Navigating LH Testing With Longer Cycles or PCOS

If you’re on your Fertility Awareness journey and have been dealing with longer ovulation cycles or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), you already know that every cycle can feel like its own mystery. Today, I want to dive into some considerations for ovulation testing when your cycles are longer (36 days+) or when you have PCOS. Let’s unpack this together!



What Are LH and LH Testing?

First, a quick refresher: Luteinizing Hormone (LH) is a key player in the menstrual cycle. It’s the hormone responsible for triggering ovulation, the moment your body releases an egg. LH testing, whether through qualitative strips or quantitative tests, is designed to detect the surge in LH that signals ovulation is imminent.

For many of us, a clear and positive LH test result is the confirmation that we need to know ovulation is on its way. But when cycles are longer or your hormonal dance is a bit more unpredictable because of PCOS, those positive signals can be elusive.



The Reality of Testing with PCOS & Longer Cycles

If you have PCOS or naturally longer cycles, you’re likely going to go through a long series of tests. When cycles are 36 days or longer, the timing of the LH surge won’t always land in the typical spot on day 14. This means your testing window may need to be much longer to catch that one elusive positive result. I’ve seen so many cases where the LH surge shows up later than expected, and if you’re not testing long enough, you might miss it entirely.

For your very first cycle, especially if you don’t know your body’s patterns yet, I recommend that you start testing on cycle day 7 and go from there.

The more data that you’re able to gather, the clearer the image of your fertility is going to be. 

Don’t Stop Testing!

One of the biggest mistakes I see people with longer cycles make is stopping their testing too early. It’s all too common to see someone stop after a few days of negative results, only to find out later that the surge happened after they expected it to. Patience is key here. Think of LH testing as a full investigation; it’s like collecting clues over a long stretch of several days. Even if you haven’t seen a positive result yet, keep testing! Consistency will pay off, and you’re more likely to catch that surge if you give it the time that it needs.



Learning From Each Cycle

Every cycle is a learning experience. In your first cycle of tracking and testing, you’re simply gathering data. By the next cycle, you might start to notice a pattern or two. However, it’s important to remember that no two cycles are alike, especially when PCOS is in the mix. Hormonal fluctuations mean that even if you’ve pinpointed your typical ovulation window, there can always be surprises. Don’t assume ovulation will happen at a certain time just because it did last cycle. The more data you collect, the better you’ll understand your body’s varying signals.

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Use Cervical Mucus as a Guide

One practical tip I’ve learned is to use your cervical mucus as a guide for when you should LH test. Your cervical mucus is an incredibly useful biomarker in itself. When you notice a change—from your baseline to something different, whether that’s a non-peak or a peak type—it’s a signal that your body might be gearing up for ovulation. Start testing as soon as you see that change. This way, you’re not wasting LH tests when you're in a long pre-ovulatory phase.

You can track your cervical mucus with the Tempdrop app



Always Crosscheck with a Progesterone Biomarker

While LH testing is a powerful tool, it’s important not to rely on it alone. Always cross-check with another fertility biomarker, ideally a progesterone biomarker like Basal Body Temperature (BBT). If you have PCOS, you may have rises in LH that don’t end in ovulation. This can make charting LH tricky. Having a second point of reference can give you a more complete picture of your cycle. 



I understand the frustration that comes when it feels like your body isn’t giving you clear signals. With PCOS, the journey can be especially challenging. I remember the times when I’d test day after day, only to get a string of negatives. It felt like I was chasing a phantom surge. But each cycle taught me something new about my body. It wasn’t about perfection; it was about learning to trust the process and recognizing that every cycle, no matter how different, has something to teach us.

Keep charting, stay curious, and remember that every piece of data brings you closer to understanding your own unique fertility patterns.

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