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Growing up, ads on the television taught me that ‘anything is possible’ on your period.
A flowery depiction of the menstrual cycle, women were generally shown looking carefree as they frolicked in tennis whites or took spin cycle classes — but my reality was very different.
For years, I have dealt with the telltale signs that my period is coming, from headaches and bloating to mood changes and an overwhelming craving for something sweet. And I'm not alone.
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According to the Office on Women’s Health, nine out of 10 women suffer from PMS, and many miss work or school due to the severity of their premenstrual symptoms.
At 31, I had come to accept this as just part of my everyday life, until I stumbled across something that might finally give me some answers: the Oura Ring.
What is the Oura ring?
Made famous by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, and Kim Kardashian, the smart piece of jewelry is designed to give users a holistic picture of their health and wellbeing by constant monitoring.
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An upgrade on the previous model (3), the Oura Ring 4 uses smart sensing to deliver health data, 24 hours a day. Red and infrared LEDs measure blood oxygen levels whilst you sleep while green and infrared PPG sensors take charge of monitoring your heart rate.
There's even an accelerometer that logs every step, workout, and calorie burned (note: you can turn this feature off).
How does the Oura ring track your periods?
But what I was most interested in is Cycle Insights, a feature that allows women to track their periods and adapt their lifestyle to align with each stage of their menstrual cycle.
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Valentine Milanoca, founder of leading virtual women's health clinic Daye, has noticed an increase in people wanting to learn more about their menstrual health, and believes wearable technology could help to achieve this.
"There's been a cultural shift towards de-stigmatising menstruation and promoting menstrual literacy, which has empowered people to seek information and take control of their health," Milanoca explains.
“Wearable technology provides a more streamlined, and potentially more accurate, way to track cycles compared to traditional methods."
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"This data empowers women to make informed decisions about their health and lifestyle."
Intrigued to see if wearable tech could help me to finally take control of my menstrual health, I decided to test the new Oura Ring 4 for three months, and something surprising happened.
The Oura Ring 4: Pros
First things first: I was admittedly drawn to the ring’s sleek, minimal design. There are six colours to choose from: silver ($349), black ($349), brushed silver ($399), stealth ($399), gold ($499), and rose gold ($499). I chose the gold colourway, as it fits seamlessly into my jewellery collection, and friends were surprised when I told them it was a fitness tracker - you’d never catch me wearing a Fitbit.
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Aesthetics aside, did it accurately track my periods? In short, yes.
Until purchasing the Oura Ring, I didn’t know when my period would arrive, though it would later become clear why I'd been sobbing into my pillow the night before.
After three months of use, the Oura Ring will be able to use your nightly average body temperature and HRV (variation in time between consecutive heartbeats), to create a period prediction window. This data can be found on Oura’s 'Cycle Insights' feature, where you can see which stage of the menstrual cycle you are in.
For instance, during the luteal phase, your temperature rises, your heart rate increases, and your HRV levels dip, to indicate that your period is coming. The luteal phase marks the second half of the menstrual cycle, during which time your body prepares the uterus for a potential pregnancy by thickening the uterine and releasing progesterone.
Not only will the Oura app warn you that your period is due, but it will even help you to make changes in your lifestyle depending on the stage of your cycle.
For example, the app will change my activity goal during the luteal phase to encourage me to take things easy and prioritise rest. During the follicular phase (which typically begins on the first day of menstruation), I'm encouraged to be creative and take advantage of the sudden boost in estrogen to tackle work or fun projects.
In the days before Oura, I wouldn't have listened to my body, and would have pushed through daily workouts or work commitments without a second thought. Now, I have a deeper understanding of my mood and symptoms - and I'm kinder to myself.
Chief Product Officer at Oura, Holly Shelton, helped to develop Cycle Insights and hopes it can help women to gain a deeper understanding of their menstrual cycle.
“The Oura Ring is designed to help women take control of their personal health journey, tracking their menstrual cycles with precision by offering continuous temperature monitoring to detect cycle phases and predict key hormonal shifts,” Shelton tells UNILAD Tech. "With Cycle Insights, women can track their menstrual cycle with confidence, gaining clarity on patterns, symptoms, and recovery needs.”
To gain an even deeper understanding of my menstrual health, I also downloaded fertility app Natural Cycles, which syncs up with the Oura Ring so that you can accurately track symptoms during your cycle such as 'bloating' or 'fatigue'.
"Through the Oura app, users can 'tag' different stages of their cycle to gain a better understanding of how their cycle influences sleep, activity, and overall wellbeing," Shelton adds.
"Integrations with leading fertility apps like Natural Cycles help further support our members, changing the way women understand and navigate their reproductive health."
Each morning, the Oura app will give me a ‘resilience’ score out of 100, taking into account how much sleep I’ve had, daytime stress load, readiness, and activity. There’s no hiding from the app either, as it can tell when I’ve had a few at the pub or eaten late-night snacks in bed, as it will negatively impact my sleep score.
The most surprising thing that happened during the review? The Oura app knew I was poorly, before I even had symptoms. When I checked the app one morning, it alerted me to ‘major signs’ of something straining my body. My HRV, sleep, and readiness levels were all in the red, but I felt fine.
Fast forward 24 hours, and I was lying in bed with the flu.
Since wearing the Oura Ring, I've gained a deeper understanding of my health and menstrual cycle, and have tailored my diet, fitness, and sleep schedule to align with this.
Oura is the first app I check in the morning, keen to see how I have slept, and the last app I check before turning out the lights.
I'm in it for the long run, too. I sleep in it, exercise in it, and even shower in it. I have only ever taken the ring off to charge it, and much to my surprise, it's still in great condition - bar a couple of scratches.
The Oura Ring 4: Cons
I know what you're thinking, it’s expensive. The Oura Ring 4 starts from $349 and you need to pay for a monthly membership ($5.99) on top of this. But if budget allows, and you want to track your menstrual cycle more accurately, I'd say it's well worth the price tag. At the time of writing this, you can receive four weeks of Natural Cycles for free too, if you purchase the Oura Ring on the official website here.
Where to buy the Oura Ring 4 now
The Oura Ring 4 is now available on the official website. You will receive a complimentary sizing kit in the post, where you can try different sizes to find a comfortable fit. Then, all you need to do is download the app, charge the ring, and you're good to go.
Since wearing the Oura Ring, a couple of women have come up to me in public to ask whether it’s worth the investment.
I tell them that for the first time in my life, I feel more in control of my health, and you can’t put a price on that.