kegg Start Up Guide

What to expect with kegg

kegg helps you confidently identify your full fertile window to optimally time sex or insemination; it does this by showing you when the cervical fluid is likely hospitable to sperm. 

As hormones like estrogen and progesterone fluctuate throughout the cycle, the electrolyte  levels of your cervical mucus respond. Your daily kegg readings will record these changes and help to reveal your most fertile days. 

Fertile window Prediction:

• For the first full cycle, kegg places the fertile window prediction based on the cycle length you provide during account setup. kegg needs data from consistent daily readings to learn about your unique cycle trends. The predictions will become more personalized with each new cycle. 
• After at least one full kegg cycle between 21-40 days in length, the algorithm will predict the next cycle’s fertile window using past data and cycle length(s). 
• Using kegg consistently and within your two hour timeframe helps improve kegg’s predictions.

Charging kegg

Start by fully charging your kegg:

1. Ensure kegg is completely dry before charging. Moisture on your kegg can cause corrosion of the device if placed in the charger if not fully dry. 
2. Insert the cable into the charging cradle. Push firmly to ensure the cable is fully inserted into the cradle.
3. Insert the other end of your cable into the charging block and plug it into a working wall outlet.
4. Insert your kegg into the charging cradle. Be sure to press kegg down into the cradle, as kegg’s gold plated tips need to connect with the gold contacts at the bottom of the charging cradle.
5. When charging, your kegg's light will gently pulse a warm yellow. When charging is complete the light will be solid green.

Using kegg

When and how to use kegg

• You may begin using kegg on any non-bleeding cycle day, or you can wait to use kegg after your next period ends.
• Identify a 2 hour time frame to take your daily reading.. This window extends from 1 hour before to 1 hour after your target time. 
• We recommend choosing a time in either the morning or evening. 
• Skip your reading for the day if you cannot take it within the 2 hour window, as readings outside of this timeframe will not be reliable
• Wait at least 8 hours after intercourse to use kegg. Residual semen may impact readings.
• Use kegg on all non-bleeding days of the cycle, including the days before and after the fertile window

kegg readings may be altered by:

• Movement during your kegg reading, improper kegg placement, or removing kegg before the reading is complete   
• Residual semen
• Arousal fluid 
• Lubricants, douching, or intra-vaginal medications 
• Infections, such as yeast overgrowth, bacterial vaginosis, and UTIs 
• Medications and/or supplements that impact your body’s electrolyte levels

Connecting your kegg to the app

1. Download the kegg app from the app store on your phone. 
2. Register your kegg and set-up your account
3. Before your first reading, ensure Bluetooth AND location services are enabled on your phone.
4. Allow the app permission to connect with your kegg

Taking your kegg readings

Note: You may rinse your kegg in warm water before use to help with insertion. Lubricants are not recommended to be used with kegg.

1. Find a comfortable position laying down, sitting, or standing. Note: ensure that kegg cannot move by holding kegg at the vaginal opening. 
2. Select “KEGG” on the kegg app home screen
3. Turn on your kegg by pressing the button on the side of the kegg
4. You may choose to do a kegg reading only, or a 5 minute kegel routine with the kegg reading.
5. Wait to insert kegg until instructed to do so. At that time, insert kegg so the egg portion of the kegg is fully inserted in the vagina. 
6. To prevent kegg from moving or slipping during the reading, you may opt to hold kegg at the bend in the tail which should be at the opening of the vagina.
7. Wait for the two vibrations to indicate when the reading is complete. Remove your kegg and hold it near your phone while the kegg app updates with your most recent reading. 
8. After the reading has updated on your phone, gently hand wash your kegg under running water. You may use a mild soap if you wish.  Ensure to take extra caution near the gold band and tip to prevent scratching and damage. 
9. Allow kegg to air dry or carefully dry using a soft cloth, again being extra cautious to not scratch the gold band and tips.
10. Charge kegg only as needed. kegg should not be charged daily.

