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Possible FAM iPhone app
My husband and I are thinking about designing an iPhone app for keeping track of FAM information. He's the programmer, and it's my job to tell him what features would be a good idea.
If you were using a portable device for tracking FAM, what features would you like to see?
If you were using a portable device for tracking FAM, what features would you like to see?
I use Fertility Friend, so I'm basing a lot of my input on what I like about them.
1) Fast, easy input of information. I like the fact that the really important stuff (temp, CM, period info, intercourse, cervix) is all on one page. (I use the tabbed form, and I don't always enter other info because I don't always need to, so they don't need to be on the front page, for me). I like entering the numbers rather than choosing them from a drop down menu (I think it's faster that way). I like having a default time so you don't always have to choose the time.
2) Obviously, a nice legible chart is a must. Having the automatic interpretation is something I love, where it tells me when I've ovulated (I can recognize it myself too, but having the corroboration is good). I like that it tells you all the DPO info, the CD, etc.
3) The ability to easily look at your previous charts to compare would be nice.
4) I like the interpretations that FF gives.... the "you're in your fertile phase" thing and the "you should test on this date" type of things.
5) I'm not sure if FF has this, but I know a lot of people use FAM to avoid pregnancy rather than achieving it.... it would be neat to be able to tell it which you're doing so it could tailor its information. So rather than giving you a green light when you're in your fertile phase, if you're TTA it could give you a red light instead. I mean, I know that if you're avoiding you just interpret it differently, but it would be nice to have it specifically tailored to your situation.
That's all I can think of now. I hope other people have input as well. The main thing would be having something that's fast and easy to use and interpret.
Keep us posted if it ever comes out. I'd gladly test any beta versions you develop.
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You've brought up an issue we're going to have while developing this. I'm not a doctor; I'm a librarian. And my husband's not a doctor; he's a computer. I'm fairly sure we could create something like Fertility Friend that interprets your chart for you, but I'm not sure if we'd be legally allowed to.
To get around the legal issues, I was thinking we could allow each user to set her own rules based on her interpretation of FAM. When you first set up the program, you could be first asked whether you're trying TTA or TTC and then asked a series of questions like: (Obviously, this example would be for someone TTA.)
The first (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, all) days of my period are green.
Between the end of my period and the day I ovulate, (no days; dry days only; dry or sticky days only; dry, sticky, or creamy days only) are green.
Green days begin (immediately, 1 day after, 2 days after, 3 days after, 4 days after, 5 days after) I ovulate.
You set your own coverline and you set your own ovulation date each month based on your own interpretation of FAM, or maybe you set the criteria for determining the coverline and ovulation date. Most of this I came up with this morning while walking the dogs, so obviously we're in the very early phases here. :-)
Then, based on the information you input, the program gives you an at-a-glance chart with lots of information, like Fertility Friend, a green light or a red light every day based on your criteria, the ability to compare past charts in lots of different ways, past averages for cycle lengths, ovulation day, and luteal phase, and predictions based on your past averages.
Obviously, it would be better if the program could make interpretations for you like FF, and I'd like to be able to do that. But if we can't do that for legal reasons, would a program with this much personal control be useful?
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I think it would still be useful if you know enough about FAM to do it yourself. Chances are if you're putting an app on your iPhone, you probably are at least somewhat familiar with it? I think as long as people know ahead of time that they should know what they're doing, it wouldn't be a problem. I'd probably still do it, personally. Maybe it would be even better, since sometimes FF gets it wrong.
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