As I visit different trying to conceive forums online, I am shocked by the number of women that rely on phone apps to track ovulation and their periods. Yes, having an app to remind you that your period was coming or that you were close to ovulation would be neat, if it were accurate. So if you are going to use an app, use Fertility Friend! When trying to conceive we are willing to try almost anything to make sure we cover all of our bases in hopes to get pregnant quickly. Unfortunately, I have seen too many women rely on apps that only make educated guesses as to when they should expect Aunt Flo or the Big O. Relying on certain apps can cause you to miss your fertile time completely. So lets take a look at what Fertility Friend does!
How Fertility Friend Works
Fertility Friend works by allowing you to enter your cycle information into to it to create a chart. This means you will still have to record your basal body temperature and input the data into the app. Remember, charting your basal body temperature (bbt), is the only way to confirm ovulation at home without using an actual fertility monitor. If you aren’t familiar with charting your bbt, you are in luck! Fertility Friend also has tutorials and videos on how to chart your bbt accurately.
The app also asks you to put in the type of cervical mucous you have throughout your cycle, along with the days you have intercourse. All of this will help you to better understand your cycle if you don’t know already. While this information cannot predict ovulation, so to speak, you will have a better understanding as to when you are ovulating based on past symptoms and signs. Then Fertility Friend will analyze and interpret the information for you so you know what is going on throughout your cycle!
When you sign up for Fertility Friend you have access to the sites educational resources, galleries of other members’ charts, online conceiving forums, and games that will help you learn how to chart like a pro. You can do all of this via desktop or download the app on your phone!
How Much Does It Cost?
The app itself is free to use, but you do have the option to upgrade to what they consider VIP for $45 a year. When you sign up, you are given a free 30-day trial as a VIP member. After that, you are given the option to upgrade or stay on as a free customer. If you aren’t ready to upgrade after 30 days, no worries! You are able to upgrade at anytime within your membership.
As a free member, you have access to the charts, tutorials, and games which is pretty much everything you really need to get started. However, the VIP members get technical support as well as charting support should anything go wrong. In addition to the support, you get more information such as: CM analyzer, sex timing analyzer, temperature corrector, ovulation predictor, conception adviser, message boards, and much more!
Fertility Friend Vs. Other Apps
While you do not need an app to chart your bbt, if you are going to use one I recommend Fertiliy Friend. Unlike other apps that are just taking a guess based on your cycle length, Fertility Friend actually uses your data to interpret and pinpoint ovulation. If you are a beginner and not familiar with how everything works just yet, this app does an excellent job of interpreting your data until you feel completely comfortable to do it on your own! I believe it is a great starting point for people beginning their journey and for women who just aren’t quite sure if they are even ovulating. The cost of the VIP membership is less than purchasing a two-month supply of digital OPK’s!
Hello. I enjoyed your article. My wife and I have two small children. She was able to get pregnant at 39 years old but it took about 6 months. During this time she had many doubts about whether or not she waited too long to try to have a baby. Added to this was the constant worry that the doctors put in her mind because there is more of a chance of complications at an advanced age.
My question is this. This app helps you track ovulation and periods, is it also a way to relieve stress caused by the unknowns in trying to get pregnant? From what I understand, stress is a factor in the ability to get pregnant, especially in a timely manner. It seems like an app like this would keep a person focused and content during the time that she is waiting to become pregnant. What is your opinion on this possible secondary benefit with this app?
Thank you for reading and congratulations on your children. Also, getting pregnant within 6 months is amazing at any age when you are trying to conceive. Women under 35 are advised to see a doctor if they have been trying for one year with no success.
To answer your question: If the stress is caused by not knowing your fertile period, then yes it would relieve the added stress of not knowing when. Unfortunately, even with perfectly timed sex there is only a small percentage of getting pregnant. The app can’t help with risk factors or medical conditions. It is basically just to help you understand your cycle and ovulation signs and symptoms. As a member of Fertility Friend, it also has pregnancy sign analyzer, but that would just be an educated guess. That is why I try to offer as many resources as possible because getting pregnant can be difficult.
My opinion is I wouldn’t want to leave too much up to chance when it comes to having a baby because as we get older it can become harder. If you a woman isn’t sure about ovulation and doesn’t know how to track it, I would recommend this app. However, if you know and can afford it, I would invest in an actual fertility monitor that can detect pregnancy as well. I hope that answers your question! Thanks again!
Very interesting article, I had not seen an app that takes into account the bbt. It seems as if that would make the app more accurate. However, on the other apps that do not take the bbt into account, why are they considered to be less accurate to the point that they might be off on the actual days of ovulation? I guess what does the bbt actually help to tell us?
Thank you!
First, thank you for stopping by. There are only a few that take into account basal body temperature. BBT is the only way to confirm ovulation at home without a specific fertility monitor. It measured by detecting a shift in your body temperature. An app on your phone that doesn’t know your bbt is only guessing assuming you have regular periods, normal luteal phase, and ovulate right in the middle of your cycle. Unfortunately, most women do not ovulate in the middle of the month or not at least every month. I tend to ovulate later in the month, but have ovulated early on occasion. So an app to tell you when you’re ovulating it basically like getting a horoscope for your period. Sometimes it could be right, but most of the time it isn’t. Hopefully that makes sense.