Lively ~ Cycle, Period tracker 4+

Saved me from PMDD related thoughts

So TW for anyone with “intrusive” thoughts around certain emotionally sensitive periods of their cycle. But I recently got a hand injury and its been debilitating. On top of all of that I have been having mood swings that are worse than usual. Not only does this app help me anticipate those by telling me which stage of my cycle i am in, since your body and hormones behaves differently around each phase, but it tells me ways i can help to take care of myself. If you ever have depressive episodes during ur cycle, it definitely helps. My favorite feature has been the widget you can add to your lock screen (the new IOS feature that lets you customize ur clock and stuff) because each day it gives you a motivational quote or a self-love/healing affirmation. (TW) I had a panic attack and it led me down a pretty dark road with some VERY unsafe thoughts. My support group was unavailable at that moment and i just so happened to look at my lock screen and see the daily affirmation which i missed because I had work and didnt see it (youd think i would’ve but.. im weird sometimes especially when im busy, and it had been a rough day) the affirmation? “Practice self-compassion, you are doing the best you can.” This app really takes EVERYTHING into consideration. I highly recommend it off the affirmations alone, because you never know when you’ll need that extra boost from your digital friend. Lol.

Helpful & Eye-opening

So I’ve never been the girly who tracks her cycle, at least not to this extent. I’d occasionally write on the calendar when my period started and ended but that’s it. I certainly never thought about how my hormones fluctuate the whole month and how that effects me. Using Lively has been truly eye-opening to my feminine experience. I had never once considered how my hormones were affecting daily life but now I feel so enlightened. It’s helped me understand my body so much better. The yearly cost is totally worth it to me; the tips and information they give you is so helpful for building a more balanced life. Obviously you can do what you will with their information, but it’s just good to have a concise resource at my fingertips for things like suggested workouts, foods, and activities during all the different phases of my cycle. I only have one critique and it’s small: it would be nice to have more options for the mood tracker. I just personally don’t find the options to be a wide enough range. But that won’t keep me from using the app, I just think that would be a great improvement to that area.

Developer Response ,

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We're thrilled that Lively has helped you understand your body better and find balance in your life. 😊 Your suggestion for more mood tracker options is appreciated, and we'll consider it for future updates. Have a lively day! Bara, the founder of Lively 🍑

Completely forgot that many women lose their periods

I was excited to use the app hoping to get some insight about the phases based on tracking symptoms over time or at least get information on each cycle while it could not determine my particular phase. Immediately ran into trouble because the first question is the start of your last menstrual cycle. No idea in the world. I’ve had an IUD for over 7 years. There is no way to bypass this question. Not even a button for I don’t know or I don’t get periods.

I’m not asking for something that is so niche as to not have been included. Tens of thousands of women lose their periods on IUDs, with other forms of birth control, of for other health reasons. That doesn’t mean the phases disappear or that we don’t want access to the information.

It’s just such an oversight to have to pick an exact date without a date drop down boxes or a calendar select. Scrolling through 7 years worth of singular days in a wheel when you can’t even see the year you’re in is simply not happening. I went back 2ish years (don’t even know how many because again you can’t see the year) before I gave up and picked a random date. Once I finally got through, there were no options to adjust or add symptoms to help it figure out the phase nor anywhere I could find with anything to read for information.