I’ve suffered from PMS since I can remember, seriously the most horrible time of the month for women, I naively thought. I could also see the similar symptoms among my friends, which made it normal to suffer?
Throughout the years I used various apps to track my periods but little did I know that PMS is all related to our hormones and that if we could understand it better, we can tackle it better too! Then I found AVA bracelet and it transformed my life.
So, what makes the Ava Bracelet different than others?
You can use Ava bracelet for 3 different reasons (which I will mention below), however, mine was to understand my body better by tracking my cycles. Unlike the apps we tend to use, Ava bracelet checks the important parameters during night (skin temperature, resting pulse rate, breathing rate, HRV ratio, and the amount of sleep you got) and through this it detects your fertile window and predicts your menstrual cycle. However, Ava bracelet is not a birth control method. So who is this bracelet really for?
As you can also find this information on Ava website, there are three ways in which the Ava bracelet can be used – to track your cycle, track your pregnancy and track your fertility.
- Women who want to track their cycles and thus learn more about their cycles (this is for people like me basically)
- Women who are trying to get pregnant
- Women who are tracking their fertility
*Please note that for now, Ava Bracelet is only suitable for women with cycle lengths between 24-35 days.
Okay now, let’s understand how the bracket works! Firstly, you will need to download the Ava bracelet app, and register. The bracelet automatically syncs to the app, once it is plugged in to a USB socket (your phone’s bluetooth should be on of course, for them to be able to sync).
The bracelet is worn like any other bracelets or watches, however, the important thing to note that is to wear it during night. Ava needs to be worn at least 4 hours during night and out of 3 needs to be during sleeping for it to get an accurate understanding.
Measuring all of these physiological parameters (which are markers for your hormone levels) enables Ava to sense which phase of your menstrual cycle you’re in.
While you’re wearing the Ava it measures specific physiological parameters when your body is completely at rest. These include:
- Skin temperature
- Resting pulse rate
- Breathing rate
- Heart rate variability ratio (HRV)
- Perfusion
- Movement
- Sleep
Further, Ava’s algorithm distinguishes between an actual signal and just random responses to external stimuli like stress or too much food. For instance, it helps to recognise whether an increase in pulse rate is due to impending ovulation or simply stress.
My experience with the Ava Bracelet
Avawomen app
I found the whole process incredibly easy. Everything has been created to be effortless for the end user. From opening up the box to downloading the app, to wearing it during the night and syncing it afterwards, it all felt very fun and easy!
After syncing my bracelet with the app, I saw the below parameters.
As you can see everything is very clear and easy to understand. My only suggestion for improvement would be the parameters to be tappable. Especially for audience like me, who is using the bracelet to understand their body better, it would be a great addition. As then I could just tap on the parameter and see the average scores of other Ava bracelet users and understand where I am compared to them. For example, my REM is generally 37% of my sleep, is that good? How is everyone else’s REM? What can I do to have a better sleep etc. It would be good to be able to access to these information just through the app without using an external provider.
However, other than that, I absolutely love my bracelet, gives me very valuable insights. And on the plus side, I get to see my fertility. I will definitely use this bracelet when I am trying to conceive!!!
I finally feel like I have enough data points to show me where I’m at in my cycle with less confusion and stress. It really is an amazing time to be a women right now, why shall we not make the most of it ?!
Deniz xoxo
