Every other day we get reviews from Grace users saying that they had been trying to conceive for years without success and all of a sudden, as soon they started using the Grace app, they got pregnant. Well, this is no coincidence. The Grace Health App has a dedicated journey for women trying to conceive; with educational content, trackers and reminders to assist with women's conception effectively!
To start using the Grace app to support your journey of trying to conceive, and hopefully succeeding at your goal, check out this article we made just for you!
1. Start by creating your profile
As soon as you've downloaded the app, get started by creating your profile, and make sure to select the goal option: I want to get pregnant. This will ensure that the content you see in the app is relevant to your conception journey. In case you are already a registered user, don't worry; you can simply change your goal under the profile page and everything else should automatically change accordingly.
2. Track your period for the first time
A woman is able to conceive only during their fertile window, meaning, the days around her ovulation or on the ovulation day itself. As each woman has an individual cycle length*, your fertile window and ovulation predictions are calculated based on what you tracked, cycle per cycle. Therefore it is essential to track your period as often as possible to get your predictions personalised and accurate for each month. If you can remember, input the start date of your last period. Follow the instructions shown on your screen, and select what applies to you. If you don't remember, no problem. As soon as you get your period again, make sure to track it, and Grace will calculate it for you.
*A cycle is counted from the first day of your period until the first day of your next period. Cycles can vary usually between 27 to 36 days (more or less).
3. Check your daily predictions
Under the home screen, every day your Cycle card will be updated according to your predictions (if you tracked your last period). In this card, you'll be able to easily see your estimated fertility status* for that day, when your ovulation should happen or when your next period could be coming up.
*When you read "estimated fertility", you can also interpret that as "estimated chances of getting pregnant" on that specific day, which could vary from low to highest.
4. Begin tracking other things too
Your symptoms and signs could serve as key indicators of your ovulation and fertility. As a TTC Woman (TTC = Trying To Conceive), the primary sign you should focus on is discharge - the fluid that you might see in your underwear. Keep tracking it as often as possible, so that you can start becoming aware of the changes in consistency throughout your cycle. When you get notified that your fertility is high, check your discharge and track its type. As said previously, cycles vary and predictions can be off by a couple of days, therefore, noticing your body and tracking your discharge type is extremely important to confirm your signs of ovulation. Once you notice the beginning of a fertile discharge (egg-white like), this is your sign to have sex with your partner. Speaking of which, you can also make use of other trackers, such as "sex". Tracking your sexual activity when TTC is relevant so that you can gain more insights. For example, when looking back on the Grace Calendar to see the things you've tracked, you might notice that you've been having sex on days in which your fertility isn't at its highest, hence, conception isn't taking place. So keep in mind to track when you had sex and start planning for having it at the right time - when you notice that your fertile window is approaching, make sure to meet your partner!
More than that, you can track one or multiple things: prenatal supplements, sex, cramps, mood, headache, bloating, tender breast, energy and more. All you'll need to do is select one at a time, and then, using the slider, select the intensity of the symptoms, which could range from mild to severe, or the types of each selected activity. For instance, if you experience some sort of cramps during your predicted fertile window, that could mean that you might be experiencing ovulation cramps - which happen when your ovaries are releasing an egg - another sign you should meet your partner!
After tracking, check the chat screen to get tips and learn more about what you've tracked!
4. Learn more by asking questions or reading the blog
One of the added advantages you have with Grace is the opportunity to privately ask questions to learn more or ask for tips about the different types of discharge, ovulation symptoms, sex and more. You can do this by typing in the chat or selecting an option in the chat menu. The responses you get are instant and approved by medical experts.
5. Understand your cycle at first glance with the calendar
When using the app recurrently or weekly, make sure to check the Calendar page for an easier overview. We've explained the Calendar page and its benefits more in detail in the post: Calendar Page? A Fertility Calculator!
6. Take Grace's Fertility Evaluation
As we mentioned before in this post: Why is it taking so long to conceive? There is no specific timeline for conception, and although most couples will usually get pregnant within one year of trying, it is important to evaluate the state of your fertility as early as possible.
The Grace Fertility Evaluation is a digital fertility health check-up in the Grace app, designed specifically for women who are trying to conceive. The goal is to check different components of your reproductive health and determine how Grace can best be of help in your conception journey. That way, you can ensure all essential physical factors are in place in order to achieve a successful conception, as well as get tips on how to improve whatever isn't looking so good in terms of health and habits.
You can find the Fertility Evaluation under your Profile Page, and it takes 10min to complete. As with everything else in the app, it is free and co-designed with medical specialists.
Check out this post: Why take our Fertility Evaluation? for more details!
