Dr. Brittany Barreto is a podcaster, entrepreneur, and molecular and human geneticist. (That said, she’s really smart.) Read her column here each month to find out what’s happening in the world of technology and innovation in women’s health.
Trying to get pregnant can quickly become overwhelming.
For many people, this process begins with a simple question: “Am I ovulating?” But fertility is much more complicated than just one calendar day. Hormones fluctuate. The timing of ovulation changes. Sperm health is important. Changes in cervical mucus. Stress, sleep, and age can all play a role.
Historically, understanding this required expensive clinic visits, blood tests, and a lot of waiting.
Now, a new generation of fertility technology companies is bringing birth tracking, hormone monitoring, and pregnancy support into the home. These tools help people gather more data about their bodies early in their fertility treatment journey, sometimes before they even set foot in a fertility clinic.
Some are designed to more accurately identify your fertile window. Others check ovulation, monitor sperm health, or assist with at-home insemination. Together, they reflect broader changes in women’s health. Consumers increasingly want proactive, personalized health information that they can conveniently access.
Let’s take a look at how technology is changing the way people approach childbirth today.
1. Fertility tracking goes beyond calendar apps.
(Photo/provided by Keg)
For years, fertility apps have relied heavily on cycle averaging and calendar predictions. However, many people do not ovulate on exactly day 14, and even those with “regular” cycles can experience significant changes from month to month.
That’s why many modern fertility tools focus on measuring biological signals directly rather than relying solely on predicted averages.
One of those signs is cervical mucus.
Kegg tracks cervical mucus changes related to fertility.
Kegg offers an at-home pregnancy tracking device that uses vaginal sensor technology to measure changes in cervical mucus.
Cervical mucus plays an important role in pregnancy. During most months, mucus acts as a protective barrier in the reproductive tract. However, when ovulation occurs, the consistency changes to allow the sperm to survive and move more effectively toward the egg. Studies have shown that monitoring cervical mucus can better predict the likelihood of pregnancy than monitoring the timing of intercourse alone.
The Kegg fertility tracker measures electrical changes in cervical mucus and provides users with a daily fertility score through the app. Studies have shown that cervical mucus may be more accurate than traditional basal body temperature in predicting ovulation. The tracker costs $477, but you can find sales that bring the price down significantly. For example, it’s currently on sale for $279. The Kegg tracker is FSA-/HSA eligible and will be refunded if you do not guarantee pregnancy within one year of current use.
The device also reflects another major trend in fertility technology: the increase in longitudinal data collection. Rather than relying on a single hormone test or temperature reading, these systems collect daily data over time to personalize predictions about each individual user’s body.
A wearable pregnancy tracker turns your body temperature into reproductive insight.
Another biological signal commonly used to track fertility is basal body temperature (BBT), which rises slightly after ovulation due to progesterone production.
Historically, tracking BBT meant manually measuring body temperature every morning before getting out of bed, which can be difficult to do consistently.
Wearable devices are now automating this process.
The Femometer uses a smart ring to continuously track pregnancy signs.
Femometer continuously tracks body temperature, sleep, heart rate changes, and other physiological indicators. The device is designed to help users identify and confirm ovulation while also monitoring a wide range of health patterns, such as stress and sleep quality.
Unlike many consumer wearables originally designed for fitness tracking, the Femometer is a fertility-focused smart ring marketed specifically around reproductive health. The company said Ring’s prediction algorithm is based on data from more than 10 million users who have been in the business over the past 10 years. Insurance does not cover the ring, but it is HSA-/FSA eligible and has a one-time fee ranging from $20 to $200 that does not require enrollment.
Wearable pregnancy tracking is part of a broader movement toward passive health monitoring, technology that continuously collects physiological data without the user having to actively test it on a daily basis.
2. At-home hormone testing is becoming more sophisticated.
(Photo/Proof provided)
Ovulation prediction kits have traditionally focused on the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge before ovulation. But fertility experts have long known that various hormones affect infertility and implantation.
New at-home hormone monitoring systems are expanding beyond LH.
Proov measures four hormones related to pregnancy at home.
Proov offers an at-home testing system that measures four hormones associated with fertility: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estrogen metabolite (E1G), LH, and progesterone metabolite (PdG).
