It only takes a few moments to use Maybe Baby, and it's 98% accurate when used properly. Please follow the instructions and images in this guide.

1. Please ensure that you have not had anything in your mouth besides water for at least three hours prior to using Maybe Baby.  This includes but is not limited to chewing gum, cigarettes, food, mouthwash, toothpaste, and drinks except water.  We suggest this because anything that touches your saliva besides water may affect your saliva and prevent an accurate reading. You may find it most convenient to use Maybe Baby first thing in the morning.

2. Remove the protective cover. (Figure 1)

3. Pull the black viewfinder from its case. (Figure 2)  Please note that the rotating part of the viewfinder is for focusing the image and cannot be unscrewed.  Simply pull it straight out.

See a Maybe Baby microscope broken down into its separate components.

4. Clean the viewfinder  with the lint-free cloth provided.  The viewfinder has two sides: the outside is the part you look through (the eyepiece or lens), and the inside is the flat glass surface where you put your saliva (the slide).  Gently rub the cloth across the flat glass surface inside the viewfinder.  You may find it helpful to moisten the slide with a bit of saliva before wiping it, but please only use saliva and a lint-free cloth like the one provided – water or other cleaning products may damage the microscope or scratch the slide (Figure 3) 

5. Using a clean fingertip, lightly place a dab of saliva on the the flat internal glass surface on the inside of the viewfinder. (Figure 4)

6. Let the saliva dry for approximately 10 minutes. The indication of oestrogen in the saliva (i.e. the fern pattern) will only appear in a dry saliva sample.  Please note that if the saliva is not dry after 15 minutes, you have used a bit too much; if it dries in under 5 minutes, you have not used quite enough. Consider setting a timer to help you keep track of time. If your saliva sits for more than 15 minutes, you may not get an accurate reading.

7. Replace the viewfinder into the microscope. (Figure 5)

8. Press the light switch on the bottom of the Maybe Baby microscope and keep it pressed down while you look through the lens.

9. Hold the eyepiece up close to your eye and look through the lens.

10. To focus the image, turn the black focussing ring on the viewfinder until the picture is nice and sharp. (Figure 6)

11. The patterns should be very apparent.  They will be translucent or greyish against the green background. See more information on reading the patterns, and see them illustrated more clearly in black.

12. We strongly recommend using an ovulation-monitoring chart like the one here to record your Maybe Baby results daily.

Charting your oestrogen readings daily will help you become more familiar with your own ovulation cycle and allow you to build a  personal ovulation calendar.  Over time, this will help you predict your most fertile period each month.

And because Maybe Baby is 98% accurate if used correctly, you will be able to pinpoint when you ovulate and the days preceding ovulation with confidence so you know when you are most likely to conceive every cycle.

If you need Adobe Reader to view the chart, you can get it here free:

If you are having trouble or have a question and would like further assistance, please visit our FAQ section or contact us.