Fertility apps - different ovulation days?

[LegallyE]

Hi,

My husband and I have just started TTC and I am using Clue and Period Tracker Lite as the apps indicating days of ovulation.

I am somewhat confused, since, having entered my period data etc., Clue tells me the day of my ovulation was 28 Jan and Period Tracker tells me it was 27 Jan. As my husband and I have very different schedules and barely see each other, finding time to TTC isn't easy and even one day can make a lot of difference.

Has anyone had this experience before with the fertility apps? If so, is there any app that you particularly recommend as most accurate? I have searched the net and found so many varying opinions...

Thank you!

[OfficerMeowMeowFuzzyface]

If all you've given them so far is the date of one period, or even a few periods, then I'm afraid neither of them is necessarily accurate (and nor will any other app be). It's just not enough information - they're not psychic! There's no way to tell your luteal length from the dates of your period, which means they're just guessing from averages - but you might not be average! Are you also entering cervical mucus data? That will help establish patterns that would make it more accurate for future months, and especially if you combine that data with OPKs/temping.

I like Ovia, but I don't temp: I know that the women who do swear by Fertility Friend. But remember that all an app can do is collect information, simplify looking at that data, and then try and make predictions based on that, and in the early days that prediction will probably be based on the assumption that your next cycle will be like your last one. They can't do things that humans can't do, so they can't use data you haven't given them!

[LegallyE]

Thanks for your response! I was just confused because one of the apps said I ovulated 12 days before the date my next period is due whereas another one said it was 14 (which I would normally expect, especially if info being provided is based on majority of women/what's generally expected).

I am not temping. I figured I won't try that, unless we are unsuccessful for some time.

[FlossieFrog]

Unless you are temping, tracking cervical mucus and/or using opks I don't think you can rely on the information the apps give you.

[OfficerMeowMeowFuzzyface]

Do you have slightly shorter than average cycles? If so, that might be why the app has assumed you have a shorter luteal phase.

I totally understand not wanting to temp: I'm currently weighing up whether to do it next cycle, but that'll be cycle seven for us. OPKs are a lot less hassle. If you don't want to do either then obviously that's fine (and maybe v wise!) but I'd then also ditch the apps except as period trackers - you don't want to become reliant on and plan sex around information of totally unknown reliability.

[sunshineandsea]

I use Ovia and Fertility Friend and I get different ovulation days and different period predictions from each one. Ovia seems to go more on CM and OPKs whereas FF seems to use my temperatures. We just try to DTD regularly and hopefully we cover it that way. I find temping quite helpful and less hassle than opks which I have ditched this cycle!

[RainbowsAndLemonDrops]

I used Glow it worked out my fertile days accurately even though my cycles can be anything from 30-37 days long. A few days before it said I was fertile I'd OPK to double check and had sex every other day.

I got my first BFP on Wednesday!