Who: Laura, avid exerciser, and mom of two

Helpful Oura insight: After seeing a continued elevated temperature her Oura data, Laura realized that she could be pregnant again.

What led you to Oura?

I originally purchased my Oura Ring to help with training and recovery — I’m an avid runner and weightlifter. I already had one son, and knew that soon I’d be trying for a second baby. I wanted a wearable that took a holistic approach to women’s health. I didn’t just want a fitness tracker, or just a fertility tracker, I wanted something that did it all!

Oura is like having that friend who always gives you good advice. She’s always there caring for me — telling me to go to bed early and take care of myself. Without her, I would normally only take a recovery day once or twice a month, but Oura tells me to listen to my body and take breaks.

Tell us about using Oura to plan your second pregnancy.

There’s absolutely no way I would have taken a pregnancy test without seeing my Oura data! It took us over a year to get pregnant with our first. The very first week, we started trying for our second. I couldn’t believe it when I saw my temperature bump in Oura.

I was tracking my Readiness Score and body temperature every day and I saw my temperature went up and stayed up for a few days. And that was my first alert. I’d been tracking my cycle, so I started considering the likelihood that I could be pregnant. I had just finished breastfeeding, and my cycle wasn’t even regular yet, so it was exciting to get the news.

READ MORE: UCSD Study Shows Clear Oura Temperature Increase After Conception

How did you use Oura in your pregnancy?

I wanted a balanced pregnancy. I knew that I had an athlete mindset, and my tendency is to push myself and overtrain! So Oura helped me remind myself again and again—I’m not trying to gain, just maintain. I closely monitored my Oura data to tell when to push and when to take it easy.

On days when my heart rate didn’t lower in the first half of the night or my Readiness Score took a dive, I would pull back on my activity levels.  If my Readiness was low or my body was strained, I’d go for a very light jog that helped me get the blood moving without stressing out my body. I got the mental benefits without pushing too hard.

Oura helped me learn better sleeping habits during pregnancy. The number one thing is that I shouldn’t eat too close to bedtime. It keeps my heart rate high and throws me off, spiking my blood sugar sky-high. I have to stop eating before 7pm.

How did your activity levels change during pregnancy?

People can have really strong opinions about working out during pregnancy, and I was surprised at how many people tried to shame me for exercising. But I knew myself, and I knew my body. I’d spoken with my doctor and got the all-clear. I can count three times in my pregnancy when I started a workout, and my body didn’t feel right, so I listened right away and scaled back or stopped the workout.

I was able to go on runs and go to OrangeTheory classes up until a few days before I went into labor. I attribute a lot of that to Oura, helping me realize when my body was telling me to take a break.

After I gave birth, I had to accept that my body wasn’t capable of doing the same things anymore. I wanted to run and train and get my body back, but all of a sudden, I couldn’t even do a push-up! I went from 5-minute planks to barely 10 seconds.

When I spoke to my doctor, I was told that sleep was vital for restabilizing your hormones postpartum, which would help me feel like my old self again, so that’s where I focused my energy. If I didn’t get at least 6 hours at night, instead of having a workout, I’d be prioritizing naps. When I made time for that recovery, I could tell my body was so much stronger the next day, and I could push a little bit more to get my strength back.

RELATED: How These Women Are Using Oura as a Guide During Pregnancy & Motherhood

What’s Your Oura Story?

Everyone’s story is unique. Share yours with the Oura Community.