There are several reasons that you may want to do some at home fertility tests. You may have been trying to conceive for over 6 months and nothing seems to be happening. It could be that you have always had irregular cycles and want to be sure that there is nothing to worry about and ovulation is taking place.
No matter the reasons why you want to test your fertility at home, you will want to know what tests to take and when to take them. Many tests that look for fertility issues have to be taken at a certain time in your cycle, so be sure to know what cycle day you are on at all times.
FSH Testing
Some basic testing begins with finding out if your FSH – Follicle Stimulating Hormone – is in the normal range. This will tell you if you have plenty of eggs left and if they are of good quality or not. Women with too high a FSH have a difficult time conceiving on their own. It is best to know now if you are in the right range, so you are not wasting time if you need to see a doctor.
This test must be done on the third day of your menstrual cycle. It is the level of FSH at this particular time that will give the answer you want. Testing before or after cycle day 3 will lead to incorrect results and cannot be trusted. Cycle day 1 of your menstrual cycle is the first day of normal bleed, not including spotting prior to onset. Once your cycle has begun, you will wait until the third day of bleeding to take the test. A negative result is what you want for this test.
Testing Vaginal pH
Not many people think about the fact that one’s own body could be keeping pregnancy from happening. The vagina is designed to protect the uterus. Cervical mucus is secreted inside the vaginal canal and is hostile to anything that may enter that could be harmful. This includes bacteria and sperm. Once per cycle the ovaries trigger the cervix to produce sperm-friendly mucus that aids in travel into the cervical canal – out of the vagina, nourishes sperm, and raises the pH of the vagina to optimum sperm pH.
Some women never make enough or any sperm friendly cervical mucus. This will leave the pH of the vagina hostile. If most of the sperm are killed before even getting out of the vaginal canal, then pregnancy is not likely to happen. Testing the vaginal pH before and after intercourse during your most fertile period can help you determine if this is an issue for you. You can use an at home pH test strip to figure this out. Simply get a sample from your vagina using a Q-Tip and rub it on the strip. It will tell you if you are in the good range or not.
If you find that your pH is not in the healthy range, you do not need to become concerned. There are products that you can use to change this and actually aid in conception. Both Pre-Seed and Conceive Plus are sperm friendly lubricants that make the pH of the vagina perfect for getting pregnant. Simply use one of these lubricants prior to intercourse each time. They are highly effective and you do not need much to get the job done. Make sure to only use a sterile applicator each time or a thoroughly washed finger. That way you do not contaminate the tube with bacteria from your hands or vagina.
Saliva Hormone Tests
If you find that you have been trying for over 6 months and have not seen a positive pregnancy test yet, you may want to try a at home saliva hormone test. This will allow you to see if your hormones responsible for ovulation and uterine lining are where they should be ideally for conception and implantation. These tests also tell you if your androgens (male hormones) are too high or other hormones are off that can affect a successful pregnancy.
Depending on what type of tests you get, you will want to be sure that you take the samples when instructed. Some tests need to be done on cycle day three, while others need to be done on cycle day 20-21. Always read the instructions to your kit thoroughly to be sure you get it right.