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

[sarahw2]

Get to know your cycle length, as they vary quite a lot (mine is very long). Then use an online ovulation calculator which will give you the best few days in each month to conceive. We did this and were lucky enough to get pregnant on the first try.

[ikkle87]

Having had one fallopian tube and ovary removed, suffered a couple of chemical pregnancies, one miscarriage and extremely heavy periods I went on the implant and my doctor said they didn't think I'd have a baby. My relationship broke down and I moved on and eventually began seeing my partner. We decided after a while we would like a baby so we had the implant removed and despite the doctors words that they didn't think it would happen decided to try.

We used an app and temping to track my cycles as I hadn't had a period in 4 years and we didn't know whether we were coming or going. It was really easy to do and quite cheap too. One digital thermometer that read to 2 decimal places and take the temp under my tongue when i first woke up every morning and plot it on the chart which helped highlight when I ovulated. We fell pregnant the first cycle.

[maggieriordan]

Don't get worked up about getting pregnant. Stress will interfere with you being relaxed. Don't dwell on it; let nature take it's course.

[AnnMumsnet]

Congrats to TyrannosauraRegina who wins the £300 voucher!

[zombeana]

I have PCOS and got pregnant easily twice - very surprised. I put it down to exercising/running regularly and watching my weight - not excessively, but moderately!

[annarack99]

I didn't do any detailed monitoring but have always been aware of my cycle. I knew I was pregnant both times before taking a test.

[sofieellis]

My cycles have always been so irregular I'm not sure how much I would trust something like this. Years ago, I calculated my safe days using an online calculator and it basically said I could have sex for about two days every six weeks, without risking pregnancy!

Admittedly I don't know enough about this app to make a decision, but my gut instincts say I wouldn't trust it as a contraceptive method, although it might be more helpful when planning a pregnancy.

[GetKnitted]

I couldn't be bothered with all that measuring, just tried every single day for 6+ months, that worked

[stewaris]

I don't intend to get pregnant again as my family's complete but I had a look at this and it does seem a bit of a faff. I have 4 children and the last two were conceived using temperatures and when to avoid sex. I also realised I ovulate early in my cycle hence 4 instead of 2 but I love them all dearly.

[Cambam2010]

I'm not TTC but i obsessively track my cycle. I think that you can tell a lot about your general health and wellbeing by following what happens monthly. I can open my app and know instantly when I am due on and therefore know that that is why I am feeling blue/angry/tired etc.

[angiehoggett]

I think stressing over dates and times adds more worry and doesn't help at all, I think if you relax and don't expect anything then see how it goes for the first stages then investigate further afterwards.

[Smellophant87]

I have been TTC for around 5 months now - we conceived after 1 month with our first child so I am beginning to get a bit twitchy now - I will look in to this app for sure!

[123julie321]

I usually find my skin is clearest and smoothest around ovulation.

[fayesmummy]

Sounds intresting!

[Bellroyd]

Just let nature take its course - if it happens, it happens

[vixxx666]

I went on the Depo injection 6 weeks after having my youngest. He's now 4! I'm now single but I've moved, me and the kids are settling in to our new life and I'm ready to get back out there and meet someone. I really want more children although obviously not straight away. But it can take 18 months for periods to return after the Depo and a couple of years to conceive, so with that and the fact I've gained 2 stone in the last 4 years despite exercise and diet I've decided to come off it! It's been 14 weeks since my last injection and I've had a few cramps but no bleeding yet! I've also not met anyone yet but I just want the chemicals out of my body in the hope I'll be able to lose weight and stabilise my moods!!
I love the idea of an app that will help me track my cycle, once its back!

[marshgirl]

I tried to get pregnant with number 2 for 8 years, majority of that time was naturally. First tests didn't show anything concrete so was put down as secondary infertility and just told to keep trying. Its a very complex and emotional journey to be on when you are relaying on your body.
It took me a while to work out my monthly cycle and most fertile days. Once you see the signs it makes things a lot easier. Ovulation kits help you to work this out quicker. I would suggest not over thinking things to help combat stress, keep healthy, active and live a fulfilled lifestyle then you can be happy whatever the outcome.

[rhinosuze]

I think I'd be nervous an app was wrong, certainly wouldn't rely on it to avoid pregnancy. I was lucky really I never needed to start charting my ovulation it just happened for me. Very best of luck to everyone trying though x

[Grindelwaldswand]

I did want to get pregnant a few months ago and we were TTC but we decided we wanted to save up some more before trying again, now we just use a combination of ovia and condoms to avoid it happening too soon.

[21Catherine21]

I wish there had been an App when I was trying to conceive my second child (we didn't want the gap between children to be above a couple of years)
As it was we had to use maths and count the days since my last period and then hope for the best.
We also did the things like legs raised afterwards to improve the odds

[ButterflyOfFreedom]

I am very lucky to have 2 DC who were conceived fairly easily and quickly once we had made the decision to try for a baby.
I never really thought about using an app or ovulation test or to check my temperature etc., though I may well have if we hadn't been so successful.

[linasi]

I'm not TTC right now but looking at the app it seems very straightforward. I've not used ovulation sticks in the past but my friend has and recommends them and thinks they shortened the time it took her to fall pregnant last time

If I was TTC I'd definitely try the app

[itsonlysubterfuge]

My husband and I practice family planning as our method of birth control. I use the free website mymonthlycycles.com and it gives you an estimated ovulation date based on your previous period. It isn't as accurate as this app sounds though.

My body is very good at letting me know when it's ovulating. I found that the longer I'm off birth control the easier it is. Although some of the symptoms I experience are unpleasant. I normally get pretty uncomfortable ovulation cramps. I also use cervical mucus to help determine when I'm ovulating. I also experience an increase to my sex drive as well as headaches.

When I did conceive my husband and I just had a lot of sex during my suggested ovulation time and fell pregnant the next month.

[KnottedAnchorChief]

Not sure this would be for me. I'd find taking my temp every morning too much hassle, not because of the time it takes but because I'd be included to forget during the rush to get to work. Also I would probably use the less expensive or free apps that are similar, rather than pay this much.
I definitely wouldn't use this as contraception I'm afraid. I feel more comfortable with the method I'm using and happy that it isn't reliant on my swiss cheese brain/memory!

[clarem100]

I tracked with an app and it was great. We knew where we were and it worked first month!