Your kegg chart

The fertile window prediction

• kegg makes a fertile window prediction based on your past kegg data.  In your chart, these 5 days will be identified in green. The first 2 days of the predicted fertile window are labeled “possible”  and days 3-5 are labeled “likely” The labels do not indicate an ovulation day but instead the likelihood that the vaginal environment will be hospitable and conception could result from intercourse or insemination. These labels do not change based on daily readings and instead are predicted at the start of the cycle based on past cycle data.
• This prediction is based on your cycle length entered at start-up for your first full cycle with kegg. After this, the prediction will be based on past trend data. 
• If your cycles are highly irregular, you experience a factor that may delay ovulation such as stress or illness, or you take a fertility medication to induce ovulation, your fertile window prediction may not be accurate. You can watch your trendline to spot descending readings which suggest you are in a fertile valley. If a valley is not successful for ovulation, the body may make another attempt to ovulate and another may form.

Finding the “fertile valley” 

• As the vaginal environment becomes more hospitable to sperm, the kegg trendline will typically begin to move downward in your cycle view when you are in or near your fertile window prediction  
• This downward trend clues you in that you are likely entering a fertile valley (time to get busy!) 

• As the fertile valley begins to close, you will see the trendline rise on the kegg chart. This rise out of the fertile valley should still be considered fertile. 

• The cycle days of the full valley, from the descent through the rise in or near your predicted fertile window are the best days to time your trying to conceive efforts.

Understanding your kegg readings

• After your first reading there will be a small green circle on your kegg chart which represents your first kegg reading. With the next reading, you will see a line connecting the two readings. After a few daily readings, the kegg trendline will begin to form. 

• The trendline helps the user see the overall trend of the readings. This helps users see that while the readings fluctuate, the overall trend is downward, upward, or steady.
• Daily fluctuations in readings are normal. Sometimes erratic readings are due to inconsistent measurement times, movement during the reading, or kegg not being fully inserted into the vagina. 

Fertile window variations: 

• No two cycles will look the same, although you may observe that your cycles tend to follow similar patterns. 
• Some fertile valleys are very subtle while others are more pronounced. Both variations are considered normal. The length of the valley will also vary among women, from several days to only one day. 
• Some cycles will have multiple “dips” including before and after the fertile window.

Multiple valleys

• It is common and expected to see ups and downs and even multiple valleys during your cycle. 
• We recommend watching for your fertile valley to unfold in or near the predicted fertile window. 
• Ovulation occurs about two weeks before the start of a new cycle or a positive pregnancy test, which is important to keep in mind when estimating when your fertile valley will likely unfold.
• We often see bumps, dips, and even valleys unfold after ovulation. There are many changing hormones during the luteal phase, such as rising estrogen and progesterone. The formation of a valley during this phase of the cycle does not mean your fertile valley was not successful for ovulation. You may observe that your readings follow a similar pattern from cycle to cycle.
• A valley or low readings after your fertile valley is not an indication that the user is or is not pregnant. The variation in the luteal phase is normal and expected, and unlike basal body temperatures (BBT), kegg readings do not need to remain elevated throughout the luteal phase. 

A fertile valley example:

• In this cycle example, note how the user trended down early in her cycle then rose back up. This is a common trend after the period ends. 
• Then, as the user entered the fertile window prediction, her readings started to trend down. She treated this as a fertile valley since it occurred at the time during her cycle when she would expect to see a fertile valley unfold.
• This user witnessed another valley unfold after the fertile valley during the luteal phase. This is a common and normal trend, and this is not another fertile valley. 
• There are many changing hormones throughout the cycle. In the luteal phase (the time between ovulation and the start of the new cycle), estrogen and progesterone will rise and then eventually fall if implantation does not occur.

Fertile Window vs. Ovulation Day 

• kegg’s job is to predict and display the full fertile window to help you confidently time your trying to conceive efforts.
• kegg does not predict or detect an exact ovulation day (no device can accurately do this). 
• After the fertile window is complete, you can review your fertile valley and suspect  ovulation occurred on or before the day of the rise out of the valley.

Completed cycles 

• At the end of the first full cycle, kegg does a “look back” to analyze your readings and will place a confirmation of the fertile window based on the completed cycle length and kegg data.
• kegg will use this personalized data from your completed charts to formulate your  predictions for future cycles.  
• kegg’s predictions will become more and more personalized with each new cycle of  consistent readings. 
• If your completed cycle has too many missed readings, kegg will not be able to display a fertile window confirmation. Instead, it will place the best guess confirmation with a dashed border.

