Anyone use Natural Cycles app?

[Ltay2]

Hi!

Thought it would be nice to have a separate thread for those of us using the Natural Cycles app for TTC. Haven't seen a lot of mention of it in any other threads I've looked at!

We are on Cycle 2 of TTC first baby. I am currently on CD17 and supposed to ovulate today. AF due on 7th May.

How is everyone else doing?

Hey, I use Natural Cycles :) I've been using it for about a year now. Originally for prevention but have just changed it to 'TTC' Just waiting for my next period (due 6th May) before we start trying. So excited and the wait is killing me- especially not having much to distract me at the moment!

Are you using OPK's alongside the app or anything? :)

@CMM20 Yes I was using it for prevention, switched over in January but wasn't really 'trying' as such just not preventing. Started trying properly this Cycle although counting it as Cycle 2 and last cycle as a bit of a practice to get to grips with testing etc. Yes I have been using LH tests whenever the app says to. I've ran out in the past 2 days so I got a positive test then couldn't test again so just hoping for the best!

Hi ladies,

I'm using natural cycles too! I was using it to prevent but after a chemical pregnancy last month it's made us realise it's something we really want, so we are now trying for first baby. I used the Clear Blue advanced ovulation kit for the first time this month - got a solid smiley the day before I ovulated (which I knew from temping). Using both just gives you that double security of knowing the day of O. We dtd CD9, 10 & 12 and I ovulated at 13 so hoping this will be our month. I find the day of ovulation is sometimes out on Natural cycles - e.g my temperature went up today so I must have ovulated yesterday, but it's still saying im ovulating today.

I'm due AF 6th so we are all within a day of eachother! @Ltay2 when did you DTD if you dont mind me asking? Keep me posted of any symtoms you have. I had quite a few symptoms during my chemical pregnancy so im wondering if having them again will be a good sign or not.

Good luck both xxxx

@thehealthhound I may look into those ovulation sticks as that's the only thing I am worried about with Natural Cycles, in that my temping is not always controlled. I have such disturbed early morning sleep that I can never be 100% sure that I've been asleep for long enough before I temp so I sometimes end up skipping a day which is not the best plan. I do use the One Step LH tests as well but I've ran out now after getting one positive on Monday I've not been able to test again.

We didn't DTD that much this Cycle and I don't think we are in with too much of a chance. We DTD CD8, 13 and 16. Today is 17 and meant to be my ovulation day. I have had a mild, dull ache in my lower abdomen all day so I'm not sure if it's an ovulation pain as I've never paid much attention before!

I used NC for contraception and then to conceive and I LOVED it! It made me confident about my cycles and when I was ovulating so when we TTC I didn't have to stress about timings. I would use the sticks as well to double check ovulation (although the temp rise is the only way to actually confirm it happened). I fell pregnant quickly and now, with a 6 month baby, my sleep is way too disrupted to use it anymore! Not that contraception is such an issue at the moment...

@Bleepers Ah so glad to know it worked well for you! I'm going to give it a couple more cycles before I get the ovulation kits I think as they seem quite expensive for the amount I would need! Really hoping this month is our month although doubt it as it's still very early days.

@Ltay2 yeah i think it definitely helps pinpoint your OV day. ive heard people have trouble reading the cheaper ones so i paid around £25 for the clearblue kit so i could be sure. Ooh that sounds positive & like youre in with a good chance - similar to me.

i know its so hard to tell what is OV pain and what is normal. I'm pretty sure i had light aches the day before and then a more stabbing pain for about 30 secs when it happened. at 1dpo i have some dull niggles around the side i think i OVd from - i had these last time with my CP too - but other than that feel the same. still vvv early but i knew straight away last time! xxx

Another happy user here - I used it just to track my cycle to start with, and then when we wanted to start trying for a baby I just bought cheap ovulation tests from Boots. Conceived after 2 months of trying and currently 21 weeks pregnant so it can definitely work! Wishing you all lots of luck...

Hi, I'm interested in trying Natural Cycles. Do you know if it works for those with irregular cycles?

@Nowisthemonthofmaying oh wow that's brilliant news! i had a chemical pregnancy my first month of trying with NC so hoping the second month will be more positive.

@loulougirl yes i think it takes irregular cycles into account, it just might take longer to get to know you. mine are relatively regular so I cant speak from experience unfortunately xx

@thehealthhound What exactly is the kit, is it just a cycle's worth of testing or does it not last as long / last longer? I think I am getting good at reading the cheap OPK one step ones now I do them twice per day when it's nearer the time so hopefully covering everything! Waiting to see if I fall pregnant this time before ordering anything else as I've ran out now.

@Nowisthemonthofmaying That's so positive to hear! Did you find that NC was very accurate with finding when your OV day was? And did you follow any particular pattern with DTD?

@loulougirl I am pretty sure it can take into account irregular cycles, I think it's more of a problem with using the app for preventing rather than planning on that front. They have a very good customer service team so I would send them a message if you are unsure!

