During your fertility journey, you might become interested in how to track your progesterone. This hormone plays an essential role in ovulation and pregnancy. It’s one piece of the fertility puzzle that can help you identify potential issues that may come up related to ovulation and implantation. Once you start to test your progesterone levels with a Proov Confirm test kit, you will want to understand the difference between a positive and negative result as well as how to plan your next steps. Here’s a quick guide to understanding your PdG test results.
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When To Test
Testing your PdG levels is a delicate task because you have to follow the test kit instructions exactly in order to get the most accurate results. If you haven’t tested your PdG levels before, then you have to start by testing for your baseline.
To set a baseline, collect your first morning urine early in your cycle, ideally, the day after your period ends, and dip one test strip into the urine. Your test should be negative, indicating that you have no pregnanediol glucuronide, the metabolized form of progesterone, in your urine. When you look at this test, you should see two lines, indicating a negative result. It’s critical that you use your first urination of the day, otherwise you might not receive accurate results.
The other four tests in your kit come into play after your peak fertility window, which you can figure out by using any method of ovulation tracking that suits you. You should use one PdG test in the morning on days 7, 8, 9, and 10 after your peak fertility window. This is the time period when PdG is at its highest following ovulation. If your tests are positive, meaning that you have 10 DDP or higher of PdG in your urine, then it means you have ovulated successfully.
What Does a Positive PdG Test Mean?
A positive PdG test means that you have elevated levels of PdG in your urine. In order to understand if you are ovulating successfully, you will want to see a minimum of three positive tests on days 7-10 of your post-peak fertility window. If you receive three or four positive test results, it’s a sign that your body is producing PdG after ovulation in the necessary amount for implantation to occur. You can always refer to a complete female fertility test at home to gather a more holistic understanding of your fertility cycle.
What Does a Negative PdG Test Mean?
A negative PdG test at the beginning of your cycle is what you want to see because it will help you establish your baseline. However, one or more negative results received during the window of 7-10 days after peak fertility may indicate an issue with PdG production or ovulation.
A negative PdG test result does not mean that you cannot get pregnant. Your PdG test results are simply a way to gather data on your hormones. Once you have the data, you can follow up on next steps with your doctor.
Every body is unique, so it’s worthwhile to understand the specific traits of your cycle and get a full picture of your hormone levels. Find out more about the implantation window and how to improve it on the Proov Blog.
Also Read: Important blood tests for Women