Using a Saliva Test to Tell the Best Time to Get Pregnant

Past blog posts have discussed cervical mucus charting, ovulation predictor kits, and other methods of determining the best time to get pregnant.

Another way to check for ovulation involves the use of kits that look at patterns formed by your saliva. When estrogen levels increase near the time of ovulation, dried saliva may form a fern-shaped pattern, like frozen ice on a window pane.

There are several kits that are available on the market. They usually consist of a small microscope that looks like a lipstick and is potable. The small microscope has a built-in or removable slides. You put saliva on a glass slide and allow it to dry for 5 minutes. You then look at the pattern it makes through the microscope. What you see will depend on where you are in your menstrual cycle. You will see dots and circles, a fern (full or partial), or a combination depending on where you are in your monthly cycle.

The best results are obtained when the test is done within the 5-day period around your expected ovulation. Determining your fertile window has been discussed in a previous blog. (You can calculate the best time for you to get pregnant with this easy-to-use fertility calendar.)

The test is around 98% accurate. However, some women will NOT fern on their fertile days. It therefore does not work for everyone. The test should NOT be used to prevent pregnancy, because it is not reliable for that purpose.

Ferning may be disrupted by:

• smoking
• eating
• drinking
• brushing your teeth
• how you put your saliva on the slide

A positive test generally indicates that you may be near ovulation. It, however, does not mean that you will definitely become pregnant. We seldom use the saliva test at InVia Fertility Specialists. We prefer to use a combination of blood tests and ultrasound to monitor ovulation.

Download our free e-book Getting Pregnant: A Practical Guide to Maximizing Your Fertility to learn more about the best time to get pregnant, diet and lifestyle tips, and more.