First let's define what a fertility monitor is. A fertility monitor is a device that alerts to impending ovulation. They go by many different names: fertility monitor, ovulation monitor, ovulation microscope, fertility microscope, saliva monitor, saliva microscope are the popular names, with the term "fertility monitor" being the most popular. They require samples of saliva, urine or cervical fluid to run the test. There are many different brands and types of fertility monitors ranging from around $20 to $400.
Saliva Monitors Or also known as saliva microscopes or ovulation monitors. These little monitors run in price from around $22.00 to around $60.00. Different brands, different prices but they all do the same thing which is show a ferning pattern or not with a small sample of saliva. The monitors are easy to use, very accurate and cost effective. Most look like a tube of lipstick, requiring a small light bulb and a battery. One brand (OvaTel) requires only a source of natural lighting with nothing more to buy ever. Another brand (Fertility Tracker) looks like and indeed is a microscope.
Each morning you take a bit of saliva on the tip of your clean finger (before eating or drinking) and smear it onto the lens of the saliva monitor. After about five minutes you then look at the lens and determine whether or not you see ferns. The presence of ferns on the lens suggests that ovulation is near, occurring or just occurred. If you take these readings daily, you can fairly well pinpoint when ovulation is about to happen. Coupled with fertility charting, you can pinpoint ovulation with almost 100% accuracy.
Urine Monitors These monitors can range in cost from around $60 to over $200. These monitor test for the hormones LH (luteinizing hormone and/or FSH). Because these monitors require monthly purchases of test strips or discs (ranging in price from $25-$50 per month) they can be a costly investment. A few of the name brands are Clear Blue and TCI OvuLook.
Each day, at specified times you collect urine in a cup, then dip the test strip or drop onto a test disc. The monitor then displays the point you are in your cycle, thus alerting you to impending ovulation.
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