How a Fertility Monitor Can Aid Your TTC Journey

Using the Inito fertility monitor can help you overcome these 7 common struggles that couples face when trying to get pregnant.

1. Not enough knowledge about fertility

You may have learned the basics in health class back in your school years. But a lot of women don’t fully understand how their unique cycle operates, so that they can optimize their chances for pregnancy.

This study is a perfect example. Researchers found that the majority of women understood that they could conceive on days other than ovulation day. But 72% of them didn’t know that the week leading up to conception was the best window for trying to conceive.

On top of that, the study showed that many women thought that fertility increased after ovulation. (Only 22% understood that the week after ovulation is your lowest chance of getting pregnant.)

Basically, these misunderstandings are a recipe for completely missing your fertile window (and prolonging your journey to conceiving).

By tracking multiple hormones—not just LH—Inito helps clarify when you’re most fertile.

2. Incorrect timing

Even when couples think they’re timing intercourse correctly, studies show otherwise.

To put this into perspective, one study assessed whether women timed intercourse in their fertile window. They found that 68.2% of participants thought they had timed inside their fertile window. But in reality, only 12.7% of participants were able to correctly identify which days were within their fertile window.

So again, not using your fertile window to your advantage could mean missed opportunities for conceiving.

Inito highlights your full fertile window, helping you time intercourse more effectively.

3. Cycle variations

Did you know that 69% of women have cycles that can change by up to 6 days from one cycle to the next? And that nearly 46% of women have cycles that vary by 7 days or more?

Yet, many fertility tracking apps predict fertile windows based on cycle length characteristics. Because cycles can vary so much from woman to woman and even cycle to cycle, cycle length alone isn’t super reliable for predicting your fertility.

Inito adapts to these variations by tracking real-time hormone changes rather than relying on assumptions.

4. Lower accuracy of traditional ovulation tracking methods

There are lots of methods out there that help you pinpoint ovulation. But not all of these are equal in accuracy.

Here’s a look at the accuracy of some of the more “traditional” forms of ovulation prediction methods:

5. Natural variations in LH

LH surges play a huge role in predicting ovulation. But current research actually shows us that LH surges are much more complicated than previously thought. In fact, only 48% of females have a single LH surge.

And here’s where it gets even more complex. The range of LH levels that constitutes a “surge” varies a ton.

One study that tracked women’s daily LH levels for a complete cycle found this:

• The average LH level during an LH surge is 44.6 mIU/mL.
• The range of LH levels among women during a surge was between 6.5 mIU/mL and 101 mIU/mL.

But OPKs don’t have the capacity to account for naturally high or low LH levels. They work by detecting LH levels above an average threshold value.

In contrast, Inito detects LH changes relative to your baseline and shows surge patterns across cycles.

6. Limitations of OPKs

As mentioned, OPKs do have their place in fertility tracking and are reliable for women with regular cycles and average LH levels. (This is of course assuming you’re using the tests correctly).

But here’s where OPKs are limited if you’re TTC:

• They only detect LH levels that fall above a certain range (usually between 20 – 40 mIU/mL).
• They usually only detect alpha LH. (LH has an alpha subunit and a beta subunit, but the alpha subunit is exactly the same as the alpha subunit of other hormones like FSH and TSH). This means OPKs can cross-react with these other hormones and give you false results.
• OPKs don’t give you the complete picture of your fertile window since they only detect LH.
• OPKs can’t confirm ovulation since they don’t measure PdG.
• OPKs can lead to false positives, false negatives, or generally confusing results for women who have irregular cycles, PCOS, hormonal imbalances, or naturally higher or lower LH levels.
• They rely on the user’s ability to interpret the test accurately. One study found that nearly 40% of women don’t read their OPK results correctly.

Know more: How Accurate Are Ovulation Tests?

Inito overcomes these limitations by measuring multiple hormones including beta LH, reduces the chances of false positives or negatives, and removes the need for any self-interpretation.

7. Lack of ovulation confirmation

As mentioned, OPKs and traditional ovulation tracking methods don’t confirm ovulation.

The only two ways (as of now) to reliably confirm ovulation include:

1. Getting an ultrasound at your doctor’s office or
2. Tracking your levels of progesterone or PdG (progesterone metabolite)

What about tracking the rise in BBT, though?

There’s nothing wrong with tracking your BBT. For many women, basal body temperature rises about 0.5-1 degrees Fahrenheit after ovulation. But that information on its own isn’t super reliable for confirming ovulation.

This is because your basal body temperature can be influenced by tons of factors besides just ovulation. Sleep, exercise, room temperature, and fever can all affect your BBT.

Feeling overwhelmed by these 7 common struggles with tracking your fertility?

We promise, you’re not alone in feeling that way. But that’s why understanding how a fertility monitor works can be really helpful for you. So keep reading to see how Inito can help you bypass these fertility challenges!