Wellness

Over the past two years, I have really started to take my hormone health seriously and using the Natural Cycles app has been one of the most empowering decisions I’ve made for my health. Before discovering it, I didn’t fully understand the importance of tracking my menstrual cycle, let alone the wealth of information my body could give me about my overall well-being.

Now, Natural Cycles has become an essential part of my daily routine, helping me to track my cycle, understand my hormones, and gain insight into women’s health.

Why I Started Using Natural Cycles

I first heard about Natural Cycles as a hormone-free alternative to birth control and cycle tracking, and I was immediately intrigued. I’ve always been passionate about holistic health and understanding my body’s natural rhythms, so this felt like a perfect fit.

I wanted something that would not only help me avoid synthetic hormones but also give me real data about my body’s natural processes.

The Benefits of Using Natural Cycles

One of the standout features of Natural Cycles is how personalized it is. The app uses your basal body temperature (BBT) to predict ovulation, fertile windows, and menstruation. By tracking this data consistently, you gain a detailed understanding of your entire menstrual cycle, not just your period.

Here’s how it’s changed my life:

1. Deeper Understanding of My Body: Before using Natural Cycles, I had no idea how intricately my hormones influenced my mood, energy levels, and even my sleep. Tracking my cycle has helped me connect these dots and listen to my body’s natural cues. It feels like a form of self-care to honor where I am in my cycle and adjust my lifestyle accordingly.
2. Hormone Health Awareness: One of the biggest revelations for me was how much the different phases of my cycle affect my hormone levels. Through tracking my cycle, I’ve become more in tune with the natural ebb and flow of estrogen and progesterone. This has helps me optimize my diet, exercise routine, and self-care habits to better support my body through each phase.
3. Period Health Insights: Natural Cycles doesn’t just help with predicting your period—it helps you understand what’s happening during your period. I’ve learned to recognize signs of hormone imbalances or irregularities through tracking my symptoms, flow, and cycle length. I know my body so well that I can easily detect when something is off and can seek advice when needed.
4. Empowered Choices for Birth Control: Natural Cycles is a certified birth control method that allows you to track your fertility days and non-fertile days without the use of synthetic hormones. Knowing exactly when I’m fertile and when I’m not gives me peace of mind and allows me to make informed decisions about my reproductive health.

How Natural Cycles Works

Natural Cycles uses a combination of BBT data and your personal input (like cycle length, symptoms, and past periods) to predict your fertile window and ovulation day. Here’s what my daily routine looks like:

• Measuring My Temperature: When I first started with Natural Cycles, I would I take my temperature with a basal thermometer every morning before getting out of bed. I now have an Oura ring and this device takes my temperature automatically every morning upon waking and syncs the data with my Natural Cycles app. This only takes a few seconds but provides so much insight into where I am in my cycle.
• Logging Symptoms: When I remember to, I’ll log any symptoms I experience, such as mood changes, energy levels, or PMS symptoms. Over time, I’ve learned how to manage these fluctuations better.
• Checking Predictions: The app gives you daily updates on whether you’re in your fertile window, ovulating, or nearing your period. I love how it makes the invisible aspects of my cycle feel more tangible and easy to understand.

How It’s Transformed My Approach to Wellness

Tracking my cycle with Natural Cycles has completely changed how I approach wellness. I now design my self-care around the different phases of my cycle:

• Follicular Phase (post-period): I feel most energized and ready to tackle challenging tasks, so I schedule creative projects and intense workouts during this phase.
• Ovulation: This is my peak energy phase, where I feel confident and social, so I try to plan client meetings or social events during this time.
• Luteal Phase (pre-period): As my energy starts to dip, I turn to more restorative activities like yoga and meditation, focusing on self-care and stress management.
• Menstrual Phase: I honor this time by slowing down, taking it easy, and focusing on rest and recovery.

Now, every month can’t be perfectly structured like this, but learning about the different phases has allowed me to be more intentional about my choices.

Learning More About Women’s Health

One of the unexpected gifts of using Natural Cycles has been the education I’ve gained on women’s health and hormone cycles. It’s sparked my curiosity and led me to dive deeper into understanding the menstrual cycle, how hormones affect overall health, and how the body works in rhythm. I feel more connected to my body and more empowered to make informed choices about my health and wellness.

This app has given me the tools to understand what’s happening beneath the surface, giving me insight that I believe every woman deserves to have.

Final Thoughts

After two years of using Natural Cycles, I can confidently say that it has transformed the way I view my body, my cycle, and my overall health. It has empowered me to take control of my fertility in a natural way, deepened my understanding of hormone health, and improved my wellness routine. I truly believe that every woman could benefit from understanding their cycle in this way—it’s more than just tracking your period; it’s about honoring the wisdom your body holds.

If you’re curious about Natural Cycles or want to learn more about your menstrual health, I can’t recommend this tool enough. It’s a small daily habit that brings life-changing insights! If you’re interested in trying the app, you can use my link for 20% off the annual subscription.