If you’re of childbearing age, you’ve probably considered birth control options. And there are plenty out there! Today, I’m highlighting the Natural Cycles app. Natural Cycles is an app that can replace hormonal birth control! If you’re intrigued, read on to find out more…
This post is sponsored by Natural Cycles and contains commissionable links. Please see the Legal page for more information.
What is the Natural Cycles app?
Natural Cycles is a very intriguing concept in the birth control space. It’s an app that syncs to a basal body temperature thermometer, an Apple Watch, or an Oura ring, depending on your preferences.
To explain at a very basic level, the app tracks your basal body temperature in order to determine when you have ovulated. Based on your temperature tracking, the app tells you if today is a “green day” (not fertile) or “red day” (use protection).
How does the Natural Cycles app work?
Have you read the book “Taking Charge of your Fertility” by Toni Weschler? I highly recommend it to any woman. It explains the phases of your cycle in an easy-to-understand way, and I believe all women should know and understand their bodies in this way. Whether you’re trying to get pregnant or trying not to get pregnant, it’s valuable knowledge for all women. This book also explains how the science behind tracking your basal body temperature works, and how you can use BBT to pinpoint where you are in your cycle.
The Natural Cycles app makes tracking your temperature and cycle super easy! Everything is automatically synced in the app.
And, Natural Cycles is FDA-cleared, non-hormonal, and non-invasive.
How effective is the Natural Cycles app?
According to the FDA, the Natural Cycles app had a “perfect use” failure rate of 1.8 percent–i.e., 1.8 in 100 women who use the app perfectly for 1 year will become pregnant. The app had a “typical use” failure rate of 6.5 percent. “Typical use” accounts for women who did not use the app correctly, like not using protection on “red days.” You can read more about the efficacy of the app from the FDA.
How does Natural Cycles compare to other forms of birth control?
Compare the efficacy of the Natural Cycles app to other types of birth control with these stats from Natural Cycles:
- Efficacy of Hormonal Birth Control Methods
- Contraceptive Pill: 93%
- Vaginal Ring: 93%
- Hormonal IUD: 99%
- Efficacy of Non-Hormonal Birth Control Methods
- Natural Cycles app: 93%
- Male Condom: 87%
- Copper IUD: 99%
Can you use the Natural Cycles app to get pregnant?
While the Natural Cycles app is typically marketed as birth control, it can also be used when trying to get pregnant. As explained in Taking Charge of your Fertility, basal body temperature tracking gives you a lot of useful data when trying to conceive.
For example, by tracking your BBT, you can confirm if your body is ovulating (i.e., releasing an egg) each cycle. You can also pinpoint exactly when in your cycle ovulation occurs. With that information, you can determine the length of your luteal phase (the second stage of your menstrual cycle–between ovulation and menstruation) and confirm that your luteal phase is long enough to sustain a pregnancy. All of this information is extremely helpful when trying to conceive!
According to Natural Cycles, the average length of time for couples using Natural Cycles when trying to conceive to get pregnant is just 3 months!
Is the Natural Cycles app right for me?
Take the quiz on the Natural Cycles website to find out if using the Natural Cycles app to plan or prevent pregnancy may be right for you!
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