How Your iPhone Can Help You Get Pregnant
If you want a simple, hi-tech way to monitor your cycle that you can have on your iPhone or other smart phone why not download the iCycleBeads application.
This neat iTunes application gives you a visual representation of your fertility status. It shows you exactly where you are in your cycle. As long as your cycle is fairly regular, between 26-32 days, it will help you to know when your fertile days are, without having to mess around with temperature charts and so on. It is especially useful if you are the sort of person who isn't very good at keeping track of your dates. After all, if you have sex at the 'wrong time' of the month it's not surprising if you don't get pregnant, so this little app will help remind you.
How Does It Work?
The programme works on a simple 'natural family planning' method of using 'standard days'. If you are a woman with an average cycle of 28 days, your likely day of ovulation will be 14 days before your next period. This means that you will have a fertility window between day 11 and day 17 of your cycle. However to allow for differences in your and other women's cycles the app shows a window of between 8 and 19 days. You can put your own menstrual cycle information into the app and the app will 'alert' you as to when you enter your 'fertile window'. This app will help you to time your lovemaking so you have a good chance of getting pregnant. It will also warn you when to expect your next period. If your period doesn't arrive on time you can think about getting a pregnancy testing kit to see if you've been lucky this month.
I Don't Have An iPhone
Even if you don't have a smart phone you can still use the CycleBeads method. The CycleBeads are just that, a bracelet or necklace of beads of several different colours that you can wear, that shows you just where you are in your cycle. The beads come with a little marker ring and when you have the first day of your period you move the marker to the red bead. You then move the marker in the direction of an arrow on the bracelet, one bead for every day. As you get to your fertile window, the beads are a different colour and you will know that this is a suitable time to start to try for a baby.
My Cycle Is Only 21 Days
If your cycle is shorter than 26 days then this method won't work for you, as your fertile window is likely to be earlier than the one given by the CycleBeads or the iTunes app.
My Cycle Is Very Long
If you have a long cycle, over 32 days, this method is also not suitable as your fertile window probably starts later and finishes after the one given by the beads.
I Have An Erratic Cycle
Again if your cycle is very erratic, one month long, one month short, or has no pattern, the CycleBeads method won't really help you to know when you are ovulating.
How Long Should I Use It?
Of course this method doesn't work for everyone but it's a good starting point if you are just beginning to try to get pregnant.
If you are still trying to get pregnant after 6 months of using the CycleBeads or iTunes app, you may want to look at some of the other articles in this section to help you know when you are ovulating.
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