When Are You Most Fertile? The Truth About Ovulation & Cycle Tracking | Elina Berglund
Are you tracking your cycle correctly? Only 13% of women ovulate on day 14—so what does that mean for you? In this episode, I sit down with Elina Berglund, co-founder of Natural Cycles, the first FDA-cleared birth control app. We’re busting myths about ovulation, fertility tracking, and how understanding your body can empower your reproductive health. 🔥 Timestamps: 00:03:02 - Tracking your cycle vs. tracking ovulation—what’s the difference? 00:04:29 - Study shows only 13% of women ovulate on day 14! 00:05:15 - How ovulation tracking can detect perimenopause before your doctor does 00:06:54 - Why due dates are wrong & how it impacts pregnancy 00:07:54 - Can you really know when you ovulate? YES! Here’s how. 00:09:59 - How effective is Natural Cycles for birth control? (The real data!) 00:11:57 - Does alcohol affect ovulation? The shocking impact on your heart rate 00:13:22 - Fertility Awareness Method vs. the Rhythm Method—huge difference! 00:14:38 - The truth about sperm survival & your actual fertile window 00:15:27 - Why “just have sex every other day” is BAD fertility advice 00:16:28 - Customizing cycle tracking for birth control, pregnancy & perimenopause 00:18:07 - How to tell if you’re entering perimenopause—no lab test needed! 00:19:27 - Postpartum fertility tracking: Know when ovulation returns 00:22:08 - How stress, travel & illness impact your ovulation & cycle tracking 00:27:37 - Can women with PCOS or hypothyroidism track ovulation? 00:30:48 - How many women ACTUALLY have a 28-day cycle? (Spoiler: It’s rare.) 00:35:08 - What are the signs of ovulation? (More than just temperature!) 00:37:52 - Can you use the pull-out method during ovulation? 00:40:59 - Does the pill delay pregnancy? The research says… 00:44:13 - Which birth control methods take longest to leave your system? 00:47:15 - How did the COVID vaccine affect menstrual cycles? 01:01:07 - What it means to be FDA-cleared for birth control 💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✔ How to accurately track when you are most fertile ✔ The science behind fertility awareness & natural contraception ✔ Why doctors STILL use outdated fertility information ✔ How ovulation tracking can help with PCOS, perimenopause & pregnancy ✔ The shocking truth about hormonal birth control & ovulation This episode is brought to you by: Natural Cycles use code DrBrighten to get 15% off an annual subscription plus a free Bluetooth thermometer. https://naturalcycles.app/DrBrighten Support our sponsors and help keep this show free and packed with amazing guests! 🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Elina Berglund’s Instagram: / elinascherwitzl Natural Cycles Instagram: / naturalcycles Article: Ovulation Signs Every Woman Should Know https://drbrighten.com/ovulation-signs/ Article: Phases of the Menstrual Cycle https://drbrighten.com/phases-of-the-... Beyond The Pill by Dr. Jolene Brighten https://amzn.to/3becjT7 Healing Your Body Naturally After Childbirth by Dr. Jolene Brighten http://amzn.to/2dngRJX My previous episode on Perimenopause Explained • What Is Perimenopause? Perimenopause ... Study: Time to pregnancy recognition among FDA users https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/... Study: Time to pregnancy using a FDA fertility awareness mobile app https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/... Study: Detecting variations in ovulation and menstruation during COVID https://journals.plos.org/plosone/art... Study: Association between menstrual cycle length and the COVID vaccine (US cohort) https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal... Study: Impact of Covid vaccination on menstrual bleeding https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com... Study: Association between menstrual cycle length and COVID vaccine (global) https://bmjmedicine.bmj.com/content/1... Study: Timing of COVID vaccine and effects on menstrual cycle changes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38412... Study: Association between menstrual cycle pattern regularity and changes in menstrual bleeding following COVID vaccine (Secondary Analysis) https://srh.bmj.com/content/early/202... 👩🏻⚕️Follow Dr. Jolene Brighten: 💻 Website: https://www.drbrighten.com 📸 Instagram: / drjolenebrighten 🎥 TikTok: / drjolenebrighten 🧵Threads: https://www.threads.net/@drjolenebrig... 🌟 Grab my free hormone friendly recipes here! https://drbrighten.com/hormonekit/ 🎧 Subscribe to the Podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5VWcYWJ... YouTube: / @drjolenebrighten 👍 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to like, subscribe & share!