I was not paid for this post, but I did receive a free OvaCue Mobile Fertility Monitor and pre-natal vitamins in exchange for my honest opinion.
Last month I received an email from FairHaven Health with an offer to test out some of their products. I let them know that I was getting ready to start another round of IVF so I wasn’t trying to conceive naturally, but they generously sent me some products anyways.
Three years of TTC have made me very familiar with a basal body thermometer, but I had never tried any other sort of monitoring on my own. So, I was intrigued when they sent me the OvaCue Mobile Fertility Monitor.
The “monitor” is actually 2 sensors (oral and vaginal) that connect to your cell phone or via a mobile adapter. (It plugs into the headphone jack). The sensors measure the amount of electrolytes in your cervical mucous and saliva, which can help to pinpoint ovulation. The data is then fed directly into your device and stored in the OvaCue App or website.
Since I’m in the middle of a treatment cycle, I couldn’t really test the device out for accuracy. But I did play around with it to get a feel for how it works and ease-of-use. I liked that it connects directly to the phone. I’v seen other monitors which measure saliva and cervical mucous, but with those you have manually enter the data. The OvaCue does that for you. I do wish it also had the ability to measure basal body temperature directly, too. For now, you have to use your own thermometer and manually enter that info in.
I tested out the oral sensor and it took the reading and sent the info to the app on my phone in under 5 seconds. It required me to turn up the volume on my phone before it did that, which was a bit confusing, but I usually have the volume up anyways. If I ever decide to TTC naturally again, I would definitely use the oral reading to give me a more complete picture of my estimated ovulation date.
As for the vaginal sensor… well, I did not try it out. The head of the sensor is no bigger than a tampon, so it doesn’t look that scary. But the device arrived right before I started IVF and let’s be real: Anyone in the middle of IVF does not want to shove something else up themselves unless absolutely necessary. And honestly, the idea of having to a vaginal sensor every day and making sure it’s clean is not very appealing. I’m not sure I’d use that sensor unless I was really having trouble pinpointing ovulation and needed some extra information to help figure it out. However, if that sort of thing doesn’t make you squeamish, you may enjoy the added data you receive by using it.
My Summary
The OvaCue Mobile Fertility Monitor is useful for someone who may have trouble pinpointing ovulation and/or someone who wants more information about their cycle. It won’t replace your basal body thermometer, but it’s a handy addition to your basic TTC supply kit. I’m definitely keeping mine in case I’m ever in the position (no pun intended!) to try again naturally. If you’re interested in learning more or purchasing one for yourself, head on over to FairHaven Health.
