Are you actively trying or planning to get pregnant and want to check that you’re ovulating normally? Perhaps you want to be proactive about checking your hormone health so you can get help if you need it. By measuring your progesterone level at day 21 of your menstrual cycle, our ovulation blood test can tell you whether you’re likely to have ovulated or not — an important first step in investigating your fertility. If you’re planning a pregnancy, a healthy progesterone level is essential. Progesterone is a female sex hormone that plays a key role in preparing your body for pregnancy. After you ovulate, your progesterone level begins to rise, causing the lining of the womb to thicken in preparation for a fertilised egg to implant. If you conceive, your progesterone level should continue to rise, helping to support the early weeks of pregnancy. Not everyone follows a 28-day menstrual cycle. So, although it’s often called a day-21 progesterone test, an Ovulation Progesterone Blood Test should be taken seven days before your next period is due. If you often have irregular periods, it’s best to take a progesterone test on day 21 of your cycle, and then repeat it every seven days until your next period starts. When your iron level is low, you can feel tired and be more susceptible to illnesses and infections. And a severe lack of iron could lead to iron deficiency anaemia, which causes fatigue, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. Measuring your progesterone level seven days before your period is due can tell you whether you’re likely to have ovulated or not. This is because your progesterone level normally starts to rise after you’ve ovulated to prepare your body for pregnancy. Your level typically peaks at day 21 of your menstrual cycle. If you haven’t ovulated, your progesterone level will be lower than expected at this point in your cycle. A day-21 progesterone test can’t tell you with certainty that you’ve ovulated. It also can’t tell you exactly when you ovulated.