Fertility Monitor

You've tried for months, maybe years, to conceive. Perhaps your 'biological clock' it ticking wildly or you just don't want to wait anymore. A fertility monitor might be the next thing you try. A fertility monitor can significantly increase your chances of conception, as it will indicate your most fertile times. Now are you wondering what a fertility monitor is and what it does?

There are two basic types of fertility monitors: ones that test saliva and ones that test urine.

• Saliva monitors test visually; just prior to ovulation, estrogen surges cause a woman's saliva to develop a distinct fern-like pattern when viewed under a microscope. Two saliva-testing fertility monitors are Fertile-Focus and Ovulook.
• Urine-testing fertility monitors detect levels and surges in key hormones, especially the 'Luteinizing hormone' (LH) and estrogen. Brand-name fertility monitors such as Clear Blue are simple to use and read.

Unlike home pregnancy tests, where the first pee of the morning is optimum, ovulation testers work best in the afternoon. No matter what method used, it is vital to test with the fertility monitor at the same time every day.

Other ways a woman can predict her most fertile times are by charting her Basal Body Temperature (BBT) and by observing changes in her cervical mucus.

• The BBT method of fertility monitoring notes the typical rise in resting body temperature that occurs just prior to ovulation.
• To test cervical mucus, insert two clean fingers and then try to 'stretch' the fluid between them. Usually this fluid is rather thick and won't stretch; immediately prior to ovulation it thins and can easily be stretched between two fingers.

These free methods of fertility monitoring must be done every day, same time, to be effective. The more a woman knows her own body, the likelier she is to notice the subtle changes that come just prior to ovulation.

Fertility monitoring is a dedicated task, but for couples wanting to make a baby, the time spent is infinitely worth it.