FAQ
- Ladycomp / Babycomp
Frequently
Asked Questions
General questions
about Babycomp/Ladycomp
1.
Who developed Ladycomp/Babycomp?
Ladycomp/Babycomp was developed by a team made up of gynaecologists, software
specialists, electronics experts and designers. Experience with the device
in practical use and its proven success in vivo have also made a considerable
contribution. The electronic brain, containing knowledge about fertility,
and other components are manufactured by leading suppliers from all over
the globe. The project was supported by the Federal Ministry for Research
and Technology.
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2.
There is ongoing progress in medicine and technology.
Will Babycomp/Ladycomp be outdated in a few years?
No. Since 1986 the device has been steadily enhanced, and major improvements
have been made using the latest findings of research. Whenever there is
a new Babycomp/Ladycomp generation available on the market, users can
have their existing devices upgraded with the latest chip upon request.
Your personal readings will not be affected.
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3.
How does the product differ from other contraception
computers?
Of course, this depends on the product you compare it with. These may
be some of the differences: Babycomp and Ladycomp provide an extremely
high safety level of 99.3 - 99.4%. Babycomp and Ladycomp are characterized
by high quality and durability (remember our service warranty). Babycomp
and Ladycomp are equipped with pre-stored information from 700,000 cycles
and a sophisticated measuring system, which does not permit any measurement
errors. Wrong application resulting in reduced reliability is practically
impossible. Taking your temperature takes no longer than approx. 30 seconds.
Taking your temperature is possible within a period of six hours. Even
shift workers can easily use the product. To change the measuring period
all you have to do is set the alarm clock accordingly, even to a different
time each day, if required. This way you can also sleep in when you want
to. No need to adjust to the device - Babycomp/Ladycomp does the job for
you. Babycomp and Ladycomp can be used fully independently from the duration
of your cycles. There is no limit for the length of your cycles. It's
a one-time purchase without any follow-up costs. Customers can count on
personal support at any time. Even years after the purchase, you can get
back to us with any questions you may have.
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4.
What does Babycomp / Ladycomp look like and how big
is it?
You can find pictures of Babycomp / Ladycomp on our homepage. The device
is black and white, with mint coloured keys. It is only about 14 cm (5.5")
in diameter and it's very flat, with a height of about 3.5 cm (1.4").
The measuring sensor safely rests on the side of the device and has a
mint coloured spiral cable (no entangling) plugged into the bottom of
the device. Babycomp/Ladycomp weighs about 200 g (7 oz). This way, Ladycomp
/ Babycomp easily fits on any bedside table and into any handbag.
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How
safe is Babycomp / Ladycomp?
5.
How safe is Babycomp/Ladycomp?
With a Pearl Index of 0.7, Babycomp/Ladycomp is as safe as the pill on
"green" days. This has been confirmed by a number of independent studies.
Most importantly, this Pearl Index is not some hypothetical assumption
but the result of several manufacturer-independent studies. The most comprehensive
of these studies was done by the Women's University Clinic of Düsseldorf,
Germany, on more than 650 women.
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6.
Is Lady-Comp/Baby-Comp FDA approved? Does it have
DEKRA certification?
Yes, Lady-Comp/Baby-Comp is FDA approved. Yes, Lady-Comp/Baby-Comp has
DEKRA certification (Scope: Processing, Manufacturing and distribution
of electronic equipment for natural family planning and contraception).
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7.
What is the Pearl Index?
The Pearl Index indicates the level of reliability of a given method of
contraception. Where 100 women use contraception method X for a period
of one year and one of them gets pregnant despite correct application,
method X has a Methodic Pearl Index of 1. It is important not to confuse
the Methodic Pearl Index with the Application Pearl Index. The Methodic
Pearl Index indicates how reliable a given method is if used correctly,
while the Application Pearl Index also includes the number of undesired
pregnancies due to disregarded rules of application. For Babycomp/Ladycomp
this would be the case if a couple had unprotected intercourse despite
the device showing the red light. This way there may be differing Pearl
Index values for the same contraception method. For Ladycomp/Babycomp
the value is as follows: Provided the device's indicators are properly
observed, Ladycomp/Babycomp has an excellent Pearl Index of 0.7, which
is similar to the Pearl Index of the pill.
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8.
Due to the lifetime of the sperm, the fertile period
actually begins five days before ovulation. Does the fertility indication
take this extra time into consideration?
Yes, the computer accounts for the sperm's maximum life expectancy of
five days for its indication of Fertile or Infertile periods.
