saliva ferning question

[EnviroBecca]

I know saliva ferning is not a popular technique around here, but there was someone who posted some great info several months ago, and I'm hoping maybe somebody can answer my question.

I've been using the Ovulens. Last week I had a nice run of 5 days of lovely ferns, just as the instructions say should happen when one O's, and I also had O pains right in the middle of that time. After those 5 days, my saliva went back to random dots. So far, so good!

But then, last night (4 days after the last ferns) I got ferns again, and they look different. They're much longer and a little straighter, the stems are heavier, and the side branches are shorter. What does that mean?? :

[EnviroBecca]

Estrogen in saliva forms fern-shaped crystals. Thus, by using Ovulens or looking at your saliva under a microscope, you can see the estrogen peak that means you're ovulating. It's pretty cool!

Of course, estrogen levels can be high for other reasons, like a long anovulatory cycle (in which estrogen and LH [which is what's detected by urine OPKs] both go up and stay up for weeks as the body "tries to ovulate") or pregnancy. I've seen the anovulatory pattern before, but this time I had the nice clear 5 days and they started on CD14, so I'm very hopeful!

Maybe those different ferns are a sign of pregnancy?? Isn't there anyone here who knows?

[mama2m&m]

i don't really know the answer to your question though my first thought was pg. I thought I read that somewhere but cannot find it now. Wish I could help more but in any event, good luck!!!

[karenpl]

This sounds like the 7dpo estrogen surge. I have found that about a week after ovulation, I get ferning again, and that this is related to that estrogen surge. It doesn't last as long as the ovulation ferning.

For people who are interested in using saliva ferning for ovulation prediction, I have made a web page about it at http://www.geocities.com/~plomp/fertility/Ferning.html It still is a work in progress, but gives quite some info already.

Karen

[EnviroBecca]

Thanks, Karen! That is exactly the kind of information I was looking for! Sounds like the 7 dpo surge is exactly what I was seeing, since I got ferns 6 and 8 days after when I think I O'd. Now I can hope to see pregnant ferns sometime next week!