Ditching the Pill for Daysy Fertility Tracker
Disclaimer: Let’s just get this out of the way. I’m not a doctor and I can’t tell you what is best for YOUR body and lifestyle! The following post is my personal experience that should be taken as information, and not personal medical advice.
Please do your research and be sure to meet with a doctor or healthcare provider you trust before making any changes to your medications.
I’m also not anti-birth control. It’s a good tool for avoiding pregnancy. However, I believe women should know all of their options so they can make an educated decision about what’s right for them.
Psst! Don’t miss the link at the bottom of this post for a discount code on your Daysy Fertility Tracker.
Well, here goes talking about birth control and periods on the Internet.
As of March 2022 it’s been almost 5 years of using my Daysy fertility tracker as birth control (#childfree), and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to ditch the pill for good.
If you’re a cycling woman or someone important in your life is - I’m talking to you. So make some tea, have a seat, and let’s shake the idea that these topics should be limited to the 5 minutes that you spend with an OBGYN (or as I say, gina-cologist - sorrynotsorry we have to make some jokes here).
I was anxious about disclosing this part of my personal life, but switching to Daysy was such a game changer for me, it would be rude not to share.
I took hormonal birth control for over 11 years. That’s a long time, but it seems pretty standard among my peers (women ages 25-34). It did its part to prevent pregnancy (yay), but it isn’t as innocuous as I once believed.
I never learned how a woman’s cycle or fertility really works, the side effects of hormonal birth control, or underlying hormonal imbalance until I sought the information myself. I didn’t know that symptoms like PMS, bloating, hormonal migraines, acne, mood swings, and painful cramps are statistically normal or common, but not biologically normal. And what’s more - they were just covered with a birth control pill “bandaid”, not actually addressed.
I know many of you can relate to some or all of the symptoms above. While troubleshooting all of them is beyond the scope of this post, I want you to know that it IS possible to address the root cause of your hormonal issues, and that there are safe, natural birth control options available if you decide they’re right for you.
Okay ladies, now let’s get information!
What is Daysy?
Daysy is a fertility tracker based on the fertility awareness based method (FABM). FABM relies on a woman’s understanding and recognition of fertility through monitoring different physiological signs of natural fertility. There are different components to monitor under FABM, including cervical mucus, cervical position, and basal body temperature (BBT). Daysy monitors the latter!
Daysy is a reliable, precise device that monitors BBT. I think of it as a mini computer powerhouse that learns, tracks, and analyzes my personal cycle to help me avoid pregnancy. In fact, 80% of Daysy users use the medical device to avoid pregnancy (that’s me!) I love that Daysy includes a database of 5 million cycles for its algorithm creation.
How does Daysy Work?
Every morning you take your basal body temperature under your tongue using Daysy as soon as you wake up before you do anything else (bathroom break, snuggling, getting out of bed). It takes ~60 seconds! And you don’t have to temp at the same time every day. Just be sure to get at least 3-4 hours of consecutive sleep.
Daysy evaluates your temperature and, based on that data, gives you a red, yellow, or green light to predict your fertility status for the next 24 hours.
Red: Fertile window. To avoid pregnancy, this is the time to use a hormone-free barrier method during sex or abstain. (If you are trying to conceive, this is the time to run a red light!)
Yellow: If you are trying to prevent pregnancy, treat these as red! Daysy is learning more about your unique hormone patterns, or is erring on caution due to your cycle fluctuations. Fluctuations in temperature can happen if you have irregular cycles, are coming off of hormonal birth control, you’re sick, had a few drinks the night before, etc.
Green: Infertile days! Sex without a barrier would not result in pregnancy. The more you use Daysy, the more green days you’ll have each cycle.
That’s it!
I woke up like this: Immediately taking my temp with daysy
During menstruation you hold down the button on Daysy to record that data on the device. Daysy can also light up with all lights to predict pregnancy.
Syncing with the DaysyView App
Daysy may be used solo, or (recommended) with the companion DaysyView app. There you can see your predicted fertility status over the month, all of your cycle data, and share your chart with loved ones or your physician. You can also easily contact customer support through the app if you have any questions or concerns about your data.
While some sync their device daily to view their chart, you could sync weekly, or use Daysy without the app. However, I prefer to sync Daysy a couple of times per week and I also track my data and other symptoms in the Kindara app. That interface is clean and allows for more custom data input and journaling. Kindara’s features are especially helpful in troubleshooting hormonal imbalances, understanding where you need nutritional and supplemental support, and noticing patterns in your cycle.
Switching from the Pill to Daysy
I was so accustomed to taking a pill daily for more than a decade that I was reluctant at first to give up my easy, familiar form of birth control. However, I recognized that a lot of my fear about this method was rooted in misinformation or simply not understanding how my body works (whoops).
For example, I didn’t know until my mid-twenties that there are only a few (~6) fertile days each cycle. (You can’t get pregnant any time of the month!) I didn’t know how the pill was affecting my body physically and mentally until I felt so awful that I decided to research alternatives. And I’m so glad that I made the switch.
(See my last post where I shared my story with hormonal birth control, how the pill can affect your body, and resources to check out before quitting.)
