Want to get pregnant? Don’t want to get pregnant? Share your tips with Natural Cycles - £300 to be won NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

It’s – for many – one of life’s juxtapositions that we can spend many months and years trying to avoid pregnancy and can also spend a long time trying to get pregnant!

The team behind Natural Cycles, the fertility app for women which, in clinical studies, has been shown to be as effective as The Pill, would love to hear your tips and stories based on fertility – how you listen to your body to look for signs of ovulation, how you managed to conceive and whether you use natural methods to control your fertility at all.

They say “Natural Cycles works by identifying a woman’s ovulation and fertile window by tracking her period and temperature.” Women are required to record the temperature under their tongue in the morning and enter it into the app which uses a unique algorithm to determine whether you are fertile on that day. “The success of Natural Cycles depends on its algorithm”, says Dr Elina Berglund, Natural Cycles CTO and co-founder. The app was invented by husband and wife team Dr Raoul Scherwitzl and Dr Elina Berglund who was part of the Nobel Prize-winning team that discovered the Higgs boson. “We’ve called the algorithm ‘Alba’ and it’s unique because it has collected data from hundreds of thousands of cycles. This means Natural Cycles can adapt to each individual woman’s body and, with a high degree of precision and accuracy, determine when she is ovulating.” Natural Cycles has 130,000 users in 161 countries.

They’d also love to know what you think about the app – based on first impressions – have a look here and share on this thread what you think? Do you think the app would be a convenient alternative to the contraception you use now or something you’d consider if you were TTCing?

Whatever your story, please share it below and you will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnetter will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list). PLUS 50 posters selected at random will also win a lovely gift from Natural Cycles – which includes 6 month of free subscription and a basal thermometer (worth £43).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draws.

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

[kimnews]

I downloaded the app after reading about it on HonestMum blog. I was unable to subscribe because the app wouldn't accept my PayPal log in (error message about not being able to use 3D secure, as if I was trying to use a card). So not a great first impression, which is a shame as I was looking forward to trying it.
I've been TTC for 18 months and find other apps to be inaccurate/unreliable. In this time I have worked out that my luteal phase is ALWAYS 15 days, so I know exactly when af is due after I've ovulated. Apps that I use still don't seem to recognise this, and predict af too late/early. I can tell at this point myself when I am ovulating, by reading my body and checking cm.

[klassy]

I think different people take to this differently. I tried this method with Fertility Friend for some time (free app, £3 thermometer).

I found it surprisingly stressful to take my temperature every morning - you need to wake up around the same time every day and do it before moving around. I found myself randomly dreaming about it and waking early which disrupted the measurements anyway. So at a time when you're already stressed, it can add another layer. I don't recommend it unless you're really worried about ovulation. Maybe try it and see if you like it - but generally cheap ovulation tests and your own cm are much easier to read.

(Sorry if that's not helpful or goes against the spirit of the contest of course! But I think we're all inclined to panic and buy or do more stuff which for 99% of women probably isn't necessary.)

[MakeTeaNotWar]

I'd definitely consider this - not TTCing at the moment, but it looks pretty straightforward. I've used ovulation sticks in the past which worked well for us

[Nw85]

I've just looked via the link. I think it's expensive when so many apps are free or low cost, I'd have to be convinced that it really would higher my chances of conceiving more so than any other app or method out there. Also the idea of using this app as contraception just doesn't sit right with me.

[foxessocks]

I used fertility friends when TTC my first and found it stressful really! It did help me pinpoint ovulation but that was stressful too as if we didn't have sex at the right time I'd worry . When TTC number two I didnt bother and ended up conceiving after about the same amount of time as when TTC my first (both took quite a long time )

[asuwere]

I think it would add another level of stress when TTC if you have to remember to take temperature at correct time each day. As a contraceptive, I think it seems expensive, if you have a regular cycle and know your body and want to use natural family planning, then you can do it without the expense of thus app - it does seem expensive to me.

I'm one of the lucky () women who gets ovulation pain so I already know when it happens each month.

[Kleptronic]

Well I'm keen. I can't work out anything with ClearBlue ov prediction kits. One month it's 10 days of flashy smily, the next it's straight to solid, I'm fed up of it.

[jaffacakes16]

I use natural cycles and it's helped me get pregnant twice (unfortunately both ended in mc) so I'm a big fan.

I love the stats it provides (perhaps because I'm a bit of a geek!) and the interface is very user friendly. The only thing I don't like is when you're in pregnant mode the no longer pregnant button is very prominent which after miscarriage you don't want a reminder of.

[gamerwidow]

I think the app would be a useful aid when TTC but there's no way I would use it to replace my contraception. That seems like a pretty surefire way to end up with an unplanned pregnancy. I think it's a bit irresponsible to suggest people use it a contraceptive alternative to be honest.

[0EatSleepTeachRepeat]

I have just found out I'm pregnant on our first cycle and had been tracking my cycles with an app for a while. Very easy to do and I'm sure it helped us pinpoint ovulation!