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9.
When can I start relying on the Infertile indicator?
As early as the first day of application. This is made possible by the
pre-memorized readings from 700,000 cycles.
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10.
A very
sleepless night or the consumption of alcohol can influence the readings.
Can I rely on the device anyway?
Yes.
If your reading is influenced by a bad night or by drinking large amounts
of alcohol (omitting a reading once in a while isn't a problem), this
doesn't mean that the indicator becomes unreliable. Depending on the phase
of your cycle, Ladycomp/Babycomp will react accordingly. Either the reading
will be recognized and ignored as an exception, or the device will show
a yellow or red light on the next day to be on the safe side
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11.
Does illness reduce the computer's reliability?
No: An increased temperature due to some illness will cause the device
to indicate "F". On those days, the fertility indicator will be yellow.
The best thing is not to take your temperature while you are sick. After
that, you can continue taking your temperature as usual.
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12.
Will the indication also be correct if I take medicine??
This depends on whether you just take a regular painkiller once in a while
- that's no problem at all - or whether you take a medicine over an extended
period of time. If that is the case, you should ask your doctor or pharmacist
whether it has an impact on your body temperature. If so, you should stop
taking your temperature during that time; otherwise you can continue measuring
as usual.
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13.
What happens if I omit a few readings?
Not much. Based on the information stored internally, Babycomp/Ladycomp
can make up reliably for missing input. Although we do encourage you to
take your temperature very regularly in order to determine your fertile
period as precisely as possible, omitting some readings does not reduce
the product's safety. If you omit some readings due to illness, Babycomp/Ladycomp
will soon return to normal afterwards.
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Is
Babycomp/Ladycomp the right solution for me?
14.
Can young
girls use Babycomp/Ladycomp too?
Of course. Young girls and women
usually want an especially safe method of contraception. And - provided
the user sticks to the rules and has sexual intercourse only on "green"
days - Babycomp/Ladycomp compares very well even to the pill, regardless
of the user's age.
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15.
I will soon be in my menopause. Is it still wise
to start using Babycomp/Ladycomp?
Yes, even then the device works very reliably. Occasional delays
in ovulation or failure to ovulate will cause the device to show "yellow".
In fact this helps women to see how their cycles are changing. Even financially,
purchasing a Babycomp/Ladycomp will pay off for you. Since our products
are extremely durable, you can easily sell Babycomp/Ladycomp to someone
else once you don't need it any more.
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16.
I have just given birth to my baby and I'm still
breast-feeding. When will it be wise to start using Babycomp/Ladycomp?
Since the concept of natural contraception is based on recognizing
the moment of ovulation, it makes sense to start using the device once
you are ovulating again. This means that you can begin using the device
once you've had your first new menstruation.
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17.
I have a baby, which means I have to get up often
during the night. Can I use Ladycomp/Babycomp anyway?
Yes. The basic rule for natural contraception is that a woman should have
had at least five continuous hours of sleep before taking her basal temperature.
However, this rule basically applies to the total number of hours, so
if a woman had only four hours of sleep because she didn't go to bed until
2 a.m. and had to get up as early as 6 a.m., she should not take her temperature
on that day. This won't cause any problem. Ladycomp/Babycomp was designed
to make up for omitted readings automatically, as long as omitting isn't
the rule.
What if a woman has had five hours of sleep, but not five continuous hours,
because she had to feed her baby in the middle of that period? Normally,
taking your temperature is safe even then. A great number of customers
are in that situation and get on well with it. However, there is no general
answer to that question. It always depends on your specific case. Basically,
there are these types of scenarios:
- You had to get up before your normal waking time, but within the measuring
period (i.e. up to 3 hours before your waking time; period indicated by
the thermometer symbol). In that case, simply take your temperature immediately.
- If you have slept for a few hours and your baby wakes up BEFORE the
measuring period, there should be enough time left to go back to sleep
after taking care of the baby. In that case you should have been sleeping
for at least another hour before taking your temperature.
It might be a good idea to organize things in a way you don't have to
get up at all (e.g. have your baby in your bedroom and keep all necessary
items at hand).
- If you really stay up all night once in a while, you can omit one reading
without any problem. There is no reason to be afraid of a reduced level
of safety. A high number of reading errors will simply result in a slightly
reduced green-light phase, which will gradually return to normal later.
Typically, users quickly develop their own sense of when measuring is
necessary and when it can be omitted. If at some point you should be unsure
anyway, we will always be there to help you.
