By wearing your Oura ring to bed and synchronizing the data with the Natural Cycles° app, you can take control of your reproductive health in a hassle-free way.

The Natural Cycles° has been life-changing for me. Due to my medical condition, I had to stop using hormonal contraception and find an alternative method to prevent pregnancy. While I had some information about the Symptothermal Method, I was not happy with the daily temperature measurement required. However, I was thrilled to discover that I could use my Oura ring with the user-friendly Natural Cycles app, as it eliminated the need for daily temperature measurements!

Natural Cycles° has 3 different modes: Birth Control, Plan a pregnancy, Follow pregnancy. This article is focusing on Birth Control, because it’s mode I have experience with.

What is symptothermal method?

The symptothermal method is a natural form of birth control that involves tracking your body’s temperature and other fertility indicators to determine your fertile window. The symptothermal method typically uses basal temperature, which is measured right after waking up. However, with the Oura Ring, you don’t even need a thermometer. Instead of providing a single temperature measurement, the Oura collects “temperature trend” data. The Natural Cycles° algorithm uses this data to create an “absolute value” that is used to calculate your fertility status. The temperature sensors in the Oura Ring generate 1,440 data points each day, and they are validated to measure temperature changes as precisely as 0.13°C (0.23°F).

In addition to temperature trend data, the Natural Cycles° algorithm uses heart rate data from the Oura Ring. It takes into account nights with elevated heart rates and temperatures, which may be due to lifestyle changes such as high alcohol consumption or stress, rather than menstrual cycle changes. The app provides information about your cycle, which helps you understand it better and protect yourself.As you add more data, the algorithm gets to know you and your fertile window better.

The idea behind all this is simple. The Oura Ring measures your temperature, and the Natural Cycles app algorithm calculates your ovulation day and shows you red and green days. Red days indicate that you might be fertile, and if you have sex, you should use protection. On the other hand, green days are protection-free days.

Your body temperature naturally shifts as different hormones drive different phases of your cycle:

• Your temperature is cooler during the first half of your cycle when your estrogen levels are high = follicular phase, the phase where the follicles on your ovaries grow

• Your temperature is warmer during the second half of your cycle when your progesterone levels are high = luteal phase, the phase which begins with ovulation and the follicle turning into a corpus luteum

• Your temperature decreases at the start of your period when your hormone levels drop off.

Your cycle starts on the first day of your period. Ovulation happens around the middle of the cycle, but this day can change depending on the pattern of your cycle. Sperm can survive for up to 5 days in the female reproductive system. This means you are fertile for 6 days each cycle (ovulation day and 5 days prior). This is known as the “fertile window”. After ovulation, basal body temperature rises due to hormonal changes. The algorithm uses this temperature rise (and optional LH tests) to detect and predict ovulation. At first, the algorithm mostly gives red days. However, as it learns your cycle and detects ovulation, it will give more green days. This science means you can trust Natural Cycles from day 1.

NC° Birth Control is 93% effective with typical use (includes all unintended pregnancies and reflects the way a method is used in everyday life) and 98% effective with perfect use (only includes pregnancies caused by the failure of the method, and so reflects effectiveness when it’s used perfectly).

Out of 100 women over 1 year of use:

• 7 on average got pregnant in total

• 5 from unprotected sex on red days

• 2 despite using a condom or abstaining on red days

• 0.5 from the app giving a wrong green day

As a regulated medical device, Natural Cycles is subject to rigorous testing and yearly audits. Their FDA clearance is based on the analysis of more than 15,000 women over 180,000 cycles. You can read more about NC° app effectiveness on their website.

How to get started with the Natural Cycles app:

1. Sign up and pay subscription for Natural Cycles app. If you use my referral you get 20% off!

2. Log in to your Natural Cycles account and follow a few simple steps to get started and synchronize your Oura Ring data.

3. Wear your Oura Ring to bed to measure seamlessly while you sleep and unlock your daily fertility status.

If you don’t have an Oura ring yet, you can get $40 off Oura ring with an annual subscription of Natural Cycles°.

If you want to learn more about Oura ring you can see my article ‘Hack your sleep-Use Oura!’ or go to https://ouraring.com/.

The app itself also includes a wealth of learning materials and resources related to women’s health, pregnancy, sex, and relationships. The app will even remind you to perform breast self-examinations and provide instructions on how to do it correctly.

If you want to share your information with your partner, you can send him an invitation via: Settings -> Partner view -> Enable and choose, what you want to share. You can share only the information about the red/green days , ovulation statut, predictions, period, spotting and added temperatures, or you can enable more: emotions,pain, skin, notes, sex, sex drive, LH test or Pregnancy test. It’s a great feature and you don’t have to answer daily question about the color of your day :)

While the app may not be suitable for everyone, particularly those with irregular cycles, it can be a useful tool for those who want to better understand their fertility and menstrual cycle. With its high effectiveness rate, innovative technology, and wealth of learning materials, it’s no wonder that it’s quickly become part of my daily life. So if you’re considering changing to a hormone-free contraception method, have a medical condition that requires you to do so, or simply want to better understand your menstrual cycle, the Natural Cycles app is a great option to consider.