A recent story in the press caught my attention. A 30-year-old woman claims she finally managed to get pregnant after four years of trying using a fertility app on her Apple iPhone.
By inputting her daily body temperature, the fertility app was able to calculate when she would be at her most fertile. And the result is what has been dubbed Britain’s first ‘iPhone Baby’, a bouncing baby girl.
The fact is that 95% of couples are able to conceive naturally within two years of trying. And in this case, I would have certainly advised her to seek help much earlier.
Four years is a long time to be trying for a baby without consulting your GP. Most people make an appointment after just a year of trying.
In this case, the failure to get pregnant for four years seems to be simply a matter of getting the timing wrong. Not all women ovulate in the middle of their cycle. Some ovulate early, some ovulate late. A simple ovulation prediction kit bought from the high street would have done the same job as the app did.
So, my advice – see your GP if you’re not getting pregnant after a year. If your periods are regular, make sure you have unprotected sex at least every other day around the time of ovulation, which is normally in the middle (day 14) of your cycle. If you’re irregular, try using an ovulation prediction kit or look online for ovulation calendars.
With the advent of the iPhone and its apps, there’s clearly plenty of technology that can help you predict your cycle. It’s there to be used.
Last updated: 20th January 2020
