What is a fertility hormone monitor?

A fertility hormone monitor is a device that tracks estrogen (E3G), LH, PdG (the urine metabolite of progesterone), and FSH across the entire cycle, instead of only catching the LH surge like a traditional single-hormone ovulation test. Estrogen rising signals the fertile window is opening, LH surging triggers ovulation, PdG rising afterward confirms ovulation actually happened, and FSH reflects follicle growth. Together, these four hormones identify the fertile window and confirm ovulation with real data, rather than prediction alone. Know more .

How do you check hormone levels for fertility?

Hormone levels can be checked at home using a fertility monitor like the Inito Fertility Monitor, which reads urine test strips for estrogen, LH, PdG (urine metabolite of progesterone), and FSH throughout your cycle. Results sync to the Inito app and you get personalized hormone trends based on your actual hormone values rather than population averages.

Are ovulation tests worth it?

Traditional ovulation tests can be useful for catching a possible LH surge, but they only measure one hormone. LH alone can signal ovulation may be approaching, but it doesn't confirm ovulation actually happened, that requires seeing progesterone (or its urine metabolite, PdG) rise afterward. LH-only tests can also be harder to read in cycles with naturally elevated baseline LH, such as with PMOS (earlier called PCOS). Tracking all four hormones together gives a fuller, personalized picture of the cycle and confirms ovulation with real data rather than prediction alone. Know more .

Hormone Tracking for Fertility: A Real Story

Published on Aug 18, 2026

Written byInito TeamHealth Researchers and Writers

Verified byDr. Shruthi ShridharConsulting Homeopath & Clinical Nutritionist

Dana Hartman is a fertility educator and functional nutrition practitioner who teaches women to understand their cycles through body literacy and natural biomarkers like cervical mucus.

For years, that approach was enough for Dana. But after a pregnancy loss, her cycle stopped behaving the way it used to. Her usual biomarkers were giving her signals, but they weren't telling her why things were off.

Key Takeaways

Dana Hartman used to rely only on her body's natural signals until hormone tracking changed how she reads her cycle.
After her miscarriages, she needed clearer insight into what was happening in her body.
Inito helped Dana track four key fertility hormones and reveal patterns that symptoms alone couldn't explain.
The data gave Dana the confidence to have more informed conversations with her OB-GYN, and she now recommends Inito to her own clients.

Four Hormones Were the Missing Key

Dana has always championed body literacy and trusted biomarkers. To her, hormone monitors felt like an unnecessary expense.

"If you know me, you know how passionate I am about teaching you to understand your body and your cycle using your own biomarkers like cervical mucus."

But for nine months after her pregnancy loss, her cycle looked nothing like it had before. She wasn't ovulating regularly, and dealt with unexpected bleeding, short luteal phases, and persistent uncertainty. Her body was giving her signals, but they just weren't adding up anymore.

So she decided to try Inito, a fertility device built to track all four key hormones at home. The Inito Fertility Monitor tracks Estrogen, LH, PdG (urine metabolite of progesterone), and FSH across the entire cycle, helping identify a fertile window, confirm ovulation, and build a clearer picture of what's happening in the body.

The data showed her something her usual biomarkers couldn't. Her estrogen was staying low, and she could see her body attempting to ovulate without completing the process. On the cycles when she did ovulate, her luteal phase was short and her PdG wasn't holding after ovulation. PdG needs to rise and stay elevated to support a healthy luteal phase and conception.

The patterns gave Dana a reason to go back to her doctor for further testing. Those tests eventually found retained tissue, which required another hysteroscopy. The data gave Dana a clearer starting point for a conversation with her OB-GYN about what she was experiencing. While Inito didn’t diagnose the issue, it helped her spot a pattern and advocate for further testing.

"I have been able to take this data to my OB and have conversations backed by numbers across my whole cycle, not just symptoms. And I was able to get the support my body needed to start regulating."

Inito hormone chart showing Dana's cycle days 12-21

Why She Recommends Inito to Her Clients

Dana reviewing her fertility hormone trends on a phone app

When clients come to Dana already using Inito, she asks them to share their data. She looks at it alongside their cycle charts, symptoms, and history, and says it adds real depth to what they can see together.

And when someone asks her which hormone monitor she recommends?
“I ALWAYS say Inito.”

It gives Dana another set of data to bring into the conversation with her clients.

At-home hormone monitors, like the Inito Fertility Monitor, track four key hormones: estrogen, LH, FSH, and PdG (urine metabolite of progesterone). By mapping how these hormones interact throughout your cycle, it provides crucial insights into when you are ovulating, your peak fertile windows, and the exact lengths of your follicular and luteal phases.

Dr. Pero

Triple Board Certified OB-GYN & Functional Medicine Physician

Newest Upgrade: The Inito Fertility Monitor's Standalone Wireless Reader

Inito Fertility Monitor showing a fertility hormone chart and an ovulation notification

As of April 2026, the Inito Fertility Monitor comes with a standalone wireless reader, the InSight Wireless Reader™, that works with both Android and iOS. It replaces the previous reader, which was compatible only with iPhone and needed to remain physically attached to the phone during testing.

The Inito Fertility Monitor uses patented Spectral Mapping technology to deliver the most precise¹ hormone readings at home, with results syncing automatically over built-in Wi-Fi once testing is done.

For Dana, the upgrade showed up in the everyday details.

"That might sound like a small thing, but with my morning routine before my twins wake up, it's such a convenient change! I put the strip in first thing, head downstairs, do my breathwork, and by the time I'm done, my results are there in the app waiting for me. Inito gives me precise readings without having to hover over my phone. It also works on both iOS and Android."

Conclusion

Cycles can change from one month to the next, and especially after pregnancy loss, symptoms alone don’t always tell the full story. This is where fertility tracking can help. Tracking all four hormones can help identify up to a six-day fertile window, giving you a clearer understanding of what's happening in your body and meaningful data you can bring to your doctor.

Source: This blog is adapted from a story originally shared by Dana Hartman on Behind the Balance, her Substack newsletter.

Disclaimer: The story shared here reflects an individual's experience. Fertility journeys and outcomes vary based on individual health, medical history, and lifestyle. This content is for educational purposes only and does not replace personalized medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider before making health-related decisions.

1 - “Most precise” refers to system-level precision measured in controlled laboratory testing, based on lower between-device variability across key hormones, concentrations, operators, days, and strip lots. Compares Inito to other U.S. over-the-counter at-home fertility monitors that provide numeric or graded hormone values and measure the same hormones as Inito.