Fertility Tracking: If You're Only Using An App, You're Missing the Point
- Dr. Alex Lucyshen
- Jul 20
- 3 min read
When it comes to fertility tracking, real cycle tracking gives you answers your cycle tracking app probably isn’t.
Let’s be honest, most women are taught shockingly little about their own bodies. Here is something we didn’t learn in health class (but should have!).
We’re handed hormonal birth control to “regulate” our cycles, told ovulation happens on day 14 (for everyone, apparently) and then we're expected to magically understand how to get pregnant when the time comes.
No wonder so many women feel confused, frustrated and betrayed by their bodies when it comes to preconception.
Here’s the truth:
If you want real answers about your fertility, you need to track more than your period. Apps are helpful, but they can’t tell you if you’re actually ovulating. As a fertility-focused naturopathic doctor, most of the women I work with have never been shown how to properly track their cycle in a way that reflects a real, living, hormonal rhythm.
Let's change that!
When it comes to fertility tracking, ovulation isn’t optional—it’s foundational
Ovulation isn’t just for getting pregnant; it’s how your body produces hormones like estrogen and progesterone that support your brain, bones, thyroid, metabolism, and mood.
If you’re not ovulating regularly, your body is trying to tell you something important.
Yet? Many women go years or even decades without realizing they’re not ovulating consistently. Why? Because they were taught to rely on period tracking apps that predict ovulation based on math, not biology.
Ovulation doesn’t follow a schedule. Your body is not an algorithm.
So, how do you actually track ovulation?
Let’s walk through it step by step, so you can stop guessing and start understanding your body.
Step 1: Understanding the phases of your cycle
Day 1 = the first full day of your period (NOT SPOTTING)
Follicular phase (from period to ovulation): estrogen rises
Ovulation (mid cycle): triggered by LH surge, the fertile window opens
Luteal Phase (after ovulation): progesterone takes over
Menstruation: triggered if implantation does not occur
Ovulation typically happens 14 days before your next period, not day 14 of every cycle. (Unless your cycle is exactly 28 days, which, spoiler alert.. Most aren't!)
Step 2: track these 3 signs (cycle tracking apps don't do this work you)
Basal Body Temperature (BBT) **
Take your temperature first thing in the morning
After ovulation, your temperature rises and stays elevated
No rise? Likely no ovulation
What this tells you: Ovulation happened, which is essential for confirming, not just predicting.
** Basal body thermometers are thermometers with an extra decimal place ie, 36.25 (Celsius or Fahrenheit are fine).
Cervical mucus
Changes throughout your cycle
Egg white, stretchy, slippery mucus = peak fertility
Dry or sticky mucus = low fertility
What this tells you: Your body is preparing for ovulation, a key window for conception.
Ovulation Predictor Kits (OPKs)
Detect your LH surge (the hormonal trigger for ovulation)
Surge means ovulation is likely coming in 12-36 hours
What this tells you: Your body is attempting to ovulate, but it does not indicate whether it actually did.
Step 3: Put it All Together
When these signs line up, LH surge, fertile mucus and a temp rise, you can be confident you ovulated.
If you’re only using an app?
You’re relying on a guess based on a calendar formula. If you’re struggling to conceive, dealing with irregular cycles, or suspecting hormone imbalances, that guess can cost you time, clarity and peace of mind.
Why proper ovulation tracking matters, especially if you're trying to conceive
I see this all the time: A woman comes in after 6-12 months of trying to conceive, convinced she’s been timing things perfectly.
We dig into her charts, and guess what?
She hasn’t been ovulating consistently, or at all.
This isn’t her fault, it's a failure of the system that told her to “just use an app” and come back in a year if nothing happens.
You deserve better than that.
When to get support for ovulation tracking
You shouldn't have to decode your hormones alone. If you’re:
Unsure whether you’re ovulating
Getting positive OPKs but no temp shift
Seeing irregular or short luteal phases
Getting conflicting advice about your cycle
Feeling discouraged or confused after months of TTC
It’s time for real, root cause care.
Your body isn't broken—you’ve just never been taught how to listen to it.
Cycle tracking is more than a fertility tool. It's a way to reclaim confidence, clarity and connection to your body.
If you’re ready to stop relying on guesses and start getting real answers, I’d love to support you.