femtech – Leslie at Chart Your Fertility

An Honest Review of Oura Ring for Charting Temperature and Cycle Tracking

It’s an exciting time in the world of femtech with multiple products being developed for taking our overnight temperature.

Oura Ring is a new player in fertility awareness. Oura Ring partnered with Natural Cycles, a temperature-only (with optional LH) fertility awareness based method. As of 2022, the ring is approved for use with syncing with Natural Cycles.

Get the sizing kit and don’t make my mistake of ordering the ring size you usually wear 😂

As a traditional charter of my cycle, I wanted to see if Oura Ring would be a good fit as a cross-check to help confirm ovulation without syncing to Natural Cycles.

After five cycles of use and comparisons to other thermometers, I am confident in saying that Oura Ring can be used as sympto-thermal method cross check with some tweaking and conversions. Read on if you would like to see examples and my method of conversion in order to avoid paying that extra fee to Natural Cycles.

First and foremost, you should know that no wearable has current been studied for traditional fertility awareness sympto-thermal methods. Even Natural Cycles has only done a small study of 40 charters to prove that the ring is equivalent to old-school basal body temperature. They found that it mostly lined up, albeit that the Oura temperature often confirmed one day sooner.

If you are charting to avoid pregnancy and reading this article, I highly recommend cross-checking with cervical mucus, cervical position, and/or urinary hormones in addition to the Ring. I do NOT recommend using the Ring alone to avoid pregnancy. If you are seriously avoiding, you should use at least one of the signs mentioned above and wait until those rules are met before having unprotected sex. You should cross-check with oral or vaginal temperatures for a minimum of 2-3 cycles before relying on Oura to confirm ovulation.

We just don’t have the kind of evidence necessary for me to recommend using Oura without other fertility signs, particularly for those strictly avoiding a pregnancy. If you are charting to conceive, then this Ring is perfectly acceptable for confirming you are in your luteal phase.

VIEW FROM THE OURA RING PERIOD PREDICTION SCREEN. OURA will predict menstruation based on body temperature and cycle dates.

Oura Ring is worn 24/7 for full use of its features. Overnight, it detects your sleep and a temperature is determined at this time. Your temperature is displayed when you sync Oura to the app in the morning as a +/- deviation from baseline, as shown in the photo above.

To chart your temperature in an app without Natural Cycles, you will need to choose a baseline. Remember, when we are charting our cycles, we are pattern making. You will need to translate the deviation to the chart so that you can see a pattern of lower and higher temperatures. I chose 97 degrees Fahrenheit as my baseline because it is a whole number that falls in the middle of most fertility awareness charts.

On Day 17, my deviation was -.6 F on Oura. I subtracted -.6F from 97F and got 96.4. That is the temperature I then chart. On Day 18, my deviation was +.3F on Oura. I added .3F to 97F and charted 97.3F on my chart. This formula allows me to see the pattern on a standard chart from Read Your Body.

Traditional methods call for two decimal points. However, this isn’t necessary to see a pattern with ring temperature. Finger temperature tends to show larger temperature shifts than standard waking body temperature taken at the mouth.

If you want to see two decimal places, you must initially purchase a subscription with Natural Cycles. However, it still appears to sync and show two decimals even after the subscription expires as of 12/13/2022. This may be a glitch, so I won’t guarantee it works for you.

The official statement from Oura is that you shouldn’t compare it to other thermometers or use it without Natural Cycles. The reason they say not to compare it is because all thermometers will give different results. As charters, we are smart enough to know that we are looking for patterns and not the exact same result. The reason that they say to use it with Natural Cycles is likely because of the paid partnership as well as to avoid liability for unintended pregnancies. I’d like to say again that using Oura for a traditional FAM without Natural Cycles only has case study level evidence and is not currently endorsed by any organizations. Consider this when choosing it!

Two decimal plays after syncing with Natural Cycles.

What else does Oura ring do that can help me track my cycle health?

Sleep information (quality, amount, phases, disturbance)
Steps, exercise, calories
Meditation and winding down for sleep
Stress levels, illness
Resting heart rate and sleeping heart rate
Rest mode feature. If you have painful periods or are debilitated by any illness, Oura can be informed that you are sick or unwell and your statistics on it will change.

Resting heart rate changes with the phases of the cycle, rising in the fertile window and then again after ovulation. This can be a useful extra sign for cycle tracking. Read my other article on RHR.

What are the details?

