Tracking menstrual cycle refers to the assessment of changes in women’s reproductive health, hormonal changes and some of the associated symptoms.

It can help in forecasting when a woman is likely to conceive, detect problems and even plan for conception.

In this blog, Mykare Health will explain about menstrual cycle tracking.

This guide will also include methods, advantages, and well-known applications for tracking, covering Indian systems as well.

Why Do You Need To Track Your Cycle?

Tracking offers several advantages, such as

• Predicting Periods: Useful when trying to predict when your period is due and well prepare yourself.

• Fertility Awareness: Identifies fertility windows for couples planning for a conception or for those who want to use contraception.

• Health Monitoring: This is particularly beneficial since it ensures that the woman gets to know that her cycles are irregular and might be due to other health concerns such as hormonal imbalances or polycystic ovary syndrome among others.

• Symptom Management: Helps monitor PMS symptoms such as cramps and mood swings for improved handling.

Methods for Tracking Menstrual Cycle

1. Manual Calendar Tracking

Placing an X or any other sign on the calendar to indicate the start and end of a given marking period. It’s basic, but it does not have many sub-features.

Pros: Practicality, mainly because of the availability and the fact that it is not paid.

Cons: Some information needs updating from time to time.

2. Smartphone Apps

Apps ease the process and also provide features that include but are not limited to; logging of symptoms, ovulation prediction, and Use of reminders. Widely used apps in India include: Clue, Flo, Maya by Plackal Tech, My Calendar, etc

Pros: Provides prompts, fact-based information and simple record-keeping of symptoms and ovulation.

Cons: They were largely related to data privacy but largely depended on consistent data input.

3. Fertility Awareness Methods (FAM)

We use BBT and cervical mucus to observe the process of ovulation. Most appropriate use is for fertility control.

Pros: A place where people can get detailed information about fertility.

Cons: It is best prepared with daily cycles, which must be performed every day or at least several times a week.

4. Wearable Devices

Fitness trackers such as Fitbit and Ava monitor other physiological symptoms including temperature and pulse rates to estimate good times.

Pros: Cannot just track periods but provides an analysis of health in general.

Cons: It can be costly and the data must be synchronised with other applications for analysis.

Advantages of Charting the Menstrual Cycle

1. Reproductive Health Awareness

Applications of tracking include monitoring cycle regularity so as to be able to note any abnormalities such as absence or espaced period.

2. Fertility Planning

They assist those who would want to make a conception or no conception happen, in identifying when that is most likely to occur.

3. Symptom and PMS Management

It is possible to track symptoms such as cramps or fatigue to observe patterns to control PMS properly.

4. Reduced Symptoms of Stress and Improved Fitness

Regular checks on mood and energy levels can give an understanding about how hormones influence feelings and exercise.

5. Improvement of the HCPE‘s communication with healthcare providers

Menstrual cycle records may assist the physicians in enhancing the identification of menstrual related illnesses for adequate management.

6. Birth Control Support

When used correctly, these methods can be an effective way of preventing pregnancy without having to resort to hormonal contraception. For those practising natural family planning, knowing when one is ovulating can be quite useful.

Top Indian Apps For Tracking Periods

Here are some widely used menstrual tracking apps in India

• Maya: Maya remains to be one of the most downloaded apps in India allowing its users to track periods, predict ovulation, and log symptoms. It is translated in other languages too.

• Clue: An intuitive application that has become popular due to reliable period estimations as well as statistics.

• Flo: Records and monitors menstrual cycles and fertility and offers forums for the discussion of such matters as well.

• My Calendar: Facilities such as the record of period symptoms, calculation of ovulation, and customizable reminders.

• Pink Pad: Is a cycle and pregnancy tracker app which also provides users with a community.

How to Use Menstrual Tracking Apps Correctly

• Input Data Regularly: When one is always consistent with these elements then the probability of making wrong forecasts is minimal.

• Track More Than Just Your Period: Write down all the possible log symptoms, mood, and energy so that the diagnosis will be comprehensive.

• Use Reminders: Sometimes, use reminders for period predictions and the safe period of pregnancy.

• Monitor Body Changes: This is achieved through monitoring cervical mucus and body temperature to know more about your cycle.

Use of calendars for tracking of the menstrual cycles is very useful especially in cases where fertility is to be regulated or enhanced, or other symptoms are to be understood and worked on. Technological advancement in the current generation app makes tracking easier.

These may range from a standard calendar, sophisticated applications on the smart devices or even a bracelet, and these provide relevant information that may help improve the health of an individual.

Some of the widely used apps include Maya, Flo, and Clue, which have proved to be very useful in ensuring that the women from India and other parts of the world are well informed of their menstrual calendar.