because there is normally a short span of time for women to conceive between two menstrual cycles. If couples can’t have sex during this period then it will be another wait for the next most fertile time frame.

The female reproductive system discharges a mature egg from the follicle to the fallopian tube during each menstrual cycle. This simple process is known as ovulation. We are aware of the fact that union of egg and sperm is essential for conceiving. This egg is simply unavailable for fertilization most of the time. The egg is accessible for fertilization for 12 to 24 hours only. But the life span of sperms in the female genital tracts is around 5 days. These 5-6 days are crucial for fertilization. If no sex happens in this duration then a couple has to wait for next ovulation. It is amply clear that conceiving greatly depends on right timings.

Ovulation plays a decisive role in conceiving. Knowing your ovulation period increases your chances of getting pregnant. The most appropriate time for conceiving is the day before ovulation or on the exact date of ovulation. But the experts advise to have sex for 5 to 6 days leading to ovulation. This ensures that healthy sperm is available for fertilization.

Researchers from Canada and Europe have revealed the mystery of a special gene responsible for the regulation of ovulation. Without this gene women can’t ovulate. They have named it Lrh1 gene. Before this discovery, the role of the Lrh1 gene regarding female infertility was unclear. The new study – an association between the Université de Montréal in Canada and the Institut de génetique et biologie moléculaire et cellulaire of the Université de Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France – is published in the latest issue of the journal “Genes & Development”.

To uncover this interesting truth, scientists have developed genetically modified mice whose Lrh1 gene was blocked in the ovary. When these mice were allowed to mate they produced no babies. Researchers have pinned down the fact that absence of this gene Lrh1 interfered with many processes that lead to ovulation. This gene carries out many functions such as hormonal balance, preparation of egg for ovulation, and rupture of the ovarian follicle that releases the egg.

This fact can prove useful in contraceptives. Currently steroid based contraceptives are in use with undesirable side effects. But the new contraceptive using latest findings about ovulation can be safer, more valuable and effective. If somehow this Lrh1 gene can be turned off you will not ovulate. If you will not ovulate then you will not release an egg and without egg there will be no fertilization and pregnancy. If you want to get pregnant, scientists have to find some mechanism or drug to turn on that magical gene again and suddenly your ovulation cycle is restored to normalcy.

This gene can be used in treating infertility and render hope to couples wanting children. Researchers can find a drug that can activate the ovulation gene Lrh1. We are all aware that by ovulating an infertile female will be able to release an egg which can be fertilized by the sperm.

All said and done we still have to wait and find out how it affects our overall body functioning if we start playing with genes.

What happens when you are pregnant? First you ovulate, means your ovary discharges the most mature egg into your fallopian tube. If this egg unites with a sperm, it will be known as fertilized egg. This fertilized egg slides down into your uterus and implants itself in your uterus lining. Soon this fertilized egg starts developing a placenta in six days and this placenta starts releasing a hormone, human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) within the first week of fertilization. This hormone can be detected in the urine and blood of a pregnant woman. Pregnancy testing kits make use of this information.

The pregnancy tests tie the human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) to an antibody and an indicator. These antibodies will detect even the minute traces of HCG hormone. In order to take a pregnancy test, apply a small portion of your urine where it is indicated on your pregnancy test kit. On the indicator there is a line that is already there. As the HCG in your urine reacts with monoclonal antibodies another line with the distinct color begins to appear in this light indicates a positive pregnancy. This is you even get pregnancy test kits that tell you in words that you are pregnant, lessening the chances of confusion.

Here are a few precautions you should take while conducting a pregnancy test:

• Collect your urine in a container which is clean, dry and detergent free.
• Early morning fresh sample of urine will be best for the pregnancy test. If you are testing in the afternoon, try to limit your water and fluid intake. These things dilute your urine.
• Stick to the timings instructed on the pregnancy test kit.
• After missing your periods, wait at least for one week and then go for the pregnancy test.

If your pregnancy test strip is showing a faint line, it means you are pregnant. Faint lines could be due to one of the following reasons:

Time: You might be taking the pregnancy test too early. The amount of pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is less in quantity in your blood immediately after the conception. To lay your doubts to rest, take another pregnancy test after 2-3 days. It will clear the picture.

Sensitivity Level: Different pregnancy test kits have different sensitivity level. Read all the instructions carefully. If your test kits states the pregnancy level of 20MIU (milliInternational Units per Litre) it will show you a faint line when hCG (pregnancy hormone) levels are at 20 MIU in your urine but a sensitivity level of 50MIU will display a negative result. Therefore faint line on your pregnancy test stick means your test is low in sensitivity level. A test with a sensitivity of 20 IU/L (milliInternational Units per Litre) will tell if you’re pregnant sooner than a test with a sensitivity of 50 IU/L.

Chemical Pregnancy: Certain complications in pregnancy cause the faint line on your test stick. Sometimes a fertilized egg travels to uterus and attaches itself to the uterus lining. A placenta develops within six days and starts releasing pregnancy hCG. You immediately conduct a pregnancy test and since it’s too early so you get a faint line on your stripe. You wait for few days and perform the test again. This time you get a negative result. It means you have suffered an early miscarriage. If you have not conducted a pregnancy test you might have been totally unaware of this pregnancy. It’s estimated that about 50% of fertilised eggs don’t make it, and a further 15% of recognised pregnancies end in miscarriage, so this is very common.

