Using Your New Lady-Comp®
You might have a lot of questions when your Lady-Comp®first arrives in the mail. To help you get started, we've listed some of the most common questions asked by our customers below. Remember to read the manual thoroughly before beginning to use Lady-Comp®.
Q: Ok, I've just received my Lady-Comp, where do I start?
A: Follow these simple instructions after unpacking your Lady-Comp®:
1: Charge it up for 24 hours as per page 41 of the instructions. Like most electrical products with a rechargeable battery, a small amount of power is in the battery for testing and quality control purposes at the point of manufacture but a charge of 24 hours is needed.
>2: Set the time and date as per page 28 of the instructions.
3: Set the alarm time and activate it as per page 15 of the instructions.
4: Calculate and enter prior month’s menstruation dates as per page 23. As Lady-Comp® learns about your cycle, it will begin to give more and more "green lights". Adding historic data speeds up this process.
5: Enter BMI as per page 16 of the instructions.
Q: The battery on my new Lady-Comp® is slightly charged. Should I still charge it for the full 24 hours?
A: All new devices with chargeable batteries, such as mobile phones, come with a small charge on the battery in order to carry out quality control tests. This amount is negligible. You should still charge the device for 24 hours in to ensure best performance.
Q: How do I enter my BMI data?
A: To enter your BMI data, follow these instructions:
1. Press and hold the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons simultaneously for 5 seconds, until the Lady-Comp interface displays the date of birth field.
2: Press and hold the round button for 5 seconds until the field blinks. Adjust the data up or down by pressing the plus (+) or minus (-) buttons. Confirm data by pressing the round button for 5 seconds.
3: Press the round button once quickly and you will see the height field displayed in centimeters.
4: To set height data, press and hold the round button for 5 seconds until the field blinks. Adjust data up or down by pressing the plus (+) or minus (-) buttons. Confirm by pressing the round button for 5 seconds.
5: Press the round button again quickly to advance to the weight field. Weight is displayed in kilograms.
6: To enter weight data press and hold the round button for 5 seconds until it blinks. Adjust weight up or down using the plus (+) or minus (-) buttons until the correct number is displayed. Confirm by pressing the round button for 5 seconds.
7: Press the round button once quickly and you will see the BMI displayed.
Q: The instruction manual says I should enter in historical data, but I don’t have any recorded. Can I start to use Lady-Comp® without any data?
A:Yes you can. Adding historical cycle data allows Lady-Comp® to learn the rhythm of your cycle quicker. Without that data, Lady-Comp® will have to monitor at least one complete cycle of your menstruation before it can calculate the length of your cycle. The more data Lady-Comp® has (either historical or as you move forwards) impacts how many green or red days it displays. Having historical data simply results in more green days being identified quicker.
Q: I added my previous month’s menstruation data. As instructed, I only added the first day of menstruation however, when I look back, I see 3 days recorded. Why is this?
A: When you enter the first day of menstruation, the computer knows there are at least 2 more days of menstruation so it automatically fills in that data for you.
Q: I've entered in one month’s worth of historical and now I’m unable to go further back. Can I only input 1 month’s data at a time?
A: You can enter in a year’s worth of historical data into Lady-Comp®. You just need to enter the oldest data first and move forwards through each cycle. Do a factory reset to remove that date then begin again with the oldest date. Remember, you only need to enter the first day of each menstruation.
Q: I've been using my Lady-Comp® for several days now and still can't seem to enter in my previous months’ menstruation data as instructed. How can I do this?
A: You cannot add historical data once you begin using Lady-Comp®. Historical data MUST be entered before you start using your Lady-Comp®.
There is actually more value in having several months of historical cycle data than just a few days of temperature data. Therefore we recommend that you 'factory reset' your Lady-Comp, enter the historical cycle data then begin taking daily readings again.
Q: I've just received my Lady-Comp® and when I press the big round button, I see a temperature for today's date. When I press the minus button, it seems to take me back through previous days’ readings of temperatures which are not mine. Could I have accidentally received a second-hand device?
A: Part of the extensive quality control and testing process of the device at our labs involves recording and using sample data for testing purposes. This information stays on the device but disappears as soon as you take the first real temperature reading or when you programme your own historical cycle data.
Q: I've been trying to input my old cycle data into my new Lady-Comp® and I think I may have made a few mistakes. Can I delete all of the data in one step?
A: The device can be reset to its default settings (a factory reset) which will resolve your problem.This can be done while in the self-test mode. To enter self-test mode, press the plus (+) button 3 times consecutively while on the time display screen. While the display lights are flashing (in self-test mode) press all 3 buttons together. This action was programmed to be difficult in order to avoid accidentally erasing stored data.
Q: How can I tell if Lady-Comp® is working correctly?
A: Lady-Comp® can be tested in the following ways: From the time display, you can press the plus (+) button 3 times consecutively to put the unit into test mode. Test mode will illuminate all of the unit’s lights. This confirms that all of the display lights are working. At the end of the test cycle, the thermometer icon will remain illuminated. Afterwards, press the big round button and take a test temperature. This will confirm that the thermometer is working. When you first receive your Lady-Comp®, you should charge it for 24 hours. When it is charging, "Lo" will appear on the display. This will confirm that the charger is working.
Q: I'm currently using a coil. Should I do anything before starting with Lady-Comp®?
A: As with any contraceptive monitor, you can begin using Lady-Comp® if you have a copper coil (IUD) , it is highly recommended to remove the coil first. If you have a hormonal coil, you must remove it before using Lady-Comp®. Afterwards you can begin your daily temperature readings.
Q: Do I need to continue taking the pill when I first start using Lady-Comp®?
A: No, absolutely not. When you take the pill, you do not experience a normal cycle because it is “turned off” by the medication. The bleeding that occurs every 28 days while taking the pill is caused by the withdrawal of the synthetic hormones of the medication. This seven-day interval was introduced for psychological reasons in order to create the impression that you are having a normal cycle. The bleeding caused by the withdrawal of the medication is in no way related to normal menstruation. Because you do not ovulate when you take the pill, you do not experience any fluctuations in body temperature, which is essential in order to monitor fertility naturally.
If you continue to take the pill, Lady-Comp® will not be able to take readings of the natural temperature fluctuations of your cycle. It is therefore superfluous for you to continue to take the pill when you begin using Lady-Comp®. When first put into use, Lady-Comp® like all contraceptive monitors,uses data history which has been programmed into the device to make reliable forecasts. The pre-programmed data is is applicable for all men and women, therefore its capable of working with every user. This data history becomes increasingly individualised with each use, which makes it possible to narrow down the fertile days from one cycle to another with more accuracy.
The "infertile" result displayed is however just as reliable on the first day of use as it is after two to three months. The difference is that at the beginning it appears less frequently.
For a comparison of Contraceptive Monitors, visit the Ethical Family Planning website.
RDO Medical, the operator of this website has chosen to no longer be an official distributor of the Valley Electronics range of devices. However we will support our faithful customers who have bought these quality devices from us over the years in any way we can but service issues will not be handled by us. Please do contact us as there are many things that we can resolve quite quickly however physically servicing the devices will ultimatley be the responsibility of the manufacturer.