Cycle Tracker

Things to remember:

• The first day of your cycle (Cycle Day 1) is the first day of your period
• If you are measuring body temperature, do it first thing in the morning as soon as you wake up

How to retroactively identify ovulation and cycle phase using the back-counting method:

• From Day 1 of your second cycle, count backward 14 days. These 14 days were likely the luteal phase in your last cycle.
• Confirm that these days were your luteal phase using your recorded body temperature data. If your temperature was elevated relative to what it was in the earlier part of your cycle, you can feel decently confident that a) you ovulated and b) you were in your luteal phase.
• Ovulation likely occurred the day prior to the start of your luteal phase.
• Confirm ovulation by referencing your cervical mucous data (it will have been slippery and clear, like egg whites).
• Confirm ovulation by temperature data (our body temperature dips slightly right near ovulation).
  Note that I can’t always capture this temperature dip using wearable tech, even when I have successfully ovulated. Just FYI in case you run into that problem, too.
• All of the days prior to ovulation are your follicular phase, with the 5ish days prior to ovulation (and the day of ovulation itself) being your fertile window.

Tips and tricks for measuring your moods, sexual desire, etc across the cycle:

• Rate how you are feeling at the same time every day. I like doing end of day since it’s hard to know how we feel on a given day as soon as we wake up. However, you can do it right when you wake up if that’s easier for you. Just reflect on the prior day.
• Don’t overthink it. This is what kills most women’s cycle tracking. Don’t give up because you’re not sure if you’re remembering things correctly. Just do your best and you will get valuable data. I promise.
• If the cycle tracker here overwhelms you, consider making your own simplified version that captures the things you are most interested in measuring. 

Other Recommendations:

• I use wearable tech to log my body temperature (and everything else). I love the Oura Ring. I have friends who love the Whoop band or Apple watch. Some people don’t like wearables because the data might not be as precise as what you might get if you measured your own temperature every day. For me, though, the plusses far outweigh the minuses. I am really bad at remembering to measure my BBT in the morning, so wearable tech has allowed me to consistently track my temps without having to think about it too much.
• 28 is an app that tracks your cycle using temperature inputs from your Apple watch or using your own manual cycle or temperature inputs. It also allows you to track your moods, sexual desire, energy levels, and a whole bunch of other stuff as it changes across the cycle. I like it so much that I recently became a member of their scientific advisory board.