Fertility charting software

Fertilityfriend is my number one. It is easy to use and the basic program is free. It doesn’t have so many fancy extras if you only use the free version but it is still very very clear and you can easily see when you need to be having sex to maximize your chances of conception.

The data entry form is pretty simple and you can enter a variety of data. On the left is the top (main) part of this form. It records both temperature and other fertility signs such as cervical fluid and the results of ovulation tests you may have done – you only need to enter the data you want to monitor and can leave the others blank, for example if you don’t use ovulation predictor kits the software will simply ignore this part.

Below this is a tick box part where you can record what mood you have been in one day to the next and what possible symptoms you have had such as headaches or nausea which is great if you are an obsessive symptom checker!.

Once you have put all of this data in (it sounds alot but it takes less than a minute) your information will be displayed in a chart like this:

 

The red cross only appears when the software has detected ovulation and so you can then count down to test day. Along the bottom is the other information you have entered such as cervical position and it will also record the results of pregnancy tests.

On the site in general there are some helpful sections such as a pregnancy test gallery (so you can compare yours to others both positive and negative) and a chart gallery so you can see how your chart is looking in comparison to other users.

There are many more features availible if you chose to upgrade your account which costs $10 for one month (around £5 or 6). These include a pregnancy analyzer which will tell you if you have any signs of pregnancy on your chart such as an implantation dip or spotting. There are also forums which include a help section where you can ask for help interpreting your chart or signs.

Fertility friend is fully online so you can access it from any computer.

The only downside to fertility friend is that you do not get all of the features with a free account, you cannot see ahead in your cycle for example and cannot use the forums. It is pretty cheap to upgrade and so giving the free version a go for a cycle or two is well worth and if you like it (and are not pregnant already!) i really recommend upgrading to get all of the features. There is also a sister site where you can track your pregnancy and follow a pretty detailed calendar – and again an active forum.

 

This software has a free trail but after 14 days it costs $39.99 to buy the full version. The software is based on the book “taking charge of your fertility” by Toni Weschlers and so if you have read and liked the book this may sway you towards this programme over any other!.  This is a desktop programme i.e you download it and run it on your computer BUT there is email support availible and you can share your charts through email as well, which makes it a little easier to get help if you get stuck. The Basic calendar is clear and easy to read as is the data entry form.

As you can see it has entry information for all the fertility signs as well as tabs for recording medications and other changes which could affect your cycle. Symptoms so that you can compare cycle to cycle and with other people and the facitilty to enter general calendar events. One of the nice features about this programme is that it has an area which will both predict if it thinks you are pregnant and will tell you your due date if you were lucky enough to conceive in the current cycle.

The chart itself is slightly more complicated than the fertility friend chart but displays pretty much the same information:

Overall this is a really nice peice of software which is the best desktop type you can get. The only disadvantage it has over fertility friend is that it does not have a free option but if you dont mind paying and you would prefer to have the program on your computer itself then this is probably the best one to go for!. 

This is a downloadable peice of software it has a 14 days free trail but if you intend to use it even for one cycle you will need ot buy the full version. It is fairly easy to use and has many of the same charting features as fertilityfriend.

The actual calendar part of the software looks like this a basic calendar which you simply click to add your data, the options along the top along you top add information such as cervial fliud type. When you click on chart on the left hand side you see this This chart is a pretty clear indicaion of your body temperature, it looks alot like fertilityfriends version and has other information displayed along the top. There are no extras with this software, it is a chart and a calendar with not much else but in reality this is all you need , i like this chart it is clear and easy to use even for beginners to charting, if you need to put it on your desktop this is a good one to consider. 

First thing about this software is that it has a free trail BUT after 45 days (or on average around one and a half cycles) you have to pay for it (see their website for more details). At first glance is pretty basic looking and doesn’t have the more polished look of fertilityfriend. However, once you get to know it and look past that it isn’t too bad. The major advantage is that it is downloadable to your desktop, and so if you prefer not to have to connect to the internet everyday then it will obviously work better for you than online versions. The initial setup page is a series of questions, last period average lengnth of cycle etc after which you will get a chart like this:

This will tell you what days you are likely to get pregnant (light blue on the chart to the left) ovulation (dark blue) and when to expect your period (purple). Although it is basic looking it has all of the information quickly to hand which is a major advantage if you are new to fertility charting. To enter data you right click on the day you want to edit to see a screen like this

Simply enter the data in the boxes provided and after a while of doing this the software will adjust your fertile days etc accordingly. The second picture is a more detailed chart based on temperatures and other fertility signs which allows you to see in greater detail what is going on in your cycle.

This software has a number of extra features such as the ability to track events and follow the lunar cycle but the major drawback as compared to online software is that it doesnt have the extras like the pregnancy test gallery of fertilityfriend and also that it simply isn’t a user friendly to look at if you want to record temperatures. I would recommend this software if you cannot connect to the internet daily OR if you simply want to input your last period and one of two fertility signs – the calendar will easily show you when you should have sex to conceive. However, if you want to see information such as a graph of temperatures or if you want to have the pretty extras like tickers counting down to your test date this is probably not the fertility charting software for you.