I’m a big fan of FertilityFriend.com’s ovulation tracking website. The free version is great, but I also happen to have a paid V.I.P membership. I feel that their site offers tons of support, great Q & A, and easy to use BBT charting software. I’ve used their website for years.
So I was curious when I heard they were offering an application for the iPhone. I don’t have an iPhone, so their software isn’t something I’ll get to use. That said, even if I did have an iPhone, I’m not sure I’d want to do my BBT charting on an iPhone.
How often are you away from home when you decide to check your fertile days? Or mark down that you “baby danced”? (I’m assuming that’s not something you do at the office!) And since you take your temperature in the morning, I can’t imagine filling the data in later in the day. I’d forget by then!
Then again, based on the description at FertilityFriend.com’s website, their iPhone application doesn’t actually do fertility charting, or BBT charting. It’s an ovulation calendar, which is not the same thing.
The website description says you can input the day you get your period, and it will guess about when you’d be fertile based on that information. You can also input when you've had sex, and I'm assuming the program will let you know if you've possiblity timed things right. However, this would not be as accurate as BBT charting (like on their website). Also, for those with irregular cycles, it’d be practically irrelevant.
The iPhone description does say you can sync your online account, if you have one, with your iPhone. But I don’t think it will allow you to do BBT charting. In fact, their website says that if you want to use their BBT charting program, you should become a member and log on to their mobile access site.
Have you tried their iPhone application? Even if you could do actual BBT charting on your iPhone, like through the mobile access site, is this something you’d want to do? I guess it’d be a fun toy, but it doesn’t seem practical.
iPhone users, fill me in – what do you think?
More about BBT charting, in general:
Hi Rachel,
I have to tell you that I am not a fan of the FF iPhone app because of the reasons you mentioned. It is NOT charting app. I instead bought MeFertil and absolutely LOVE it. I went through all of the apps that offer fertility monitoring and MeFertil is really the only one that serves the actual charting purpose. It does not have website charting option but that doesn’t make any difference to me since “chart-stalking” is not important to me and the only people I do share my charts with are my Ob or RE. Take a look at MeFertil and compare it with FF. You will see tremendous difference.
Best of luck!!
Julia
Personally, I’ve been using Cycles. I got it originally to track my periods but it has fertility predictions as well. I’ve found it much simpler to use than FF.
I also love FF, but there iphone app does not seem helpful or as sueful as their site .It looks to me as though MeFertil only uses temp to determine fertility, although usefull, i dont find it is a s reliable as using both temp & cervical fluid–is there an option to track/chart this as well with MeFertil and better still the tirciary compnent of cervical height…ideally i want to track Temperature, Cervical Fluid, Menses, & Intercourse…
finally in response to rachel and the idea of using an iphone, its my alarm clock, i never travel without it, and right now i am using my own system for tracking in my ical-which i then transcribe when i login to FF…using th iphone app directly would be ideal.
I use the meFertil app for tracking my BBT and it is outstanding. I grab it without having to move first thing in the morning, input my temp, and I’m back to bed!! As well I now know my own cycle after just a few months….I may even be pregnant right now with its help!!
I do recommend the book & website What to Expect When You’re Expecting!!