Progesterone is especially important because it helps support implantation and early pregnancy after ovulation. Many existing ovulation tests can predict ovulation but cannot confirm whether progesterone levels rise appropriately afterwards.
Proov’s system combines urine test strips with smartphone-based analysis and personalized hormone reports. Unlike many traditional ovulation tests that only track the LH surge, Proov measures multiple hormones throughout the cycle, including progesterone metabolites, to help determine whether ovulation has actually occurred. In a 2022 study, Proov Complete tracked menstrual cycles to detect up to six fertile days.
Proov has the distinction of being the first and only at-home diagnostic test approved by the FDA to confirm successful ovulation. These tests are available at major retailers, including CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart, and most are FSA-/HSA eligible. Depending on what you buy, costs can vary widely. There are also individual tests starting at $14.99 and bundles up to $500.
The growing popularity of these tools reflects growing consumer demand for deeper fertility insights that do not immediately extend to costly fertility tests.
3. At-home insemination is expanding reproductive options.
(Photo/Credit: Mosie Baby)
Fertility technology is also advancing beyond tracking and toward direct assistance with conception.
Mosie Baby brings home the FDA-approved fix.
Mosie Baby has created the first FDA-approved at-home insemination kit available over-the-counter in the United States.
The system includes a specially designed collection cup and modified syringe to improve comfort and sperm movement compared to a standard syringe.
Natural intrauterine insemination, meaning no added hormones or treatments, costs between $500 and $4,000 per cycle in the U.S. without insurance and $300 to $1,000 with insurance. Mosie Baby costs $129 for two kits ($65 per cycle) and meets FSA/HSA requirements. This is especially helpful for LGBTQ+ families, single parents, and people using donor sperm, as many insurance plans do not cover the procedure without a medical diagnosis of infertility. It may also help people who have sexual dysfunction, chronic pain, or other conditions that make sexual intercourse difficult but cannot be diagnosed with infertility.
The rise of at-home fertility devices also reflects a broader shift toward reproductive autonomy, allowing people to access more reproductive tools individually and on their own schedules.
4. Infertility conversations are increasingly including male reproductive health.
Although infertility is often discussed as a women’s health problem, male factors account for 20-30% of all infertility cases.
Historically, semen analysis required a clinic visit and laboratory testing. However, consumer sperm testing technology has made it possible to use some testing tools at home.
YO Home Sperm Test analyzes sperm motility and concentration at home.
YO Home Sperm Test is an FDA-approved at-home semen analysis system that measures sperm count and movement using a smartphone-based platform.
This test provides users with a video of the sperm’s movement and provides results that show how many sperm there are and how well they swim. These are two important factors in your chances of getting pregnant.
One study found that amateur users achieved more than 97% agreement with laboratory experts when classifying sperm movement levels using the YO Home Sperm Test.
While at-home sperm testing doesn’t replace a full pregnancy evaluation, it can help people identify potential problems early and encourage more comprehensive pregnancy conversations that include both partners. Priced at $100 for three tests, the Yo Sperm Test is FSA-/HSA eligible and may be included with some insurance plans.
5. The future of childbirth is becoming more personalized
These technologies indicate something bigger is happening across healthcare. Childbirth is increasingly moving out of the clinic and into everyday life.
For generations, many people trying to get pregnant have had little idea what was going on inside their bodies between visits to their health care providers. Today, things are starting to change. Hormone monitoring systems, wearable sensors, at-home insemination kits and sperm analysis tools are giving people new ways to understand their reproductive health early in the process, in the privacy of their own home.
No app or device can guarantee pregnancy, but having more information can help reduce uncertainty and encourage early conversations with your health care provider. For some, it may inspire greater confidence and involvement in an emotional and deeply personal journey.
Perhaps most importantly, these technologies are changing the way people think about childbirth itself. Instead of seeking answers after months or years of struggling to conceive, more people can now actively track, monitor, and learn about their reproductive health long before they come to a fertility clinic.
Information about products and/or services in this column does not constitute any form of endorsement or recommendation by HealthyWomen. Links are provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only. This column may occasionally feature companies in which Brittany Barreto is an investor.
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