It is initially approximately $300 USD depending on the model and time of year.
It is free to the use the app for the first 6 months, and then it is $5.99 USD per month. I’ve heard some people say they have used without subscribing, but can’t say if temperature feature is available without paying.
The battery life is about 5-7 days with all day use and takes about 30 minutes to fully charge.

You can use my link for $50 USD off. This link only works for five people. I will periodically replace the link once a new one becomes available.

For me, the greatest selling point for this ring is NEVER having to remember taking your temperature again. I’m an adult with a busy life and this makes charting so much easier for me. I charge my ring once a week and otherwise forget about it. This is definitely my current favorite femtech for charting your cycle.

An Honest Review of Tempdrop (Revised Review 2021)

Are you looking to simplify your basal body temperature charting routine? Is getting up in the morning just too hard to remember to take your temperature? Read on!

There are currently a few wearable basal body thermometers on the market such as iFertracker, Ava, and Tempdrop. In this blog, I will review the Tempdrop device. If you decide to purchase, use this link and get 10% off the device.

Unboxing Tempdrop!

Tempdrop is a wearable basal body temperature thermometer that came onto the market in 2017. Rather than setting an alarm, you can simply put this thermometer on before bed. You wear it around your upper arm (and it may be worn in a bra as well). It needs 3 hours of sleep to determine your basal body temperature. The device uses an algorithm to find your true temperature, regardless of how many times you have gotten up or whether you had restless sleep this night.

This device is very popular with shift workers, breastfeeding folks, and other people who don’t get a regular amount of sleep and wake up at different times, or just to those who don’t want to set an alarm!

Tempdrop holds 24 hours of data, and it must be synced at least every 24 hours or you will lose previous data. After wearing it for 15 days (as of March 2020), the algorithm will kick in. (If possible you should back up temp with oral basal body temperature for the first 60 days if you are avoiding pregnancy. If not, use a different method of protection). By day 60, the device will only change and make improvements to the last 2 temperatures taken.

Once you wear it, you will need to sync it to an app to see your temperature. Tempdrop has its own app, but I highly recommend using Read Your Body (pictured below) instead! This app is customizable for every method and can be synced to Tempdrop.

My Experience with Tempdrop

Tempdrop is red and oral temperatures are blue! One perk of oral temperatures is that sometimes I can skip taking my temperature, while with Tempdrop you do wear it daily for best results.

I used the Tempdrop device for almost 12 months. I found my oral temps to be more predictable and more steady when observing my own trends over time. I get very steady or repeating temperatures with oral charts most of the time.

However, I am not a shift worker, so I will admit that I do not need Tempdrop like some people may do. I already have to wake up at the same time 5 days a week, and I don’t find it inconvenient to take my temperature on the weekend. My oral temperatures caught my shift earlier than Tempdrop did on two separate occasions. I have seen other people say that Tempdrop catches their shift sooner than oral temperatures, so this is really an individual thing.

I discovered that there were multiple other effective ways of charting without taking my temperature. If you really want to chart in shift work, irregular cycles, postpartum and you do not want to purchase the Tempdrop, I highly recommend considering learning a new method of fertility awareness like the Billings Ovulation Method (click here to learn about working with me) and Marquette method (click here to learn what charting with Marquette is like).

If you are dedicated to using a sympto-thermal method and can’t get accurate temperatures otherwise, and you have tried trouble shooting your routine (vaginal temperatures, pre-warming the thermometer before taking it, using longest stretch of sleep), then Tempdrop may be your best option. You can use my code for 10% off, and I will get a small kickback. Thank you for using my code!

Which method of fertility awareness is right for me? A decision making tool

It can be hard to choose the right method for you. In this graphic, I have simplified the main signs, times of intimacy, and efficacies for the four methods that I am most familiar with.

As part of my charting journey, I have personally compared and charted with Billings, sympto-thermal, and Marquette. You can view my charting comparisons here.

The graphic is intentionally simplified. Method rules will vary, particularly if you are using a different protocol of the method or combination of signs. My Marquette example is for monitor-only rules.

Time of day for intimacy is very important to consider as a part of the decision making process. If you and your partner’s schedules don’t mix well, this may sway you towards another method!

Some couple like intimacy to feel spontaneous. If you never want to worry about time of day, Marquette is likely the best method to choose.

On the other hand, if you want your fertile window to be defined by cervical mucus, you may want to sacrifice any time of day sex for the flexibility of opening the fertile window that may come with using alternative evenings of the basic infertile pattern in Billings.