[Pigsbum]

I've actually just downloaded this app a few days ago and signed up, took my first temp this morning. I am ttc at the moment and have used opk but not really getting the hang of them as I seem to get days and days of flashing smileys but only occasional solids, yet when I went to the GP she assured me that regular periods are a good indicator of ovulation and a blood showed that I was ovulating. So, that's why I downloaded it. Once I do conceive (fingers crossed) then I plan to use it for contraception as well. I wouldn't usually spend this much on an app but I really liked the look of it and taking my temperature every morning should be easy :)

[Ohwoolballs]

We have a seven month old and I'm currently getting myself in a tizzy about what contraception to use. I really don't want to go on the hormonal route as I get affected really badly and really don't want to go through all that again. I also had a coil for a couple of years and, though it was fine for me, since having it removed I have heard some real horror stories. An app like this could be useful to use as a contraceptive IF we were at a time when a little accident would be welcomed, just in case.

[GruffaloPants]

Pinpointing ovulation definitely helps - I got pregnant with DD2 first cycle. I was pretty confident of when I was ovulating, so I'm sure that contributed.

I think I'd use the app if I was trying to get pregnant again, or between pregnancies if getting pregnant wouldn't be a disaster. Otherwise I'd want something more reliable (got pregnant on the pill before so want something even more reliable than that!).

[voyager50]

I don't have a smart phone and don't use apps - I just don't trust technology. I prefered using the saliva test which was accurate for ovulation.

[herbsgirl]

We are seriously avoiding pregnancy. I've been using Naturalcycles for over 2 years! It's so easy! Only takes a mere couple minutes every day. I simply enter in my temperature almost every single day. Natural Cycles returns Red or Green. My husband also has the free app on his phone also, and he has the option to up whether it's a red or Green Day .

After using Naturalcycles around 22 cycles or so, It gives me only 10 red days a month now in the Natural cycles calendar.

The Ovulation tests are optional but will help have more Green Day's! I bought a huge pack of cheap ones online.

Naturalcycles is a natural birth control that is easy and ta , Naturalcycles is proven in study to be comparable to birth control pills in effectiveness...99.95%.

There are achievements in the app ... you start out with Newbie and work your way up the ladder until you get to Pro Cycler. Then next is Star Cycler. Star Cycler status you get Naturalcycles free for life

Another nice thing in the app is that it gives you stastics about your cycle, your average menstrual, follicular, ovulation day, literal phases . It compares your average to the worldwide Naturalcycles average.

The newest update in the app: it calibrates your thermometer! I do not use Naturalcycles thermometer, but the app tells you if it's calibrated etc

[sharond101]

I think ttc is really stressful without these apps pinpointing and highlighting things to make it even more stressful. If you can go with the flow I'd say that's the best way but for some, like me it's not enough. I found cervical mucus the easiest way to monitor my cycle and used some cheap ovulation strips from Amazon.

[charlielpage123]

I found the best method for TTC was getting my cycle more regular. I took vitamin B complex and it balanced everything out, then i was able to work out when i was ovulating quite easily by looking out for the various signs. It can take a few months if you are coming off contraception to regain a regular cycle.

[BeeMyBaby]

I have borderline PCOS so only have periods roughly every 6-12 weeks so I'm not sure I would trust an app which may be based off standard cycles. If I had been TTC for more than 6 months I might try the app but our previous attempts involved DTD at least every 48hours which worked fine for us and only took a couple of cycles (5 months). I would be worried if anything like charting temperature every day etc might add to stress to the process and more likely to upset my already wonky cycle. However on the other hand I really dislike hormonal contraceptives so I think my DH would love for me to give it a try, however an accidental baby is a pretty big risk if it somehow doesn't work with an irregular cycle!

[Belmo]

I think the app looks good but I wouldn't pay for it - there's plenty of similar things for free.
I was paying attention to my cycles in preparation for ttc but accidentally got pregnant before we really got round to trying (for which I am grateful and lucky). I'd do the same again, although I can usually tell when I'm ovulating as I get a shooting pain when it happens.

[Pillowaddict]

Looks useful - I didn't use anything while trying for either dc as they were both surprises (so could do with one to help know when not to dtd clearly!!) but I'm utterly useless at following my cycle etc so something straightforward and easy to follow would be required to help!

[NotCitrus]

I'm not sure what this offers over free apps like Clue? I took temperatures daily for a couple years which helped the gynaecologist conclude I probably wasn't ovulating.

I now have a cycle but it's very irregular, to the extent that the Clue app messages me every couple months to ask if I've seen a doctor about PCOS yet? (yes, years ago!)

[Andbabymakesthree]

I don't think I'd use this to prevent pregnancy but I'd use it to help with ovulation.

I used ovulation sticks with this baby after 17mths of nothing and being told not ovulating for ages. Obviously I was at some point as those ovulation sticks indicated i was pregnant......

[JollyHockeyGits]

I used the clear blue ovulation kit which made me realise I ovulate earlier in my cycle than I thought. Fell pregnant the next month!

[TheDuchessOfKidderminster]

It really helped me to get to know my cycles and be aware of signs that I was ovulating when TTC. Not sure how useful this app would be though having had a look at it as I already have two small children so wouldn't usually get the opportunity to take my BBT as I don't get any choice about when I get out of bed!