One of our many goals at Pvolve is to help every woman understand her body more and work with it, not against it. That’s why we partnered with Natural Cycles, the world’s first FDA Cleared birth control app that predicts ovulation and fertility to both prevent pregnancy and take control of family planning with higher accuracy. We sat down with Dr. Kerry Krauss: in-house OB-GYN & Medical Director for Natural Cycles, to ask her a few questions.
Q: Tell us about yourself! We’d love to hear your background and motivation to become an OBGYN.
Of course! I’m a practicing board-certified OB-GYN and the in-house Medical Director at Natural Cycles. I have always been fascinated by the amazing things that a woman’s body can do and that is what led me on this path. Being able to be a part of a woman's life from puberty, babies, through to menopause and beyond is incredibly rewarding.
Q: Why did you decide to get involved with Natural Cycles - tell us about your role there.
I was immediately drawn to the mission of Natural Cycles to empower women with knowledge of their own bodies, and their goal of expanding the app to cover all of the different phases of a woman’s life. To have all the educational material that they do for patients in one place is wonderful, and I was also so impressed by the massive body of research they have done to answer more questions about women’s health.
Meeting women daily in my practice, I’ve also seen the need for an effective non-invasive non-hormonal birth control option first hand, which is another reason I was excited to join the team.
Q: Can you explain what Natural Cycles is and any advice for first-time users?
The Natural Cycles birth control app is a regulated medical device and the first and only app of its kind to be FDA Cleared. What sets Natural Cycles apart from period trackers is the algorithm that powers the app. It analyzes hormone-driven temperature changes along with other fertility indicators and past menstrual cycle history to pinpoint your ovulation and determine your daily fertility status. With this information, you can choose to either prevent or plan pregnancy without hormones.
Other than making sure you input your temperature at least five days per week, I always recommend our users to really dig into all the amazing educational resources that can be found in the app. Learning about your body is one of the best things you can do for your health!
Q: If I want to get more in tune with my cycles, where should I start?
Start tracking! We’re all different – your cycle most likely works differently from your friend’s cycle. And after struggling with infertility and PCOS myself, I know just how important it is to learn the ways of your own unique body. What’s so amazing about the Natural Cycles app is that you can monitor emotional and physical symptoms throughout your cycle to find patterns. These insights can give you a better understanding of yourself, and can also be used when seeking help from a medical professional.
Q: Are there specific phases of the menstrual cycle when someone experiences increased strength or decreased performance? How can I use Natural Cycles to optimize my workout plan?
There can be small differences in your performance based on your menstrual cycle, though this obviously varies significantly for each person. In general, the mid-luteal phase (or, around day 18-22 if you ovulated on day 14) is associated with slightly higher body temperatures, which naturally puts slightly more stress on the body. Working out, especially an intense workout, during this period may be more challenging - though it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it! However, if you have a really heavy workout planned for that time period, and you can put it off, it may be easier to do it later. However, there are lots of women that experience a lot of discomfort and pain during their periods, so for some women working out during their period may be more challenging. Part of what I love about Natural Cycles is that it allows you to begin understanding how your unique body responds at different phases of the menstrual cycle.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is experiencing bloating during their periods but wants to get the most out of their workout routine?
I would try to keep workouts a little more mild during this time, but mild to moderate exercise is one of the best ways to combat bloating! Cardio in particular is helpful if you are bloated.
Q: If I’m going through IVF, is it safe to workout?
I always recommend reviewing this with your individual fertility doctors as there are many different circumstances that affect fertility, but in general there is nothing in the process of IVF that makes exercise contraindicated. You may, however, want to avoid doing anything extremely strenuous as this can lead to extra stress within the body which has been shown to decrease fertility.
Q: What type of benefit does the NC° app bring for someone trying to get pregnant?
While it goes against what most of us are taught in sex education, there are actually only six days each cycle a woman can get pregnant – the day you ovulate and the five days leading up to ovulation as that is how long sperm can live inside the female reproductive system. So Natural Cycles helps you conceive faster by letting you know when you are in your fertile window. This is important information for anyone trying to conceive, but perhaps even more so if you’re struggling with an irregular cycle.
Q: What type of benefit does the NC° app bring for someone trying to avoid pregnancy?
The Natural Cycles app allows you to prevent pregnancy without hormones. While hormonal birth control can be great for some women, it’s not for everyone which is why it’s so important that certified non-hormonal options like Natural Cycles exist. Synthetic hormones can also mask imbalances or other issues without getting to the root cause. By using a non-hormonal birth control method, you may have a greater chance of understanding these issues.
Q: How will the collaboration between Natural Cycles and Pvolve help me and my fitness journey?
This partnership brings together two companies grounded in science, aiming to make a difference within women’s health – and will give you all the resources you need to make informed decisions regardless of where you are on your fitness journey. Happy cycle syncing!