Tracking Irregular and/or PCOS Cycles with kegg

Understanding how the prediction works

• The fertile window prediction is made in advance based on past trend data (or the initial cycle length entered at start up for your first cycle with kegg). 
• When cycles are irregular in length and/or when the user has PCOS, the user should watch their readings to identify when the fertile valley is forming and rely less on the fertile window prediction (if present).
• If cycles are outside of the 21-40 day cycle length range, there will not be a fertile window prediction. Users with cycles outside of this range should also watch their readings to identify their fertile valley(s) and time intercourse or insemination during those valleys. 

Finding your fertile valleys

• To estimate the time frame during which time the fertile window may occur, you can estimate when your fertile window has fallen in previous cycles. 
• The luteal phase is the time between ovulation and the start of a new cycle. An ideal luteal phase is 11-17 days, most often about 12-13 days. The luteal phase length tends to remain fairly consistent from cycle to cycle.
• Typically, the fertile window extends for 4 days before ovulation and ovulation day itself. This means the female reproductive tract can nourish and sustain sperm for a maximum of 5 days. 
• While it is a good idea to consider each valley as potentially fertile in irregular cycles, keeping this information  in mind can help you identify when the fertile valley is most likely to occur. 
• Aim to time sex/insemination during the valleys in the kegg readings to ensure you do not miss an opportunity to conceive.
• It is more common to see multiple fertile valleys in PCOS, irregular cycles, and/or cycle lengths greater than 40 days. This occurs when the body prepares to ovulate but does not achieve the final step, ovulation. When this happens, the body may make another attempt to ovulate resulting in another fertile valley. The valleys may differ greatly, in length and depth. 

Ovulation

• Ovulation cannot be confirmed with kegg. You can confirm ovulation by tracking your basal body temperature (BBT), PdG testing (the urine metabolite for progesterone), progesterone blood test, or ultrasound.
• Tracking your basal body temperature can be very useful in determining if a valley is (or is not) successful for ovulation. Once the user confirms ovulation with a temp rise, they can safely assume they have ovulated and do not need to treat future valleys as potentially fertile. 
• Note: LH testing cannot confirm ovulation. It is possible to see LH rise multiple times in a cycle, and for LH to rise without achieving ovulation.

PCOS and irregular cycle examples with kegg:

In this first example, the user experienced multiple fertile valleys. 

This user timed her efforts during the valleys. A few days after her first valley and rise she found her trend line dropping again and decided to have sex on those days too just in case her first valley wasn’t successful in achieving ovulation. This was followed by an 11-day luteal phase.  Her typical luteal phase is 11-12 days.  If the first valley had been successful, her period would have come much sooner, around cycle day 29, therefore this confirms the first attempt at ovulation was not successful.

A classic feature of PCOS is multiple or sustained LH surges.

In this second example, the user experienced two separate LH surges. This user noted in her chart when she had an LH surge. Note the two “dips” or valleys and the two positive LH test results, on CD 16-17 and CD 31. The first valley was not likely successful for ovulation as a luteal phase length of greater than 17 days is uncommon, unless the user is pregnant. The second valley may have been successful for ovulation around cycle day 31 or 32.

Another common occurrence for women with PCOS is many days in a row with positive LH results. Without basal body temperature tracking, serum hormone testing, urine PdG testing, and/or ultrasound testing throughout the cycle, we cannot confirm when or even if ovulation was successful. In the chart below, you will notice this user had several days of a positive LH result. Her kegg results helped guide her, as she noted her readings continuing to descend, followed by a rise. She then had a typical 12-day luteal phase.

Commonly Asked Questions:

What day do I mark as the first day of my cycle?

• Day 1 of your cycle is the first day of blood flow. Spotting does not begin a new cycle. 

My readings seem to be all over the place. Does this mean anything? 

• Fluctuations in day-to-today readings are normal. Sometimes erratic readings are due to inconsistent measurement times, movement during the reading, or kegg not being fully inserted into the vagina.  
• The trendline display puts emphasis on the overall trend in readings rather than day-to-day fluctuations.  

I don’t see my first reading. Where is it?  

