Can an activity tracker tell you if you are pregnant? Conversation with Professor Benjamin Smarr, Part I episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 30, 2025 · 24 MIN

Can an activity tracker tell you if you are pregnant? Conversation with Professor Benjamin Smarr, Part I

from Making Sense of Pregnancy: What Experts Want you To Know About Your Body · host Paulette Kamenecka

In the olden days, women measured something called basal body temperature (BBT), which is core temperature, to track ovulation by measuring their temperature right when they wake up--it's the first thing you'd do-- with a special thermometer that measured to at least one-tenth of a degree, and record it on a chart  (maybe on your phone, maybe on paper) to identify a subtle temperature shift. But those were the horse and buggy days of biohacking. Now we can wear a ring that provides a continuous read out of your temperature and sends it to an app on your phone; and not only can it tell you if you are ovulating, it may be able to tell you if you are pregnant. Today we talk to Dr. Benjamin Smarr, PhD, who has used sensor data to uncover some of the dynamics of your body in pregnancy. You can find Dr. Smarr's work here: https://smarr.ucsd.edu/

In the olden days, women measured something called basal body temperature (BBT), which is core temperature, to track ovulation by measuring their temperature right when they wake up--it's the first thing you'd do-- with a special thermometer that measured to at least one-tenth of a degree, and record it on a chart (maybe on your phone, maybe on paper) to identify a subtle temperature shift. But those were the horse and buggy days of biohacking. Now we can wear a ring that provides a con...

NOW PLAYING

Can an activity tracker tell you if you are pregnant? Conversation with Professor Benjamin Smarr, Part I

0:00 24:57

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Making Sense of Pregnancy: What Experts Want you To Know About Your Body?

This episode is 24 minutes long.

When was this Making Sense of Pregnancy: What Experts Want you To Know About Your Body episode published?

This episode was published on July 30, 2025.

What is this episode about?

In the olden days, women measured something called basal body temperature (BBT), which is core temperature, to track ovulation by measuring their temperature right when they wake up--it's the first thing you'd do-- with a special thermometer that...

Can I download this Making Sense of Pregnancy: What Experts Want you To Know About Your Body episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!