I recommend interviewing an educator and telling them your unique situation before committing to a method.

To find an instructor, I recommend using the Read Your Body Educator directory linked here. You can use it to find an instructor based on the fertility signs you want to chart, your location, price range, and more!

A Day in the Life of a Marquette User

Have you ever wondered what it was like to chart with the Marquette Method? This blog attempts to give an overview of what it is like to chart with the Marquette method (monitor/hormones only) for one cycle. Since I am in regular cycles, this is only an overview of what that looks like. Postpartum charting involves a whole lot more testing!

Day 1: Record Heavy Bleeding.

(This is an available day for safe sex based on my Marquette calculation rule. Marquette calculation rules rely on the earliest peak in the last 6 cycles minus 6. For me, this is Day 7, with Day 8 being automatically the first “unsafe” possibly fertile day. Any time of day is allowed within Marquette calculation rules).

Day 2: Record Heavy Bleeding.

Day 3: Record Heavy Bleeding.

Day 4: Record Medium Bleeding.

Day 5: Record Medium bleeding.

Day 6: Do absolutely nothing! My testing window opens on Day 8.

Day 7. Do absolutely nothing! My testing window opens on Day 8. This is my last day to have sex pre-ovulatory per the rules of the method.

Day 8: I wake up at 6:30am, pee in a cup, dip the stick for 15 seconds, and wait 5 minutes for the Clearblue Monitor to read my test. I get a “L” or low estrogen reading. The Clearblue monitor reads both estrogen and luteinizing hormones.

Day 9: I wake up at 6:30am, pee in a cup, dip the stick for 15 seconds, and wait 5 minutes for the Clearblue Monitor to read my test. I get a “L.”

Day 10: I wake up at 6:30am, pee in a cup, dip the stick for 15 seconds, and wait 5 minutes for the Clearblue Monitor to read my test. I get a “L”

Day 11: I wake up at 6:30am, pee in a cup, dip the stick for 15 seconds, and wait 5 minutes for the Clearblue Monitor to read my test. I get a “H” or high estrogen reading. This means that my real fertile window is likely opening and ovulation could be around the corner.

Day 12: I wake up at 6:30am, pee in a cup, dip the stick for 15 seconds, and wait 5 minutes for the Clearblue Monitor to read my test. I get a “H.”

Day 13: I wake up at 6:30am, pee in a cup, dip the stick for 15 seconds, and wait 5 minutes for the Clearblue Monitor to read my test. I get a “H.” Based on having high quality mucus (which is not required to notice for monitor only), I crosscheck with a LH test because I know ovulation is likely approaching soon.

Day 14: I wake up at 6:30am, pee in a cup, dip the stick for 15 seconds, and wait 5 minutes for the Clearblue Monitor to read my test. I get a “P.” This means the monitor has now detected my LH surge. I crosscheck this same urine with another LH cheapie test, and it is also positive.

This means I have peaked for the cycle! All other readings after the “P” are automatic, and I do not have to take any other tests. Marquette requires me to meet PPHLL before resuming intercourse on the day after the second L.

At this point, if I desired, I could be done charting for the whole cycle! This means that I only had to really chart for approximately 7 days this cycle. How easy is that?!

If I desire, I could also take a Proov progesterone test around the second L at the end of my count. This would provide proof that the hormone progesterone has taken over.

Close up of a Body Literacy Collective “Read Your Body” chart with Marquette markings.

Some of the downsides to this method could be:

The Monitor missing peak (happens in up to 10% of cycles and many people crosscheck with LH for this reason, or even add temperatures or Proov)
The Monitor will not tell you if you are going to ovulate early. The only way to detect earlier ovulation is to track cervical mucus very carefully.
The sticks are approximately $1.50 each. This could get very pricey for delayed ovulation!
The method may not be appropriate for people with very irregular cycles or elevated LH levels (some PCOS users may have elevated LH).

I personally crosscheck my monitor with Billings Method observations and Proov tests. You can read about charting with Billings here.

Disclaimer: Do not try to learn how to chart from this post. Everyone has their own unique cycle and this is just an example of charting with Marquette in a regular cycle. I recommend finding an official Marquette teacher here. Because the Marquette method uses the Clearblue monitor which is designed for trying to conceive, you will need to get instructions to use this monitor for avoiding pregnancy.

