Maybe MOM® Saliva Ovulation Microscope is an easy to use, reusable mini-microscope that helps you identify your most fertile days and the ideal time to conceive. Simple and convenient. All you need to do is apply some saliva with a clean finger and let it dry (about 10-15 min) then simply view the dried saliva through the Maybe MOM® microscope. You will see the distinctive “fern” pattern if increased levels of oestrogen are present. The level of oestrogen starts to increase gradually around 2 to 3 days before ovulation and reaches its peak around the time of ovulation. Maybe MOM® Saliva Ovulation tester, uses increased levels of oestrogen to help you identify the ideal time to conceive and maximise the possibility of a successful pregnancy. Simple and convenient. It is also re-usable month after month.

By testing your fertile periods using the Maybe Mom® Saliva Ovulation Microscope you will get a more accurate reading that can be charted and understood by all. It’s the perfect at home testing unit as it can be re-use over again and doesn’t get thrown away. When testing for ovulation using saliva as opposed to using urine midstream tester, you are picking up two different hormones. The Midstream tester will show a positive if it detects a surge in LH (luteinizing Hormone) it will only pick up a surge in LH if you have just ovulated so testing too early or too late will present a negative test result and if this happens month after month most women believe they are not even ovulating. The Maybe Mom® Saliva Ovulation Microscope picks up increased levels of oestrogen present in your saliva. Oestrogen will start to rise 2 to 3 days before ovulation and will reach its peak on day of ovulation. By testing daily, you are able to watch this happen and will allow for a “wider window period” to have more baby-making sex during these fertile 3 – 5 days each month. You may find once using this test daily that you don’t ovulate on or around day 14 of you cycle, many woman either ovulate too early in their cycle or much later than they had expected. By using the chart provided in this kit, you are also able to track all four phases of your Menstrual cycle, pick up a pattern that will form after a few months and learn more about your body then anyone will ever teach you. Now you are able to pick up any issues that may be contributing to you not falling pregnant as quick as you had hoped.

The menstrual cycle is made up of four phases. Each phase serves a different function:

• Menstruation is when you have your period. This is your body shedding your uterine lining from the previous cycle in the absence of pregnancy.
• The follicular phase, which overlaps with menstruation for the first few days, is when follicles grow. One follicle will generally become larger than the rest and release a mature egg. This signals the end of the follicular phase.
• Ovulation is when the mature egg is released.
• The luteal phase begins as the egg starts traveling down the fallopian tube. This phase ends when your next period begins.

The luteal phase includes several important events that prepare the body for pregnancy. Let’s take a closer look at what happens during this phase and what it means if this phase is longer or shorter than normal.

The luteal phase is the second half of your menstrual cycle. It starts after ovulation and ends with the first day of your period.

Once the follicle has released its egg, the egg travels down the fallopian tube, where it may meet sperm and be fertilized. The follicle itself then changes. The empty sac closes off, turns yellow, and transforms into a new structure called the corpus luteum.

The corpus luteum releases progesterone and some oestrogen. Progesterone thickens the lining of your uterus so that a fertilized egg can implant. Blood vessels grow inside the lining. These vessels will supply oxygen and nutrients to the developing embryo.

If you get pregnant, your body will also start to produce human gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone maintains the corpus luteum.

HCG enables the corpus luteum to keep producing progesterone until around the 10th week of your pregnancy. Then the placenta takes over progesterone production.

Progesterone levels rise throughout your pregnancy. Here’s a general guide:

• first trimester: 10 to 44 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) of progesterone
• second trimester: 19 to 82 ng/mL
• third trimester: 65 to 290 ng/mL

If you don’t get pregnant during this phase, the corpus luteum will shrink and die into a tiny piece of scar tissue. Your progesterone levels will drop. The uterine lining will shed during your period. Then the entire cycle will repeat.

Luteal phase length

A normal luteal phase can last anywhere from 11 to 17 days. In most women, the luteal phase lasts 12 to 14 days.

Your luteal phase is considered to be short if it lasts less than 10 days. In other words, you have a short luteal phase if you get your period 10 days or less after you ovulate. A short luteal phase doesn’t give the uterine lining a chance to grow and develop enough to support a growing baby. As a result, it can be harder to get pregnant or it might take you longer to conceive.

A long luteal phase may be due to a hormone imbalance like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Or, a long lapse since you ovulated could mean that you’re pregnant and you just haven’t realized it yet. The length of your luteal phase shouldn’t change as you age. But your progesterone levels during this phase may drop as you get closer to menopause.

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