Testing Ovulation While Staying Fit/Hydrated

[jeremypar]

I apologize in advance if this does not belong here, but I am hoping it might because of this subreddit being focused on fitness and pregnancy. I am currently testing ovulation daily to TTC, however I am having trouble getting accurate reads because of my fitness/water levels. I tend to use the treadmill from 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM, and during that time +- 30 minutes, I drink about 30 ounces of water. Today, I made my last sip at 9:30, peed when needed until 10:30, then stopped peeing or drinking until 12:30, when I tested again. My test was very faint, much moreso than my previous days, so I'm thinking I was too hydrated.

If you tested ovulation while TTC, how did you test while exercising and keeping hydrated?

 

[woowoo248]

@jeremypar I like to be very hydrated and basically only tested with first morning urine because my afternoon pee was consistently too diluted. Some people have better luck catching surges by testing in the afternoon but it didn’t really work well for me because of the hydration thing.

 

[katrina2017]

@jeremypar It's recommended you don't pee for 4 hours before testing. If it's possible for you, just test a little later.

 

[jeremypar]

@katrina2017 Thank you! It was difficult to wait the two hours after all of that water. Maybe I’ll wait until noon, then wait to pee until 4 PM.

 

[roky23]

@jeremypar Why not just do it in the morning when you have the most concentrated urine from the night before? Yes your results might be laggy, but it would give you a baseline pattern

 

[angelofmercy47]

@jeremypar I've been pregnant 3 times, & I have never caught an lh surge despite testing with cheapies quite frequently. I know it's not for everyone, but sex every day or every other day is a good strategy

Editing to add: one of those bracelets that temp for you might be awesome! My cervical mucus was a pretty reliable indicator I think, as someone else mentioned in this thread already

 

[johnsaviorman]

@jeremypar Can I ask if you are temping as well? Temping tells you that you have actually ovulated, while the strips tell you that you are going to ovulate. They work really well together, and can be helpful if you have a short surge (like me) that is easy to miss, or in your case, are super hydrated

In the end, I stopped the strips and was temping as the strips were very hit or miss for my body, whereas my temps and cervical mucus (CM) was very consistent.

 

[jeremypar]

@johnsaviorman Yes, I am temping every morning.

TW: Miscarriage...This is my first cycle after getting a period since a miscarriage, so I am unsure what to expect in terms of when I will ovulate. That's why I'd like to try to get the strips right so I can know ovulation is coming. Between the miscarriage and my first period, my CM was all over the place, so I'm nervous it may not be a helpful sign for ovulation timing. In the past, my CM was very accurate, so fingers crossed my CM will be back to normal for this cycle.

 

[johnsaviorman]

@jeremypar TW: Miscarriage (me too)

Firstly, I am so sorry for your loss. I had a miscarriage at 12 weeks in January 2023, and am now 37 weeks pregnant and waiting for my wee human to arrive. My CM was also all over the place initially, and the temping was helpful in giving me some control back. You've had great advice from other posters, so try and aim for a 4 hour hold and I found for me, I always got my best results at 2pm in the afternoon. I only got a blazing line once though, so it is definitely a YMMV situation. The temping gave me confidence that I had started ovulating again, which was so reassuring after our loss.

All the very best xx

 

[anth987]

@jeremypar I always tested with first urine on the digital clear blue tests. The ones that measure estrogen and Lh. And I would do it with not once a day. The cheapo ones never worked for me

 

[justintime25]

@jeremypar I would test after a run, but honestly gave up and temped. I never got a true positive test

 

[justger]

@jeremypar I was never able to get a positive ovulation strip (tested twice a day) but got pregnant our first month trying

 

[john025]

@jeremypar I usually test two times a day when it’s close to peak and rarely do I ever use FMU for any of my testing. It’s worked out for me so far. Especially with LH since it surges

 

[theonemarcus]

@jeremypar This has been a challenge for me too. I like to drink a lot of water. What has worked for me is testing twice - fmu and the second pee of the day. Results have been the same for me. Good luck and wishing you the best with your ttc journey!

 

[cindy32770]

@jeremypar I use the Marquette Method which people use when TTA and TTC. The rules for that method are very strict that it must be 1) first morning urine and 2) at least a 4 hour hold. If I wake up early needing to go, I collect it and test when I’m awake awake, it’s supposed to be good for at least 12 hours.
You could also look for info in r/FAMnNFP

 

[plummyy]

@jeremypar Even though some places said not to do it on your first pee I just found that easier and did it anyway before my workout or starting my day. It was just a better habit to do it first thing for me. During the time I really thought i was likely to ovulate I did a second test later. Worked for me but hydration was never my strong suit.

 

[thiago]

@jeremypar I used a Clear Blue Ovulation monitor with first-thing-in-the-morning urine, which got me pregnant twice.

 

[caleb1]

@jeremypar It was not an option for me to easily test at my job at the time so when I was TTC, I’d test with FMU and then when I thought I was getting close to peak, I’d test again in the afternoon when I got home. It worked for me to catch peaks with my body.

 

[jamesabytr]

@jeremypar Use the clear blue advanced digital for a cycle or two—pricey but just use it once a day, first thing in the morning, and you’re done.

 

[roytom]

@jeremypar LH strips never worked for me and I concluded it was because of hydration. The only month I got a surge was when I was definitely drinking less water than normal. I still was able to see a “peak” somewhat when tracking daily at the same time of day with my regular water intake but it never looked like the package “peak”. I gave up and used temping and cervical mucous and it worked really well for me.