Fertility tracking: what’s worked for me (& can maybe help you!)
Welcome to your Morning Pour! ☕️
For this month’s post, I wanted to shift the focus to what I like to call pre-pre-natal: the beauty, challenges, and realities of trying to conceive. It’s a topic that feels especially meaningful because it’s the season of life I’m currently navigating myself.
My husband and I have been trying to conceive for the past year, and I’d be lying if I said being a prenatal chiropractor hasn’t come in handy. Having access to knowledgeable practitioners in the fertility, gynecological and obstetric world, and even fertility-focused acupuncture, is a privilege I’m incredibly grateful for!
At 35 years old (just celebrated that mini-milestone birthday, woo!) and trying for our first child, there can be a lot of noise surrounding fertility. Terms like advanced maternal age (thank goodness we dropped “geriatric pregnancy”), discussions about chromosomal abnormalities, and reminders of a ticking biological clock can feel overwhelming. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned during this journey is focusing on what I can control and letting go of what I can’t.
For me, that meant learning more about my cycle through fertility tracking.
There are countless apps, wearable devices, hormone monitors, and at-home tests available. As someone who loves health data, I find this stuff fascinating, but I also understand how overwhelming it can feel when you're trying to track everything.
To keep things simple, I chose a few tools that gave me the most useful information. I track cervical mucus and use ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) as my budget friendly options, and wear an Oura Ring as my go-to device.
Because my cycles are very regular, the Oura Ring helps estimate my fertile window, making it easier to know when to pay closer attention to cervical mucus changes and when to start using OPKs to look for an LH surge. What I found even more helpful, however, was confirming whether I had actually ovulated.
Before using the Oura Ring, I assumed I ovulated every month because my periods were regular. But a regular cycle doesn't always guarantee ovulation! That’s where basal body temperature (BBT) tracking became valuable.
While you can absolutely track BBT with a thermometer, it requires taking your temperature immediately upon waking at the same time every day. Personally, that level of consistency wasn't realistic for me, and felt more of a pain than anything else. I liked that the Oura Ring tracks temperature trends automatically throughout the night.
By monitoring my temperature patterns, I was able to see a consistent rise around ovulation each month, helping confirm that ovulation had occurred. I also found it fascinating to watch what happened afterward. During the luteal phase, progesterone levels rise, and that increase is often reflected in elevated body temperatures. As my temperatures gradually dropped toward the end of my cycle, I knew my period was likely approaching. If temperatures remained elevated, it could be an early sign of pregnancy!
While no device can tell you everything, I found that fertility tracking helped me better understand my body and gave me a sense of clarity during a process that can sometimes feel uncertain.
If you're curious about the Oura Ring (make sure to check out other features such as heart rate variability and respiratory rate) and think it might be a good fit for your own fertility journey, In Health Clinic offers 10% off through our Fullscript account. We don't make any money from Oura purchases, as it’s just a little bonus we're happy to share with our community! https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ihc/store-start
And if you're beginning your own fertility journey, one of the best first steps is establishing care with a fertility specialist or healthcare provider who can guide you through the process and help determine which tools and strategies make the most sense for you. Fertility tracking doesn't have to be complicated. Whether you choose to track multiple data points or simply pay attention to your cycle, the goal is to find an approach that feels informative, not overwhelming. 💛
Sources:
Naume Guveya. Sleep and Fertility: What’s the Link? The Pulse Blog. Published April 24, 2023. Accessed June 23, 2026. https://ouraring.com/blog/sleep-and-fertility-in-women/
Team O. New to Oura: Cycle Insights. The Pulse Blog. Published September 25, 2023. https://ouraring.com/blog/oura-cycle-insights/
Team O. What Is the Fertile Window? The Pulse Blog. Published October 3, 2024. Accessed June 23, 2026. https://ouraring.com/blog/what-is-fertile-window/