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?

@Ltay2 I have had anxiety related sleep problems for years and sought advice on temping with broken sleep, and the block of sleep before you test really needed to be a minimum of 4 hours. Less than that should be discounted. This is why OPKs can be useful in conjunction as they don’t rely on sleep. If you’re not pregnant this cycle do give them a go, and you can still have sex across your fertile period either way

@BuffaloCauliflower This is what concerns me! Usually I do have 4 hours solid sleep but for some reason this week is all over the place. I do use the LH testing strips regularly throughout the fertile window period predicted by NC although maybe should look into the Ovulation Kits by Clearblue too.

@Ltay2 sometimes it’s just a weird week I see no benefit to the digital OPKs, more expensive, more plastic, but harder to actually see line progression. You’re better off testing 3 times a day with cheapies and looking at them yourself rather than relying on a smiley face, it’s not hard to see a line darkening

@BuffaloCauliflower I am glad you think so, I don't really agree with the digital ones for the plastic reason alone! I feel I'm quite good now at reading the cheap ones and I buy a massive bag at a time. I've also read that the digital ones can be hit and miss sometimes, especially if the monitor is broken and so that's one added stress I don't need! I'll hold out with the cheap ones next cycle and test more regularly. If it doesn't happen this cycle then I'm already feeling more prepared and positive for the next

@Ltay2 great, that’s all you can do!

I used NC but then I was recommended Ovusense which I found much more effective and easy to use. It's basically like a silicone tampon you sleep with every night and it got my ovulation bang on, so we were very lucky to conceive first time using just this. A few friends have used it too and same thing happened, so personally - although more expensive - I would use this over NC. Hope that helps!!!

@frankie888 That's interesting I haven't heard of that before. Do you wear it all the time every day/night or just around the time you are due to ovulate? Do you just take it out to DTD?

so you pop it in every night and sleep with it in and then in the morning it links to your phone and records your basal body temp into the app, creating a temp chart for you. I just found that so much easier and way more reliable than waking up and remembering to use a thermometer! it then works out your ovulation based on your temp dip and spike and for me it was spot on. I was using it for prevention first (and to make sure I was ovulating) a few months before we actively started trying, which was also good as it gets to know your cycles etc. Then it tells you when it predicts your ovulation window will start so you can DTD! I hope that helps. I ordered it online and googled a promo code and found one through a blogger so saved some money, so that helped too :)

@frankie888 Interesting! Just had a look - it is very expensive 🤣 although definitely will keep in mind for future if things don't work out as planned!

good luck! I found a promo code quite easily so I'm sure you can too, and for me, it was worth every penny as it was foolproof. Hope everything goes great!

Thank you! I will definitely look into it further down the line as it's not excessively expensive like some other trackers

Hey,

Can I please join the discussion. Me and hubby are TTC second baby. This is first proper cycle we are trying and tracking temp with natural cycles etc. I am on CD13 and NC says I am ovulating on the 28th of April. We have DTD every second day since CD9 and will continue up to CD 19 just to be sure we are covered as unsure of the apps have my ovulation date bang on? Fingers crossed for everyone.

@Lollipop93 Welcome! I have found NC to always be accurate with my ovulation. Sometimes I struggle with my temp taking (not sleeping for long enough so having to discount it) and in that case the app sometimes needs to wait for my period to start before it can definitely confirm my ovulation date occurred on the day it thought, however it is always correct. I think maybe one time it was the day after it thought but it recalculated and told me.

As long as you keep up with regular measurements you will be fine. If you also use the LH tests regularly from day 10 until you see a positive surge, and then a return back to negative then that is an added bonus.

Ok so now I think I have a UTI. Omg what should I do? Typically when we really wanted to properly try this month :(

@Lollipop93 Oh no! Have you had any more UTI symptoms?

Hey Ltay2. Thankfully no I nipped it in the bud right away with pints of water and cranberry juice and we DTD yesterday and my life app says I am ovulating today and my NC app says I’m ovulating tomorrow? So I hope I’m covered...

@Lollipop93 Sounds like you will be covered even if it is tomorrow. I have conflicted predictions from apps I use too. I have started using Fermometer as well as Natural Cycles but I tend to trust NC more as it has more of my data and I've used it a lot longer. Glad to hear you are feeling better!

Hey! I have attached my graph. Not surr wether to DTD today as wee just to be sure. I’m worried that the ovulation date isn’t correct because I think the date where it dipped I had less sleep and went up and used the toilet and had a drink of water before taking temp. Don’t know if that affects it?

@Lollipop93 Do you do LH tests and track CM too? I am really struggling with my temp taking as my sleep is so erratic but I am fairly certain I know my ovulation day by tracking CM and using OPK regardless.

That said, even without regular or properly done temp taking I find NC is usually very good with predicting ovulation date, only ever changed once from it's prediction and that was to one day later.

Hey! No I don’t track LH but I think I’m going to buy the clear blue ones if it doesn’t happen this month. Also with CM I find it hard because DTD makes it change. Today it is quite watery I would say that would signify ovulation but then the apps are saying I already have ovulated. I hate the unknown lol

@Lollipop93 Yeah would be a back up to track it with OPK I think! CM can be difficult to read if you don't know what your 'normal' is and especially after DTD!

Hey! How is everyone? Any updates? I’m on 10dpo and hating this wait!!

If anyone wants 20% off their subscription and a free thermometer (worth £20) - here!

signup.naturalcycles.com/en-US/signup/secret?code=referralid20&referral=f2090e596d8745cf8f1f3d5268ec9fcd&utm_campaign=EN_Paying_June_RaF_200610&utm_medium=email&utm_source=optimove

@Ltay2 @Lollipop93 how is it going?
I use NC and I'm pretty impressed with it. Been using it a few months so I'm getting much more accurate predictions now

[quote kaffy197]**@Ltay2* @Lollipop93* how is it going?
I use NC and I'm pretty impressed with it. Been using it a few months so I'm getting much more accurate predictions now [/quote]
Hey Kaffy!

Well it went well, I am currently 34 weeks pregnant!!