An Honest Review of Kegg

The kegg device draws a fertile window to give you the best days for conceiving a pregnancy based on the electrolyte levels present in the vagina. To use this device, someone would insert kegg into the vagina in the same two hour period of time during the day. kegg takes approximately two minutes to give the user a reading on the graph. As a bonus, it also gives you the opportunity to do kegel exercises while using it. Click here to read an article on the science behind kegg.

This product is an exciting development in the femtech field because it actually does read a real-time fertility sign. Cervical mucus is completely necessary for natural conception to occur. Without the presence of cervical mucus in the cervical crypts, sperm cannot to get to their destination to reach the egg. For this reason, anyone trying to conceive needs to track cervical mucus or use an alternative device such as Kegg (or a device that reads estrogen levels) in order to time intercourse for when they are most likely to conceive.

My kegg values compared to my Billings Ovulation Method cervical mucus observations. I believe that the kegg was highly correlated with my actual fertile window based on a traditional fertility awareness based method!

Who is Kegg right for?

It is important to know that kegg is not suitable for avoiding pregnancy. It is designed to find the most suitable days for conception. For those avoiding pregnancy, the fertile window has to be much longer than the window what the kegg gives. Until kegg has been studied for pregnancy avoidance, I cannot recommend it as an alternative to cervical mucus checks which must be made multiple times of day until the evening when someone is strictly avoiding pregnancy.

kegg may be right for someone who wants to conceive without needing to take a class or read a book on cervical mucus. In my experience, for the most part, it detected my most fertile days in a way that would likely lead to conception if used.

kegg may not be right for you if you have a very erratic schedule. Because it has to be used in the same two hours and cannot be used up to 8 hours after sex, this may make Kegg harder to use.

Click here to purchase your kegg!

Customer service with kegg has been excellent. The team is very reachable. If you would like to see more kegg charts and learn from fellow keggsters, you may join the kegg facebook group for conception or for those using it along with other fertility signs to avoid.

An Honest Review of Proov PdG Tests

Are you interested in testing your progesterone at home with Proov?

If you decide to purchase, use promocode: CHARTYOURFERTILITY for 30% off the original PdG tests or Proov and Confirm.

Proov tests check levels of the hormone metabolite PdG in the urine. Proov tests are an FDA approved product. People who are ovulating produce the hormone progesterone after ovulation. If you are a fertility awareness charter, you can use these tests to double check that ovulation has occurred along with your other fertility signs. If you are seeking to become pregnant, you can use these tests to help see if your luteal phase is sufficient to support a pregnancy.

Here are a few links on recent studies so that you can be more informed about using this product:

Proov is Clinically Validated

Study on Urinary Hormones and Progesterone

Study on Proov Combined with Fertility Awareness Methods

Study on Combining Proov with Clearblue

I have personally been using Proov since 2019. I can highly recommend this product. Proov has excellent customer service and is continually trying to improve their services and expand product options.

My most common day to get my first positive Proov is approximately 3 to 5 days after a positive LH test. I love having Proov as a crosscheck so that I can have an extra way to confirm ovulation. I like having a ton of data in my fertility awareness routine.

For those trying to conceive, the tests can be used around 7 to 10 days post ovulation (counting from positive LH test). If the tests are positive, this is a good sign that your progesterone is high enough when implantation is most likely to occur on days 7 to 10 post positive LH test.

I used it 7 to 10 days past my first positive LH test to see if my progesterone levels were high enough in the last part of my cycle. Ideally, for conception purposes, you want to see positive Proov tests on days 7 through 10.

These tests are also useful for people with irregular cycles or tough cervical mucus patterns because they can help you know if you have indeed ovulated.

The Proov Insight app can help you read your tests, including PdG, LH tests and the new Multihormone test! It recently updated to include numeric values. This makes the data even more meaningful! Some people struggle reading Proov, and the app is definitely useful for those people.

The app will give you an “ovulation score” based on whether your tests are positive during the days most likely for implantation. This ovulation score can help you plan to improve your health if you notice low PdG levels.

I highly recommend trying Proov if you are curious about your progesterone! For now, I have decided to make Proov a permanent part of my fertility awareness routine.

Use promocode CHARTYOURFERTILITY for 30%!

An Honest Review of Tempdrop

Are you looking to simplify your basal body temperature charting routine? Is getting up in the morning just too hard to remember to take your temperature? Read on!

