Articles

Fertility Tracking Apps for Pregnancy: Do They Really Help?

by Shivani Sachdev Founder & Director

Conception in the current scenario of a busy lifestyle, hectic schedules with many couples living apart due to work related commitments has increasingly become difficult. More and busier, career-oriented, educated couples are looking for easy solutions to monitor their fertility and plan conception without invading their privacy. Fertility tracking apps have come handy, easy non-invasive solutions to predict ovulation and thus help to time intercourse and aid in family planning. These apps have been designed to help infertile couples optimally time intercourse for conception. They are available in the form of smartphones, watches, bracelets and record symptoms, menstrual cycle patterns, sexual activity and day to day moods. It helps the couple to take control of their reproductive health and better strategize the time of birth according to their convenience.

The most common method  to track fertility are basal body temperature rises in the days before menstruation, calendar-based menstrual cycle charting methods, cervical mucus method, Urinary LH. 

But does fertility tracking really helps couples conceive?

These indicators may indeed improve the chances of conception. A study observed that compared to women who do not use fertility app time to conceive is shorter in women who regularly use these devices. The authors also reported that the use of any type of fertility tracking device was associated with higher odds of getting pregnant than using no indicator. Reasons suggested were a higher frequency of intercourse (63%) compared to women not using any methods (56%) and a higher likelihood of staying motivated for conception. Women following ovulation tracking methods are likely to pursue a healthier lifestyle, better understand their bodies and rythm and are likelier to detect early what is abnormal for them and approach their specialist.

Tracking based chances of conception depend on several factors such as time since trying to conceive, whether the cycles are regular or irregular. Women with irregular cycles may have other underlying issues like thyroid disorders, PCOS, low ovarian reserve. Some women may have non-ovulating regular cycles. So if a couple fails to conceive within 1 year of tracking ovulation with fertility app, they should approach a fertility specialist. They should also consult a fertility specialist if they are above 35 years of age or have suspected male partner fertility issues.

Some Apps are costly, give innumerable information which may be overwhelming for the patient, ask for personal data which some patients find uncomfortable and intrusive.

In summary, fertility trackers are good options for couples who want to be proactive in planning their fertility. These are low-cost, easily available, easily understandable low burden methods that may reduce time to pregnancy and reduce stress.


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About Shivani Sachdev Senior   Founder & Director

117 connections, 5 recommendations, 589 honor points.
Joined APSense since, August 2nd, 2017, From Delhi, India.

Created on Nov 30th 2019 21:13. Viewed 408 times.

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