Why Period Tracking Apps Cannot Predict Ovulation
Did you know that period apps can’t accurately predict ovulation? They are becoming more and more popular to help women and couples conceive or prevent pregnancy. However, although these apps are great for identifying patterns in your moods, symptom severity, and period bleed length/volume, they are not the best tool for predicting ovulation or your fertile window.
A recent study reviewed all the current apps on the market and concluded that the overall quality was low. These apps were found to be a highly inaccurate and an unreliable source of predicting ovulation for both conception and avoidance purposes. The variability between the apps was extremely high.
One of the main reasons these apps are unreliable, is because everybody is unique and not all bodies work like the ‘textbook’ says it should. A 28 day cycle is perceived as ‘normal’ and it is assumed that ovulation happens on day 14 (2 weeks after day one of our period). However, this is not always the case. A ‘normal’ cycle can be anywhere between 21-35 days, which means ovulation does not happen on day 14 for all- Not all period apps are clever enough to identify and predict this.
“Approximately only 10% of women ovulate on day 14 ”
If we assume everyone ovulates on day 14, the chance of disappointment when you don’t conceive or the risk of unplanned pregnancy is high. Say you are trying to conceive, and you ovulate on day 19 of your cycle (which can be common), if you were to have sex on day 14 the chance of pregnancy is low. Your period app could predict that you ovulate on day 19- but it is still only guessing. Basal body temperature tracking is the best way to know when you ovulate.
If your period is late, it means that you ovulated late. There are a number of reasons that can cause ovulation to be delayed.
having a period does not always mean that you have ovulated.
Anovulatory cycles are quite common. It appears as a ‘normal’ cycle, but it is not actually a complete cycle. You still have a period bleed, however, you do not ovulate or make hormones, such as progesterone that are stimulated by ovulation. Period apps cannot predict these anovulatory cycles. To determine anovulatory cycles, you need to track your basal body temperature (BBT)- you will know if you have had an anovulatory cycle if your temperature does not go up when ovulation should occur.
On a ‘typical’ cycle, having a period usually means that you ovulated 10-16 days prior. But, as human beings, life happens, and there are unpredictable events that can change the way our body functions. There are things in life that just pop up, unexpected, not even we can predict, let alone a period app! Things like stress (mental and physical), illness, environmental factors, medications, poor diet (under-eating), are all factors that can delay or prevent ovulation.
My favourite fertility tracker that I use myself & what I recommend for my clients is “TempDrop”.
It tracks your cycle PROPERLY, by measuring and tracking you BBT to enhance your chances of pregnancy or to help avoid pregnancy .
For 10% off, use this link .
All in all, knowing when you ovulate is a great tool to understand your body and your period… but using an app is not always the best tool. The app trend is still a positive thing- it is a part of the movement that makes period talk less taboo. Having a period app makes them feel more ‘normal’. Get on the next trend and start tracking your BBT to get to know your body even more.