This device is very popular with shift workers, breastfeeding mothers, and other people who don’t get a regular amount of sleep and wake up at different times. It holds 24 hours of data, and it must be synced at least every 24 hours or you will lose previous data. After wearing it for 15 days (as of March 2020), the algorithm will kick in. (If possible you should back up temp with oral basal body temperature for the first 60 days if you are avoiding pregnancy. If not, use a different method of protection). By day 60, the device will only change and make improvements to the last 2 temperatures taken.

PROS

Helps Women Practice the Sympto-Thermal Method: If you are not able to take your temperature with a normal basal body thermometer due to breastfeeding, shift work, or other irregular sleep schedules, this device will help you practice any sympto-thermal method of fertility awareness or natural family planning.
Great Customer Service: I have had to interact with Tempdrop Customer Service several times. They are fairly prompt with responses, and they do try their best to troubleshoot with you. While there was an issue with the Tempdrop frame breaking, they fixed this issue for free.
No Alarm Needed: Hate your alarm? You won’t need to set it to take your temperature if you wear Tempdrop. This is a big game changer for people with irregular sleep schedules. It can make your mornings much easier.
Helpful Facebook Group: You may join the Tempdrop Facebook group for support and charting help. They have detailed units about how to use this device to achieve or avoid pregnancy. There are multiple spin-off Tempdrop groups that you may want to explore as well.

CONS

Price: Tempdrop Basic Package is $159 (12 month warranty). Tempdrop Confidence Package is $199 (12 month refund guarantee, 24 month warranty, Tempdrop Care available). Tempdrop Freedom Package is $249 (24 month warranty, Tempdrop Care, 12 month refund guarantee, extra armband and battery). While this price could be worth it for you if it’s the only way you can take your temperature, it may not be affordable to everyone. This price is still a little high, especially if you are making minimum wage or have other expenses like childcare. The referral codes only work with the higher price packages (scroll to the end of this to get 10% off the device). If you have kids or animals, you may want to get a better package if you believe your device may be damaged easily.
Battery: The device does not tell you when the battery is dying. However, you can contact support to find out. They now recommend changing the battery at 8 months.
Frame Breaking: Many people (myself included) have had the frame break easily. However, the company promises that they are trying to fix this issue and a newer frame with different plastic will be issued with devices bought this year.
Changing Temperatures: If you are the anxious type, you may not like the last few temperatures changing. While this is due to the way the device functions, some people may find it unsettling. Second, many people who chart expect that they will see a drop in their temperature before they get their period or the day of. I personally never got the drop to indicate my period was coming until Tempdrop retroactively adjusted my last temperature. With oral basal body temperature, changing temperatures is not a problem.

In 2020, Tempdrop released their own app. I do NOT recommend using it to interpret your data for you. It is quite expensive, and it does offers to interpret your data for you. The best app is one that lets you make all the decisions instead of forcing you into certain rules that may not fit your chosen method.

Here is an example of the Tempdrop app:

Source: Google Play Store

Instead, I recommend using Read Your Body app which is only $15 USD a year and empowers you to read your own fertility signs! It automatically syncs with Tempdrop. This is my top recommendation if you are determined to use Tempdrop for avoiding pregnancy. It is entirely customizable down to the cervical mucus categories and incredibly diverse custom data. See my blog on using this app for 7 different types of fertility methods and devices.

My Original Experience with Tempdrop in 2018

However, I am not a shift worker, so I will admit that I do not need Tempdrop like some people may do. I already have to wake up at the same time 5 days a week, and I don’t find it inconvenient to take my temperature on the weekend. Even if I take my temperature later, my oral temperatures are incredibly steady. My oral temperatures also caught my shift earlier than Tempdrop did on two separate occasions (I have seen other people say that Tempdrop catches their shift sooner than oral temperatures, so this is really an individual thing).

Funnily, alcohol appears to effect my Tempdrop temperatures MORE than my oral temperatures. I speculate that this is because whenever I would put the Tempdrop on, I was still recently drinking and hotter due to the alcohol. In contrast, I would be sleeping for 8-9 hours and have worn off the alcohol before taking my oral temperature.

Here is one full cycle comparison:

Tempdrop (Ovuview)

Oral Temperatures (Kindara)

Tempdrop temperatures will either read higher or lower than your oral temperatures. In my case, they read much higher.

Want to try it yourself?

Use this link and get 10% off the device. This discount only works on the Confidence and Freedom Packages.

Full disclosure: I will get a $10 USD kickback if you use my coupon. Thanks for using it!

Continue reading An Honest Review of Tempdrop