Psalms 127: 3- “Look Sons[and daughters] are an inheritance from Jehovah; the fruit of the womb is a reward.”
(Warning! Too much information alert. This blog post discusses things of sensitive nature. This is a sponsored post, but all opinion and thoughts expressed are my own.)
Last summer (2018), we lost our twins at 10 weeks. There are not enough words to explain how crushed we felt. When my body didn’t miscarry on it’s own, I had to have a D&C to avoid infection. For the next six months, it was an uphill emotional and physical battle as I struggled to rebalance my hormones. I knew something was wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. In December 2018, a specialist discovered the three small uterine fibroids that had “ruined everything.” I rejoiced and happily agreed to surgery. (Click here to read that blog post.)
On January 2, 2019, I had an outpatient procedure to remove my uterine fibroids, followed by another sonogram and several weeks of healing. In March 2019, I finally received the news that I desperately wanted to hear: “Jennifer, you’re womb has healed. Go make a baby. Call me in six months if pregnancy has not occurred.”
I literally jumped for joy!
Previously, it took seven cycles for me to conceive. During those seven months, I was on pins and needles using fertility apps, checking charts and graphs, peeing on ovulation predictor kits, daily checking my cervical mucous, and scheduling love-making. GAH! It was all so stressful. I confided in my friend Daja when I was at my wits end. She told me to give it to Jehovah, sit back, and just let it happen. Daja was right. That seventh month I did not obsesses about conception. I just lived and decided to be happy. That’s the same month we conceived our twins.
Well, over a year later, here we are again. After a successful surgery and a clean bill of uterine health, I feel as if I’ve been given a second chance. I don’t want to squander this chance or stress myself out. So this time, I’ve decided to take a different approach. I put my thermometer, ovulation kits, preseed, and stress in a box under my cabinet. I’ve replaced them with clean eating, regular exercise, lots of water, prenatal vitamins, and the Ava Bracelet.
What is Ava?
The Ava Bracelet is a medical device. It’s a fertility bracelet that measures five variables to detect the five most fertile days of your cycle, which increases the chances of conception. It allows a woman to accomplish three things: 1) track our cycles, 2) try to conceive, and 3) understand our pregnancy.
How Do You Use Ava?
Ava has been a game changer for me. It’s so easy to use. When I first received Ava, I simply downloaded the Ava app and entered my personal information. Then I placed it on my wrist and went to sleep. It collected all data while I was unconscious. Now, I charge Ava during the day and wear it each night. (It uses the same USBC cable as my Android mobile device.) It’s small size and light weight feel comfortable on my wrist. In the morning, I simply wake and tap the sync button on the Ava app to record the overnight data.
Personal Observations (Pros)
I’ve been truly astounded at what I’ve learned about myself from using Ava. One month, I didn’t sleep well due to stress. Ava changed my ovulation day, moving it down two days. Sure enough, I did not notice fertile egg-white cervical mucus until two days later. (Cervical mucous is the only physical change that I continue to track.) This is something my online fertility app cannot do. Ava also changed the date of my expected period, something else that my online app has never done. I’m very pleased with the accuracy of Ava. As a result, I’ve realized just how stress and the lack of sleep affect my body. I now go to sleep earlier, say no when I need too, and I’ve finally let go of that toxic friendship that was stressing me out. With those few changes I’ve noticed a great increase of egg-white fertile cervical mucous.
With it’s ease of use, Ava has been a terrific travel partner. I brought it to Canada on our last vacation. Ava charged all day on my nightstand while we explored the mountains, forests, and lakes of Banff National Park. When we returned to the hotel room, I brushed my teeth, put on my pajamas and Ava Bracelet before climbing into bed. I slept well each night and synchronized the data each morning with no trouble. It would have been a pain to pack ovulations kits, thermometers, etc while on vacation. No, thank you!
Some Things to Consider (Cons)
Upfront, the cost of Ava may deter you. It’s $299 value will make you hesitate, especially because it’s not a smart watch. It doesn’t tell time, play music, count your steps, have apps, etc like say, an Apple Watch or a Fitbit. You can only use Ava for one purpose- fertility. However, Ava gives a one-year pregnancy guarantee, or you’ll receive a refund.
Just because Ava takes away much of the stress of charting/graphing it doesn’t mean that you can be lazy in its use. For example, I forgot to plug Ava into the charging cable before leaving for work two days in a row. As a result, the bracelet had difficulty synchronizing my data. “Low Battery” is not what you want to see when it’s bedtime. I’ve learned to be diligent when it comes to Ava. As soon, as I awake I remove my phone from the charging cable, and plug in Ava. I press sync and leave Ava right next to my mobile device while I use the washroom. This routine has worked great for me.
There have been many times when I’ve have fallen asleep on the couch, and forgotten to put on Ava. Twice, I awoke in the middle of the night and quickly placed Ava on my wrist at 2AM. Happily, Ava only needs four hours of sleep to record your data. However, this just goes to show that you must be diligent in your use of Ava. I now put Ava on before deciding to watch tv on the couch. It accurately tells when I’m awoke and when I’m asleep. How do I know this? I’ve worn a Fitbit Fitness Watch since 2013. My Fitbit also tracks my hours of sleep. When I compared the sleep data on the Fitbit App to the sleep data on the Ava Bracelet, they are very close. (Haha, I did this for a week just for fun- wearing the Fitbit on my left wrist, and Ava on my right.)
Another not so friendly factor is the slight learning curve. It takes a while to learn how to use the Ava app. I didn’t exactly understand the five variables that were being measured, or how to enter additional data, like breast tenderness, cramps, or my mood. Was my flow heavy during my period or light? It took a while to figure out how to enter this information. However, over time, I’ve learned more and more by reading the articles that appear in the Ava app. I suggest that you take a few minutes each day and familiarize yourself with the app. It’s not rocket science, but it does require a few days of use to really get the hang of entering your data.
In Conclusion
Would I recommend the Ava Fertility Bracelet to others?
YES. YES. YES.
It’s ease of use, simplicity, and tracking intelligence have given me peace of mind. This is what every women needs when trying to conceive. It’s worth the money. Last pregnacy, it took seven cycles to conceive. We’ve on our third cycle now. I’ve used Ava for two of those cycles. I hope that we’ll conceive sooner than last time. Most of all, I hope my next review of Ava will be for pregnancy. I am no fool. I understand that this device will not give me baby. That is up to God. However, piece of mind is invaluable while I wait on Jehovah. Would you like to try out Ava for yourself? Use my code: SASSYTEACHER for $20 off your Ava purchase. Here is to a healthy mom, healthy pregnancy, and most of all, a healthy baby. Whether you are starting your family or adding to it- a child is precious, like a rainbow. May we all receive our blessings!
I wasn’t aware of any of this Jenna. You are a remarkable mother, friend, teacher and spiritual sister. Enjoy your life and the many accomplishments you’ve made over the last few years. You still have a lot of irons in the fire still. Just enough to keep you busy, but I hope you DO REST ENOUGH!! ‘When’ you and Jason do have another baby, Jocey will just be that much more help to you. His ‘Ava’ device sounds AWESOME! How wonderful for women to have this helpful device! Love to you & your family! Prayers!!
Thank you Dawn! I hope that Jehovah allows us to have this blessing. To be honest, losing the twins almost destroyed my physically, emotionally, and spriritually. I hope that Jehovah hears and answers our prayers for a happy healthy baby.