[30somethingmom]

Until I came to this site, I had never heard of saliva testing to predict ovulation. I am naturally curious about these tests!

For those who have used them, have you successfully conceived as a result? Are they more accurate than regular ovulation predictor kits? What are the differences between the regular kits and saliva kits?

[nnclyn]

I think they are equally accurate. They just require a smaill learning curve in usage. They're also reusable and in the long run, cheaper than urine test kits.

Most come with instructions and a toll free number for assistance in using.

[ddaria]

[info copied from MaybeMOM, I claim no copyright]

• When a woman ovulates, estrogen hormone levels in her system rise, which also causes the amount of salt in her saliva to increase.
• Placed on a microscope slide, crystallized salts in dried saliva produce a distinct “fern leaf” pattern if a woman has begun to ovulate.
• The phenomenon of ferning was first discovered in 1945 by Papanicolau, who observed microscopic crystal formations in cervical fluid.
• Subsequent researchers have studied the ferning of other body fluids, including saliva, and have validated the accuracy of the Fern Test in determining a woman’s time of ovulation.

[cat]

I bought both the Ovulation predictors and the saliva test. I used up all of the predictors by day 16 of my cycle (all negative for ovulation), but I continued to test my saliva every morning. About day 19 I noticed something different. not exactly "fern leaf" but almost. Turns out I was pregnant. So I would recomend the saliva tests... it's cheaper.