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18.
My cycles are irregular. Can I use Babycomp/Ladycomp
anyway?
Yes. The devices are designed to handle cycles of varying lengths without
posing a safety risk. Babycomp/Ladycomp does not even require a minimum
or maximum number of days within a cycle to process its readings reliably.
Nevertheless, extreme fluctuations might make using the device a little
inefficient because it will result in a greatly increased number of "red"
days. Fluctuations of several days are no problem at all. However, if
some of your cycles are as long as several months, we recommend using
natural cycle regulators (herbal preparations). Please consult your gynaecologist
for more information.
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19.
I sleep at rather irregular intervals (shift work,
getting up at night, sleeping in on weekends etc.). Can I use Babycomp/Ladycomp
anyway?
Yes, in fact the new Chip III generation of Babycomp/Ladycomp was designed
especially for that type of women. Thanks to its very long measuring period
of six hours, women who have to get up several times a night (e.g. mothers
of babies or toddlers) can almost always take their temperature, either
at their scheduled waking time or directly at night before taking care
of the child (since reading takes only 30 seconds, this should not be
a problem). I you are a shift worker or want to sleep in, you can change
the measuring period at any time within a cycle by simply setting the
alarm clock accordingly. That way you can take your temperature at 7 a.m.
on one day and at 2 p.m. on the next, provided you had your sleep before
that. This means that Babycomp/Ladycomp can be customized to meet your
requirements on a daily basis.
Questions
regarding the application of Babycomp/Ladycomp
20.
When can I start using Babycomp/Ladycomp?
Right after you receive the device. If you have just stopped taking the
contraceptive pill, you can either start using the device immediately
or wait until the beginning of your first real menstruation. Maximum safety
will always be provided.
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21.
Where do I measure the temperature?
Under the tongue.
22.
Can I use Babycomp/Ladycomp with battery?
Yes, both models always come with an integrated, rechargeable battery
and a separated mains power plug. This way you can even use the device
when you go camping. You can use the device continuously for about two
months before having to recharge the battery.
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23.
Does the device come with everything I need, including
the correct power adapter?
Yes. You can start using the device right after unpacking it. The shipment
includes the correct power adapter for your country.
24.
Why is the method based exclusively on measuring
the temperature? Wouldn't it make sense to enter other information too,
such as the state of the cervical mucus?
Studies comparing normal Ladycomp/Babycomp users with users who were also
regarding other features have shown that regarding those other features,
such as mucus or intermenstrual pain, did not provide any advantage, but
actually produced more insecurity and in some cases even reduced contraceptive
safety. In addition, those studies did not show a difference between women
experienced in natural family planning and those who had never learned
about it. That's why the developers decided not to consider any additional
features. In fact, the product's unique reliability of 99.3% can hardly
be exceeded.
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25.
Must I always let Babycomp/Ladycomp wake me, or can
I take my temperature even if no alarm has been set?
Setting the alarm clock is not necessary for taking your temperature .
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26.
Can my readings get lost?
No. Ladycomp and Babycomp are protected against power failures and voltage
fluctuations. When power is shut off, all information remains stored permanently
in the device's memory. Even the time, date and year information will
continue to count indefinitely without any mains or battery power. Neither
can the information be deleted by mistake, e.g. by children playing with
the device.
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27.
How does the device handle time shifts when you are
travelling?
Very well. You can simply reset the clock to the local time of your destination
and continue to measure as usual. By the way, carrying the device with
you on air travels does not involve a problem, whether you have it in
your suitcase or in your hand luggage.
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Questions
about ordering and shipping
28.
What would be the price in US Dollars / in my currency?
The price in US dollars or another
currency is calculated from the respective exchange rate on the day your
credit card is charged (usually the day of order or the following work
day). You can
find a currency converter for all currencies at www.xe.com
Enter the amount of 448 EUR (Lady-Comp) or 658 EUR (Baby-Comp) which is
the total price including shipping and handling for all countries
outside the European Union.
29.
Will I get an order confirmation via e-mail?
Yes, normally within one day. If you haven't received a confirmation within
48 hours, please inquire whether the product has been shipped correctly.
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30.
How long does shipping take?
Typically about 2 weeks. However, this may depend on the postal service
of your country.
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You
have a question that hasn't been answered here?
Ask
Andrea Nowak at
info@ladycomputer.com
She
will e-mail you the answer, usually within 24 - 48 hours.
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