• Each kegg reading is plotted in the cycle view with a small white circle outlined in green.  
• As you take more readings, you will see the readings connect together and the trendline will eventually appear. 
• If you do not see your reading on your chart as a small circle, ensure that you have a previous period entered in the Calendar. Select the Calendar option then Edit Period. Input a past period within the last 90 days. If you have not had a period in 90 days or longer, edit the calendar to start a period 60 days from the present day. This gives kegg a starting point for your chart. 

Is there a number value with my reading? 

• kegg does not display numeric values with each reading. Impedance readings vary greatly between women and even from cycle to cycle 
• The actual numeric value of a kegg reading cannot predict or determine fertility. Instead, the overall trend is what suggests when the user is in the fertile valley.

Will my fertile window prediction change with each reading? 

• Most likely not., kegg predicts your fertile window at the start of the cycle. 
• For your first cycle, this prediction is based on the cycle length entered during your account setup. Subsequent predictions are based on your recorded kegg data. 

I am seeing more dips after my fertile window. Does this mean anything?

• It is common to see fluctuations such as valleys and hills in your kegg readings after your fertile window. There are many changing hormones throughout the luteal phase. 
• Unlike basal body temperature, kegg readings do not need to remain elevated after the fertile window. 
• If you suspect you did not successfully ovulate during your fertile window prediction,  continue to watch for valleys in your trendline and consider those days as potentially fertile. 

I am not seeing a fertile window prediction. How come? 

• If your estimated cycle length is longer than  40 days or shorter than 21 days, there will not be a fertile window prediction displayed for the current cycle. 
• You can view your estimated cycle length in “View Cycle Stats” 
• Continue to watch for valleys in your trendline and consider those days as potentially fertile. 
• If your cycle exceeds kegg’s predicted cycle length, kegg will display “fertility” with a “--”. If a new period is added, and your estimated cycle length is within 21-40 days, you will see a fertile window prediction in the new cycle.

When should I use the cycle exclude feature?

• If you experience an atypical cycle length, such as during illness/travel, a miscarriage, or an anovulatory cycle, you may wish to exclude the cycle from being included in kegg’s algorithm as the atypical length may impact kegg’s fertile window prediction
• To exclude a cycle, select “View Cycle Stats” on the “Cycle” view. Next, select “Exclude cycles” and select the cycle you wish to exclude from kegg’s prediction

Can I add temperature tracking? 

• Yes! You may optionally input your basal body temperatures (BBT) in your daily notes. 
• On the kegg chart, you may turn on and off the temperature display by tapping on the small thermometer icon in the upper left hand corner of the cycle view. 

• If you are a Tempdrop user, you can sync your Tempdrop to the kegg app to view your temps and kegg data together.

Can my kegg readings indicate if I am pregnant? 

• No. There is no specific trend that indicates if a user is pregnant or not, and pregnancy charts can vary greatly among kegg users!
• Low readings or high readings in the luteal phase are not indicative of a pregnancy or oncoming period. We cannot predict if a user is or is not pregnant based on their readings in the luteal phase.

Should I keep using kegg after my positive pregnancy test? 

• Congratulations! Log your pregnancy test results in the kegg app and discontinue kegg use. 
• Your kegg can be stored for future use. 

How should I store my kegg once I am pregnant?

• Store kegg in your preferred place, ensuring that it is not sealed in an airtight space. Be sure to keep your charging set with your kegg for future use!  Do not store kegg with a full charge. Around 80% charge is ideal. 

How should I wash my kegg?

• Rinse kegg with water before and after use and dry thoroughly before storing. Be careful to not scratch the metal electrodes. You may wash your kegg with a gentle soap like facial soap if you wish.
• Due to the conductive nature of the metal electrodes, the gold portion of the kegg can rust if kegg is placed into the charger when wet or damp.

Can I take my kegg on an airplane with me?

• Yes! kegg can be brought in carry-on or checked suitcases without issue. 

Can I use a lubricant with my kegg?

No. kegg detects the changes in the cervical fluid in the vaginal environment and lubricant can impact kegg readings. We recommend rinsing kegg with warm water to aid in insertion. 

 

I am traveling to a new time zone. When should I use kegg?

• Use kegg at the same time but in your new time zone. If you usually take your reading at 10 PM at home, take your reading at 10 PM in your new time zone.