The “femtech” space is booming, and there is no shortage of innovative products that are literally changing the way women navigate their periods and fertility.

It is indeed an exciting time to be a person with a period, amiright?!

There are many options when it comes to tracking your cycle and your fertility markers. That’s why I created an entire protocol called Using Cycle Tracking Devices. The protocol is designed to help you explore the different types of trackers out there, discover some of my favorites that I have tried and recommend, get to know how these various devices work, and how to choose the best option for your personal situation. 

In the protocol you’ll learn:

  • How to track your cycle using basal body temperature, cervical fluid and cervical position
  • How a classic basal body temperature thermometer works
  • How to use over seven different pieces of cycle tracking technology
  • Why/how your age and purpose for using cycle tracking technology should be considered when choosing which method to use

You can unlock the protocol for free, and automatically, when you start your free 7-day trial of my new membership platform, The Fix Your Period Collective. No commitments, cancel anytime!

Disclaimer: None of the information included in this article or protocol should be interpreted as a lesson in the fertility awareness method. I strongly recommend working with a trained fertility awareness educator before using any of the methods / devices as your sole form of birth control.

Basal Body Thermometers

First, If you want to keep it simple or save some money a classic BBT (basal body temperature) thermometer will work just fine! These go for an average of $10. The classic Femometer is a great choice, or they have an option that syncs to their app as well.

You can also find BBT thermometers at places like CVS or Amazon.

You can log your temp into any cycle tracking app (scroll to the bottom of this article for my picks), or go old school with a paper chart. There are downloadable paper charts in The Fix Your Period Collective for you!

Tempdrop

Tempdrop is an all-in-one wearable fertility monitor and app. Tempdrop contains a sensor that’s placed inside a comfortable band that you wear on your upper arm while you sleep. Each night it captures thousands of data points on your body temperature to derive a single nightly sleeping temperature. After at least 3 consecutive hours of sleep you can sync the Tempdrop device to their app to view your chart.

Tempdrop may be a particularly great solution for shift workers or for people who wake up at different times each day, like women in the postpartum period seeking to track when ovulation has started again. It can also be used by anyone with irregular cycles or PCOS. 

If you opt for the premium version, Tempdrop offers additional health insights including sleep data!

Tempdrop also has a handy integration with the Read Your Body app.

Learn more about Tempdrop, how to use it and get a special discount on your order inside the Using Cycle Devices Protocol.

Daysy

The Daysy (and it’s accompanying app) is a fertility monitor that will tell you whether you are fertile or not via red or green lights on the device. The yellow days are for when the device is getting to know your cycle. It’s 99.3% accurate at predicting your fertile days—based on annual testing as a certified medical device—but because of FDA rules, we don’t say “effectiveness as birth control.” It’s helpful in planning or preventing pregnancy, because the readings it will give (green, red, yellow) are 99.3% accurate.

I really LOVE my Daysy and have used it for years in conjunction with my other devices – which you don’t have to do! I just like collecting data on my cycle 🙂

Learn more about Daysy, how to use it and get a special discount on your order inside the Using Cycle Devices Protocol.

Teena

Next up is the Teena, which is a period tracking device + period app for tweens, teens and young women. In the simplest terms it’s kind of like the Daysy, but for the younger folks!

Unlike some of the other tracking devices in this protocol, Teena is all about cycle awareness and not about fertility.

The Teena device also comes with an amazing educational app that provides fun tips and knowledge about the cycle & body through different functions like cycle tracking, cycle analysis, a magazine and an interactive “cycle journey”

Learn more about Teena, how to use it and get a special discount on your order inside the Using Cycle Devices Protocol.

OvuSense

Next we have the Ovusense, a comprehensive continuous cycle monitoring system. 

OvuSense is catered towards those who are trying to conceive, and is also a great option for anyone looking for detailed and highly accurate insights on their menstrual cycles. 

