There are a lot of ovulation tests on the market these days so it can be confusing (not to mention expensive), when it comes time to choose the best option. I have been hearing a lot about First Response Digital Ovulation Test in the Trying To Conceive forums, so I decided to look into it and the news is not very good!
How The Test Works
The First Response Digital Ovulation Tests works like any other OPK. You need to dip the stick in your urine stream for a few seconds to get it to work. The test is used to identify the Luteinizing Hormone (LH) that is released in your body prior to ovulating. LH is released 24 to 36 hours before you ovulate. So once LH is detected, the test will read “YES” identifying your two most fertile day which are the day you receive the “YES” and the day after. According to the First Response website, the test is over 99% accurate. The test comes with 20 sticks and a digital reader. If you purchase this test on Amazon, it will cost you $36.00.
With ovulation tests it is a good idea to test in the afternoon or early evening (depending on the manufacturer). If your surge happens first thing in the morning, it can take a few hours before it enters your urine. I always test around 11:00am and as I am getting closer to ovulation, I tend to test twice a day (early afternoon and before bed). I do this so I don’t miss the surge because it lasts anywhere from 12 to 24 hours. So if for some reason the LH peaked in the middle of the night, I am likely able to detect it at 11 AM. Again, you will just have to read the instructions.
What Consumers Are Saying
Unfortunately, the reviews on the First Response Digital OPK isn’t getting good reviews on Amazon, Target, and Wal-Mart. On Amazon consumers rated the OPK 2.5 out of 5 starts. Target and Wal-Mart consumers rated it 3 out of 5 stars. The top two complaints about this test is that it is unreliable and you cannot reuse the digital reader after it detects the LH surge.
The test is unreliable because it isn’t detecting an LH surge when another brand does. For example, I got a “YES” on the First Response test, but on the Clearblue Advanced Digital test I got a blinking smiley. For those that do not know, the blinking smiley face on the Clearblue Advanced Digital means there is a rise in estrogen and it is considered high fertility. The rapid rise in estrogen is what triggers the release of LH. So the smiley face is alerting you that this about to happen.
I also read that a lot of consumers are getting the error symbol (which is a “?”), expired products, or the digital reader doesn’t work altogether! I even read a ton of reviews from women that never even received a “YES” and used the 20 test sticks. One consumer had written that she went to the doctor to do blood work and found it she was ovulating, but the test was saying “NO.” How frustrating would that be?
The other problem with this test is that if you get a positive result (YES) on the fifth test stick, the digital reader stops working. So this means, if you do not catch the egg and have to test the following month, you will need to purchase another kit for 40 bucks! With Clearblue digital if you have the digital reader and test sticks, you can reuse the digital reader without having to purchase a whole new kit! That is why I love it so much! Also, it has been very accurate for me.
My Opinion
In my opinion if you are serious enough about trying to conceive to invest close to $40.00 on a digital test, spend it on a trustworthy test and get the Clearblue Advanced Digital. I don’t think the test is worth all the confusion and the hassle. I personally wouldn’t be able to trust the results either way. So it wouldn’t be worth the stress thinking about if I ovulated or if I didn’t ovulate. Trying to conceive is stressful enough. You need something that you can rely on when it feels like nothing else is working.
If you have any questions about products, please feel free to leave me a message in the comments and I will be happy to look into it. If you have any information regarding a certain product, I welcome that information as well as I love to hear the latest news about ttc products on the market. As always, good luck and baby dust to you!
Thanks for this article, My sister in law has been having trouble trying to have a baby and I am going to show her this article. Maybe it will help her because she is starting to get discouraged since it has taken so long. Thank you again for the helpful information will be checking in periodically for more information.
Thank you for stopping by. Trying to conceive can be stressful and it can take a very long time! It took us almost three years to have a baby and I didn’t really know any of this stuff that I am writing about now. I hope to help those trying to conceive and offer them resources so it might not have to take that long. Good luck to your sister in-law and thank you again!
Hello, I am glad I came to your website. My husband and I are discussing of having a baby. After reading your article, I know what ovulation test product to look for. Thank you for shring your knowledge.
Thank you for stopping by. Congratulations on your decision to have a baby. Please feel free to stop by and ask any questions you like!