I used it for TTC and got pregnant quickly (1st cycle but had an early loss, then 2nd cycle we tried properly after that and now 10 weeks) I definitely think the fact NC already had so much data on my cycle really helped. I also used cheapy OPK sticks, I prefer that you can see the line progressing which you can’t on digital ones. Get some Preseed as well

@Ltay2 yes I found it very accurate! I do have pretty regular cycles though. We literally just DTD once or twice over my most fertile period, maybe once before and once after ovulating? I'm sure there was a certain amount of luck involved too though - I'm in my late 30s and was expecting it to take a lot longer!

@BuffaloCauliflower This fills me with a bit of hope! Is pre-seed just an alternative to regular lube? We never use lube so I don't want to add anything else into the mix that we don't really need 🙈 I have heard a lot of people mention it though.

@Nowisthemonthofmaying Ah that's good! My cycles are pretty regular too and I've found it to be very accurate with my period predictions so I'm hoping that means that ovulation is well predicted/calculated too. We don't DTD very regularly so I don't want to force it during TTC would rather just carry on as normal but maybe a little more informed over the fertile window. We are probably the same, maybe twice in fertile window per cycle is going to be the norm for us.

@Ltay2 it’s lube that mimics cervical mucus and doesn’t inhibit the sperm, so helps it get where it’s need to go (as cervical mucus does) if you have a lot of CM already might not be necessary, I don’t have a lot. Also - TMI - but I was ill over my fertile window the cycle I got pregnant. I really couldn’t be arsed for sex but we wanted to make a baby. Being able to just chuck some lube in saved a lot of effort in warming me up 😂

@BuffaloCauliflower Haha I know what you mean sometimes just want to 'get it done' for the sake of a baby! I will have a look into it and try and persuade the OH that lube doesn't mean failure as I'm sure he will see it that way 🤣

@Ltay2 we’re also not usually ones for DTD a lot, but still managed to have sex about 4 times over the main fertile days. If you’re only going for twice you’re likely setting yourself up for a challenge

@BuffaloCauliflower We will probably do more than twice, this time has been twice just by chance but that is quite low for us overall, maybe 3 times is more realistic. Gave my OH a little science lesson on it all this morning, don't think he quite understood that getting pregnant was so technical, he was just relying on me to keep him informed of the relevant days without questioning 🤣

Yes my DH has been well and truly educated throughout use of NC for contraception and then TTC! I think a lot of people don’t realise there’s a lot more in it than just DTD until you start trying to make a baby

Completely! It's now so funny to think that when you are not wanting to get pregnant you obsess so much about it, for example if protection fails or what not. When in reality the chances of that day falling on the days you are fertile is less likely than not!

Hi girls,
I've been using Natural Cycles for a few years and I conceived DS1 the second month of thing thanks to the app. He turns a year old on Monday!

We are on month 2 of TTC #2 and I'm wondering if anyone else has young children and using the app?
DS sleeps from 7-7 but the months of night waking have messed with my body clock and I regularly wake in the night. As a result, by BBT results are often deviating and I'm not sure how best to manage that. Any advice?

Xx

@mrsmummy111 My sleep varies a lot too although no children for me (yet!), I worry that my temping isn't accurate when I wake up so frequently in the early hours. Afraid I don't really have any advice on how to combat it! If you don't mind me asking, how regularly were you DTD when you conceived your first? Did you concentrate more on the fertile window or just regularly all the time?

Thanks @Ltay2 ! In the app it says something along the lines of "if you have young children or wake frequently in the night, take your temp after your longest block of sleep or after at least 4 hours consistent sleep"

So I often wake between 3-4 and try to take my temp at that time, but last month was our second month TTC and my temp was all over the show, I ended up getting AF 4 days earlier than the app thought I would and it took ages for it to confirm my ov day. Definitely more tricky and it's definitely affecting my readings, so I'm gonna start using OPKs this month too.

We actually were super chilled with it the first time as we were getting married the next month so weren't trying trying (I ended up being a week pregnant on my wedding day!), so we only DTD 3 times over my fertile window. I ovulated on day 15 and we DTD on day 12, 13 & 15.

However....I ovulated day 15 last month too and DTD the exact same days and didn't fall. So it's obviously not foolproof

@mrsmummy111 I always seem to wake up around 4am too and try to take my temp then but it's difficult because I sometimes have woken up for a few minutes before that too so it hasn't been a solid 4 hours! Hoping tonight I'll get a peaceful sleep so I can take a proper temperature in the morning and confirm my OV day. It was supposed to be today but I discounted my temp due to disturbed sleep!

We are being quite relaxed over DTD too. Last month we didn't really plan anything and this time only made sure to DTD the day before OV and the rest of the time was just whenever the mood took. We ended up doing CD7, 13 and 16 and ovulated today, CD17. Hoping at least the CD16 gives us a bit of a chance!

Worried about my temping more so now. Temped this morning at 5.20am after probably 3 hours of sleep as that was definitely my longest period of solid sleep, struggling at the moment with staying asleep! Although my temp was normal, I still haven't had a noticeable peak and my ovulation was supposed to be yesterday.

I discounted my temp yesterday due to serious lack of sleep so perhaps it was meant to be higher but lack of sleep messed it up 🤔

I have no way of knowing now, will just have to wait for my period I suppose to get it confirmed. I have ran out of OPK's and not going to order anything else until I know I am definitely NOT pregnant as they will go to waste.