by Joyce Slaton posted in Products & Prizes

Devices and apps that predict the days each month when a couple are likeliest to get pregnant are not new. But for a lot of couples, they don't work that great. Many are invasive and a little icky -- does anyone enjoy peeing on a stick" -- while others, like those that rely on basal body temperature charting, can be thrown out of whack by something as simple as oversleeping or having a few drinks at dinner.
Not only that, but many fertility methodologies don't work well for women who have irregular cycles, and most ovulation predictor kits pinpoint only 2 or 3 days a month a woman is fertile, unable to "see" the pre-ovulation hormone surge that gives most women 5-6 fertile days a month. But $199 wearable bracelet Ava is different, giving users something that works like a fertility Fitbit -- and it's just as easy as your fitness tracker to use.

Hopeful moms-to-be wear the Ava at night, on either wrist. As they sleep, the bracelet monitors your pulse, breathing, sleep quality, heart rate variability, skin temperature, and other metrics, each of which is affected by the monthly surge in reproductive hormones estradiol and progesterone. When the mom wakes up, she syncs the bracelet with its companion app and bingo -- the Ava app shows her which cycle phase she's in and, if it's a fertile one, turns from lavender to pink to indicate, even to a couple glancing at the app from across the room, it's time to get busy.

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