Most women don’t do so well when it comes to our relationship with fertility hormones. I have encountered countless others, like me, who have a love-hate relationship with our bodies because our hormones somehow never align. Balancing your hormones is a mammoth task, whether it is irregular periods, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or fertility issues.
Let’s be honest; it’s nearly impossible to squeeze in even a few moments to book a lab test and check in with our fertility hormones. Not to mention that blood tests can cost over $700 if you are trying to conceive because hormone levels vary throughout each cycle.
A sedentary lifestyle, poor dietary choices, smoking, and stress only add to our hormonal woes. According to an article in the New York Post in 2019, 43% of women (out of 2000 women) said that hormones negatively affected their overall well-being. This data accounts for women who are aware of their hormonal health.
Track Your Hormones with Ease
The more disturbing fact, however, is this bit- “Results, however, suggested that many are unaware of the potential implications of hormones-sadly the vast majority (72 percent) only later understood the cause of their symptoms.”
The worst part about hormonal disorders is that most of the time, there are hardly any noticeable symptoms.
For example, if you are suffering from low progesterone levels or Luteal Phase Defect, you probably would not know until you conceive/try to conceive. This is terrible news because progesterone is crucial in implantation and pregnancy.
If you have been looking for easy and quick solutions to track your hormones online, you might have come across two kinds of devices – cheap ovulation kits and overpriced fertility monitors. Ovulation kits don’t really “track” your fertility hormones, so that’s out of the picture. Fertility monitors have many drawbacks, like multiple test strips, long testing times, and tracking only a few hormones.
Regarding price, different hormone testing parameters, test strips, and testing time, we zeroed down on the Inito Fertility Monitor. It is an easy-to-use, no-nonsense device that measures four fertility hormones – LH, FSH, Estrogen, and PdG on one strip in less than 10 minutes.
These fertility hormones can tell you different things about your overall well-being. Based on different health conditions and fertility goals, here are some reasons you might need to track your hormones and how Inito can help you.
You have been trying to conceive for a long time.
Imbalanced hormones lead to conditions like anovulation, the leading cause of infertility among women. Balancing your hormones with proper medication/good lifestyle choices and trying to conceive on the right day can benefit your fertility goals.
To ovulate regularly in every cycle, all four fertility hormones must align, especially LH and progesterone. This is because LH peaks 8-20 hours before ovulation, and a rise in progesterone confirms that you have ovulated.
Unfortunately, ovulation kits only measure standard Alpha LH within a certain threshold. If you have multiple LH surges or smaller peaks, both will go unnoticed, and your OPK will show false results.
Disappointing right? It sure is because OPKs are the most affordable and readily available fertility devices. Fertility Monitors like Inito cost way more ($149) but have many features that can help you confirm ovulation.
Regarding data accuracy, Inito ranks higher than other fertility monitors as it measures Beta LH, which lowers the chances of cross-reactivity with other hormones and improves accuracy. It also has a broader hormone range to record tiny and tall peaks. Testing is also not a hassle because it has only one test strip for all hormones, and you need to test only once a day.
If you have not been able to conceive and are waiting a year to pass to get lab tests, Inito can help you get a head start. By checking hormones like Estrogen, FSH, LH, and Progesterone metabolite PdG, you can find out if you are suffering from conditions like anovulation, low progesterone, or luteal phase defect. You can get your Inito charts cross-checked by doctors or fertility experts and work on a solution without wasting precious time.
You have been diagnosed with a hormonal disorder.
In today’s day and age, getting diagnosed with a hormonal disorder should not come as a shock. Increasing levels of stress, lack of sleep, sedentary lifestyle, and increasing exposure to parabens and BPA send our hormones spiraling out of control. However, early detection and management can help us live our best lives without dealing with unpleasant symptoms.
By measuring all of your fertility hormones, Inito’s hormone graphs help you spot unbalanced hormonal trends like low progesterone (PdG) levels (if you are trying to conceive) or abnormal FSH and Estrogen levels if you have PCOS.
Suppose you have already been diagnosed with a hormonal disorder. In that case, hormone tracking can help you make better progress on your recovery journey, especially if you are clueless about what lifestyle or dietary changes are helping and what’s not working for you.
For example, most of us have heard of the most prescribed method to beat PCOS- “shed 10 pounds, and all the symptoms will disappear”. Unfortunately, the oldest trick in the book doesn’t work for everyone, especially if you are already underweight!
Inito helps you track hormones like FSH and estrogen so you can see if the latest medication/supplement is any good or if yoga balances your hormones. With constant guidance from medical experts on your health charts, you can stick to your regime and look forward to seeing accurate results sooner than ever.
You have irregular periods.
The first sign of hormonal imbalance is when you notice changes in your menstrual cycle. Conditions like estrogen dominance, PCOS, low progesterone, and anovulatory cycles can impact your periods in one way or the other. If you have noticed changes in your period flow or not having periods for over 45-50 days, you might want to look at your hormonal health.
Fluctuating levels of FSH, estrogen, LH, and progesterone (PdG) often contribute to changes in your monthly cycle. Inito helps you track these hormones when you test for a few cycles. This would, however, require medical correlation from experts to arrive at any conclusion.
Once you have identified the hormonal issue from your Inito graphs, your doctor can prescribe specific blood tests to investigate further. And when you begin your hormonal treatment, you can continue tracking your hormones to monitor signs of improvement in hormonal trends.
You are planning to get an IUI
Intrauterine Inception (IUI) procedures require a thorough examination and understanding of your overall hormone trends. Getting your ovulation date, right can boost your chances of a successful round of IUI and take you a step closer to your pregnancy dreams. Any miscalculation can lead to a failed round of IUI and extend your waiting period by another month before you can try again.
Inito can help confirm your ovulation date by monitoring the rise in both LH and PdG levels. This is especially useful if you have anovulatory cycles and are unsure about your ovulation dates.
You don’t want to conceive.
The best fertility tracker on the internet can also help you with your fear of conceiving after you have all the children you need or don’t want. The app can be used in both ways.
When you start tracking your hormones, the app shows you accurate fertile window predictions after testing for a cycle. Based on your base hormone levels, the app lets you know when to test so that it can gather sufficient data to help you conceive or not!
With complete visibility of your 6-day fertile window, ovulation dates, and hormone trends, you will have 100% clarity on which days you should not try to conceive. This is perfect if you wish to avoid contraceptive pills or tricky contraceptive options.
Track Your Hormones
Tracking your hormones is a great way to peek inside your reproductive system and make visible changes if you can relate to these signs. Even if you wish to advocate for yourself and make your hormones listen to you, the Inito Fertility Monitor is a great starting point. The app is equipped to guide you as a fertility expert so you know what you are doing at every point and what your next step should be. Let us know if you benefit from tracking your hormones in the comments below!