Diluted Urine Sample: Pregnancy tests recommend first morning urine for test. If you have taken lots of liquid, urinated frequently and collected urine in the afternoon or evening then pregnancy hormone hCG will be present in the sample in diluted form. This will show a faint line on your stick.

Sometimes the pregnancy tests may yield false results. A negative, but false result means you are actually pregnant but your result is stating otherwise. A false positive result shows that you are pregnant while the truth is, you are not.

False Negative Test Result is possible if:

• Your urine is diluted. Pregnancy test kits often instruct you to test in the morning after waking up. Because you have not eaten and drunk anything in the morning so the urine sample will be fresh, concentrated and unadulterated. Too much fluid intake before pregnancy test will not yield accurate result.
• You have not stuck to the prescribed time limit. You have collected the first urine sample in the morning in a clean, dry container and lost yourself into your daily chores. After few hours you remember to test your urine. Meantime your urine sample is contaminated with bacteria and viruses. Avoid delays. Carry out your pregnancy test within fifteen minutes after collecting the urine. Analyze your results within the time frame written on the pregnancy kit.
• You are acting in haste. You have missed the first day of your period and gone for the pregnancy test on the same day or next. For minimizing the errors wait at least for a week.

If you have missed your period for more than two weeks and still getting negative test results, consult your doctor. You might be missing periods on account of hormonal imbalance, mental or emotional trauma, excessive workout or stress. Your doctor will help you in regularizing your menstrual cycle.

False positive test result is possible if:

• You are chemically pregnant. In chemical pregnancy a fertilized egg gets implanted into the lining of your uterus and triggers the release of human Chorionic Gonadotrophin’ (hCG). But after a while this fertilized egg stops growing due to some anomalies. Your pregnancy test will yield a false positive result. Chemical pregnancy will lead a woman to heavier periods. Therefore it is advisable to wait at least a week and then go for pregnancy tests.
• You are taking medicines that contain human Chorionic Gonadotrophin’ (hCG).
• You are using a flawed designed or expired pregnancy kit.
• Your urine has small amount of blood or protein.

It’s very essential that you conduct the pregnancy tests in accordance with the guidelines provided by the kit manufacturer. This will minimize the error and confusion. In case of uncertainty do consult your doctor.

Why knowing your ovulation time is so important for you? Because this is a period when you are most fertile. Your ovary releases the ripest egg into the fallopian tube for fertilization. If you want a child, ovulation tells you when to go for baby making sex. For detection of your ovulation time try the following:

• Try to find out the length of your menstrual cycle. When you start menstruating, it is the first day of the cycle. Count all the days till the next month when you are having your periods again.
• But watching out for just two consecutive periods will not help you much. To get a better idea, keep the records of your menstrual cycles for few months. This will provide you a better idea of your average menstruation period. Suppose your cycle lasts for 30 days. Subtract 14 days from this cycle. It means you will ovulate on 16th day after the first day of your menstruation. So your partner and you can plan sex (or not to have sex) around these days.
• Counting days will not be of much help to you if your periods are fairly irregular. And subtracting 14 days from the first day of your period is not an accurate yardstick. Sometimes your period dates alter due to stress, emotional upheaval, medicines or hormonal changes. Under these circumstances you can resort to ovulation tests. They can pinpoint the ovulation period for you.
• You can try another method for ovulation. You can note down your BBT (Basal Body Temperature) everyday. After ovulation the hormonal surge in your body increases your temperature between 0.5 to 1.6 degrees. This increased temperature lasts till your next menstruation. But BBT tells you when you have already ovulated. This situation compels you to make a chart of your BBT for several months to develop an accurate pattern for your ovulation period.
• Increase in cervical mucus, slight swelling in breasts and pain in lower abdominal area are some other tell tale signs that you are ovulating.

If you are planning your pregnancy it will help you to get some basic facts right. If you pay enough attention to ovulation period, nature will ensure that you don’t have to try too hard for conceiving. You are most fertile when you ovulate. And this most fertile phase lasts for 24 hours only. So if you make use of this period for baby making sex, your attempts might be rewarded satisfactorily. It all boils down to whether you have intercourse during that fertile stage.

Knowing your ovulation can save you from mental trauma, if there are no other medical complications. You can detect your ovulation period with the help of ovulation predictor kits. Actually you can go for other methods too, like BBT (basal body temperature), by counting days of your menstrual cycle or by paying attention to the mucus discharge in your genital tracts but conducting ovulation tests pinpoints ovulation fairly accurately.

We all know that ovary discharges the ripest egg into fallopian tube and this phenomenon is called ovulation. Ovulation means that now your egg is ready to unite with a sperm if one comes along. But ovulation doesn’t happen on its own; many hormones are released into your body, which make ovulation possible. Ovulation test kits use one of these hormones to detect the ovulation. When you are about to ovulate, approximately 36 hours prior to that, the level of luteinising hormone (LH) increases in your urine. This surge in LH can be spotted by ovulation test kits in your urine. Ovulation test kits are more reliable than BBT and easier to use. The best thing is they can tell you in advance about your readiness to conceive!

Before using an ovulation test kit take a stock of the length your menstrual cycle. If it is 28-day cycle, start using the ovulation test kit from the 11th day and continue using it for six days or for as many days as instructed on your ovulation test kit. Pay attention to the timings of the ovulation tests too. Mornings are not the perfect time for ovulation tests. Because your body produces LH (luteinising hormone) early in the morning and it won’t be in your urine at that time. Afternoons are the best time for ovulation tests. But stick to the same testing time every day. The results will be less confusing for you and the ovulation test kit!