With OvuSense, you have two options in terms of the sensor that will be collecting your temperature data. Each option works with the same OvuSense app. The first option is a wearable device and the second is their popular vaginal sensor.

Learn more about each Ovusense option and how to use the products inside the Using Cycle Devices Protocol.

Mira

This device (and accompanying app) is a wonderful option for those who are trying to conceive, or for anyone who wants detailed insights on what’s going on with a few of their key sex hormones. 

Mira is different from traditional fertility awareness methods in that tracking your BBT and cervical fluid are not part of the equation here! Instead, you pee on a stick numerous times throughout your cycle.

Mira consists of a two part system: the Mira fertility wands (those sticks I just mentioned) and the Mira Analyzer device. The Mira is sort of like an at-home lab, and it’s incredibly accurate. It uses lab-grade technology to measure 4 key fertility hormones through urine: LH (luteinizing hormone), E3G (estradiol), PdG (Pregnanediol-3-Glucuronide, the major metabolite of progesterone), and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). 

Learn more about Mira, how to use it and get a special discount on your order inside the Using Cycle Devices Protocol.

Inito

Next up is the Inito and accompanying app, which is similar to the Mira and another great option for anyone who wants to get pregnant!

Inito allows you to track your key fertility hormones at home in ten minutes. You’ll get accurate results for estrogen, follicle stimulating hormone or FSH, luteinizing hormone or LH, and the progesterone metabolite PdG.

As with Mira, Inito is different from traditional fertility awareness methods in that tracking your BBT and cervical fluid are not part of the equation. Instead, you pee on a stick numerous times throughout your cycle. 

Learn more about Inito, how to use it and get a special discount on your order inside the Using Cycle Devices Protocol.

Natural Cycles + Oura Ring

In 2022, Natural Cycles teamed up with Oura Ring to offer the world’s first birth control app powered by a wearable. 

On its own, Natural Cycles is the first FDA cleared birth control app, and it uses basal body temperature to confirm fertility status. As with any other basal body temperature thermometer, you would take your temperature upon waking, add it into the Natural Cycles app and then get a green (not fertile) or red (fertile) status update. 

The Oura ring is what is known as a smart ring, providing daily insights into sleep, activity, stress, heart rate and more. 

You wear your Oura Ring to bed, and let it measure your temp while you sleep. In the morning, you can check your daily fertility status in the Natural Cycles app.

Learn more about Natural Cycles + Oura and how to use it inside the Using Cycle Devices Protocol.

Bonus: Here are a few of my favorite cycle tracking apps

Kindara

I’ve been using Kindara as my chosen cycle tracking app for years! Whether you want to better understand your body, harness the phases of your cycle or avoid or achieve pregnancy, Kindara is a wonderful free tool.

You can download the app here.

Clue

You won’t find any pink or girlie graphics in this modern app. It’s literally a work of art and I often catch myself staring at it for longer than necessary. LOL! It’s got a clean interface that is super easy to navigate. According to their website, Clue “uses an algorithm to calculate and predict your own unique cycle, and the more you use it, the more accurate it is.” Pretty sweet! They also have different versions depending on what phase of the menstrual life cycle you’re in and your goals. Cost: Free and available on iOS.

Read Your Body

Read Your Body is fairly new on the scene and it’s awesome! Read Your Body is the non-profit menstrual cycle charting app made by users, for users. Facilitated by an all-female team, it keeps your data in your hands.

The app is highly customizable with no auto-interpretations, it’s just like having a paper chart on your phone! Suitable for a wide range of modern fertility awareness-based methods.

Features I love:

  • Tempdrop integration
  • Custom cervical mucus categories + custom symptom categories (with emojis!)
  • You can add daily photos & journal entires
  • Chart displays cycle day, calendar day and moon phase (optional/customizable)
  • And more

Please note that cycle tracking / period tracking and the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) are not the same thing. Need more info on FAM?

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