Why I Love Daysy
It is a high quality, reliable medical product. That’s a bingo! A lot of people ask me if I'm worried about getting pregnant. Nope. Follow the rules (like ANY form of contraception). I’ve gone almost 3 years without any unplanned pregnancy, and I feel confident in this medical product. I researched other competitor devices, and I chose Daysy for its precision and 30+ years of research.
It’s so easy to use. This was really important to me. Traditional FBAM is more involved because it requires closer tracking of temperature and monitoring things like cervical fluid and cervical shape. While understanding those concepts is great and still recommended to understand, they can be overwhelming, especially for those with no previous knowledge of FBAM!
I personally chose Daysy because it does most of the work for me. I just have to temp! And I don’t have to temp at the same time each morning! (Hello sleeping in on the weekends).
It’s backed by 30+ years of science. Daysy’s unique algorithm has been developed and improved over the last three decades. All devices use a database with real menstrual cycle data from real women - not theoretical data.
"Many kinds of specific and diverse menstrual cycles and scenarios have, over the 30 years, become integrated into the database, including stress-impacted menstrual cycles, sleep-deprived menstrual cycles, alcohol-affected menstrual cycles, and so on. The data comes from our practical experience working with millions of women over these three decades...Daysy is tested to strict standards and regulations, as a medical device, every year."
- Daysy
I feel empowered knowing more about my body. The body-awareness I’ve gained from using this device is priceless. And I am able to prevent pregnancy without tampering with my hormones. I still recommend that all cycling women learn and understand traditional FBAM, including: how to assess their chart/temps, cervical mucus and position. However, I see Daysy as an awesome tool for women overwhelmed in their transition from hormonal birth control and IUDs.
Amazing customer support. Not only is the Daysy website packed with detailed, easy to understand information, their customer service is incredible. Any time I’ve had a question about my device or data an expert has emailed or called me within the hour on business days. Their team is so friendly.
Community. Daysy users (and even those just interested in becoming one!) can join a private Facebook group. There, women share their personal charts and questions. Admins are very knowledgeable and extremely responsive! Asking an expert via customer support is always ideal, but I really appreciate the sisterhood and support in the group.
Challenges with Daysy
The disadvantages or obstacles with Daysy are few, in my opinion. But here are a few of my takeaways from my personal experience:
Changing your morning routine. If you’re new to FBAM, taking your daily temperature as soon as you wake up takes time to get used to! But it only takes ~60 seconds, and I often fall back asleep if my alarm hasn’t gone off yet.
It’s not a set and forget solution like some conventional methods. It requires daily attention! You could miss a couple of readings, but the more diligent you are about temping the more accurate the fertility predictions will be and you’ll get more green days. The upside here is that you will learn more about your body, and I believe that knowledge is so empowering!
You better sleep! Daysy requires at least 3-4 hours of consecutive sleep to use. This may be tough for those with sleep disturbances, women with young children, some on call/shift workers.
Alcohol affects temperature reading. This is not to say you can’t have a drink or two! But if you fall asleep drunk it could cause a spike in your temperature reading the next morning.
It’s not indestructible. Daysy is a medical device, and it’s important to store her in a protective case! Be careful not to drop Daysy or leave it somewhere where pets or children might tamper with it. I keep my Daysy in a hard eyeglass case in my nightstand. I did have a mishap where a seam on my Daysy 1.0 came loose due to a manufacturing flaw. However, I was able to have my device replaced and returned within a week. Customer service was very proactive and responsive! It was a bummer, but I all of my data was transferred to a new device. I now have Daysy 2.0 and the structure of the device was improved with this design to prevent seam issues.
It’s an investment: At the time of publishing this post, Daysy costs $330. However, no-interest payment plans were recently introduced, and they typically do a sale twice per year. (Read on for a discount code and link to purchase!)
Alternatively you could use a Health Savings Account (HSA) if you have one, or have Daysy covered (even partially!) by your health insurance. Check with your insurance provider and ask your doctor for a note, if needed. After I explained to my doctor that I wanted to use this method she wrote me a note for Daysy as a medical device / fertility monitor.
Sometimes Daysy offers 20% off, but I’m not sure when they will be offering this discount next! And I truly believe Daysy is worth every penny. But I understand the cost may be an obstacle!
Daysy is Here to Stay
Femtech is a new $1.1 billion category of tech designed to help women understand their reproductive system and overall health better than before.
This “trend” isn’t going anywhere. More women are choosing to take an active role in their health and loving their bodies. Our bodies are amazing, and learning how to understand its messages is empowering.
“An informed woman taking care of herself is the most powerful form of activism today.”
Personally, using Daysy has helped me communicate with my body and know myself better, and I wish I knew about this years ago. All women deserve to know how their body works - and that’s not something most of us are taught in school or by our healthcare providers.
Our bodies are the only place we have to live. Showing it love from the inside-out is a wonderful thing.
How to Buy Daysy
I hope you found this post helpful! This was not sponsored - I genuinely love my Daysy and would recommend it to friends and nutrition clients alike.
Follow this link for $20 off your Daysy Fertility tracker, or any of their devices! (valid in US only) any time. Or enter code DaysyUS+79 at checkout.
I will continually update this post with coupon codes, video, and new information as they become available. If I didn’t answer all of your questions, check out the Daysy FAQ page (their site is LOADED with easy-to-understand info), drop me a question below or email me. I’d love to hear from you.
