Can you trust an app?
Apps have revolutionised fertility awareness. Tracking your cycle day and cycle length has never been so easy.
But be careful. Despite the slick and confident messages, most cycle trackers are not a reliable way to avoid pregnancy. Many also fail to protect personal data.
Natural Cycles is better than most, but I'd still be wary of it. From what I've seen, so long as you provide enough data, it's able to identify the green (infertile) days at the end of your cycle.
Unfortunately it seems to give too many infertile days at the beginning of your cycle - during and after your period. These vary from woman to woman, and some don't get any.
Some of my clients use Natural Cycles because they like the interface and the bluetooth thermometer, but they interpret their own data, which is a more effective approach.
Most use Read Your Body, which works like a paper chart. It helps you record your data so you can interpret it yourself.
Interpreting your own data, with support from a Fertility UK practitioner, is the approach recommended by the NHS.
That might sound alarming but it's probably easier than you think, and can be wonderfully liberating. A bit like learning to ride a bike.
Before you start, read Is fertility awareness right for you?
But be careful. Despite the slick and confident messages, most cycle trackers are not a reliable way to avoid pregnancy. Many also fail to protect personal data.
Natural Cycles is better than most, but I'd still be wary of it. From what I've seen, so long as you provide enough data, it's able to identify the green (infertile) days at the end of your cycle.
Unfortunately it seems to give too many infertile days at the beginning of your cycle - during and after your period. These vary from woman to woman, and some don't get any.
Some of my clients use Natural Cycles because they like the interface and the bluetooth thermometer, but they interpret their own data, which is a more effective approach.
Most use Read Your Body, which works like a paper chart. It helps you record your data so you can interpret it yourself.
Interpreting your own data, with support from a Fertility UK practitioner, is the approach recommended by the NHS.
That might sound alarming but it's probably easier than you think, and can be wonderfully liberating. A bit like learning to ride a bike.
Before you start, read Is fertility awareness right for you?