Suddenly.

How much attention have you ever paid to "vaginal discharge"?

It's something that just appears in your underwear.
Its quantity and color can change.
But you probably don't often think about its special meaning.

I was the same.

But one day, I encountered a product that helps you "know your fertile window from changes in vaginal discharge."

At first, honestly, I didn't understand what was so new about it.

It's medically known that the quality of vaginal discharge, including cervical mucus, changes as ovulation approaches. But how many people actually utilize this in their daily lives?

1 | A brief consideration of the structure of fertility efforts

In Japan, 39.2% of couples have worried about infertility. 22.7% of couples have undergone or are currently undergoing infertility examinations or treatment.

And in 2023, 85,048 babies were born through assisted reproductive technology. This accounts for 11.7% of all births, or about 1 in 8.6 babies.

Fertility efforts are no longer a special topic.

But the general flow tends to be like this:

Measure basal body temperature.
Use ovulation test kits.
Go to the clinic.

There are methods. But they are hard to keep up with.

Measuring your temperature at the same time every morning.
Adjusting your work schedule to go to the hospital.

There's not much room for self-understanding and observation.

I've always felt uncomfortable with that.

2 | The option of kegg

kegg is a home device that measures changes in vaginal discharge, including cervical mucus.

It's inserted into the vagina and measures for about 90 seconds. You can check daily changes on the app.

It does not guarantee pregnancy. It is also not intended for treatment or diagnosis.

However, it is a tool that "visualizes" bodily signs that were previously relied on by feeling, in a sustainable way.

In fact, the fertile window is not just "the day of ovulation" itself. The short period starting a few days before ovulation is a crucial time for the possibility of pregnancy.

And it is believed that cervical mucus and vaginal discharge begin to increase 5-6 days before ovulation and can peak 2-3 days before ovulation.

However, this "window" differs from person to person.

3 | In 2017, when I was working at a Japanese investment firm

Around 2017, I was working at a Japanese investment firm.

That's when I encountered kegg.

The founder, Kristina, said that when she went to a clinic considering pregnancy, she was told to "check the condition of your vaginal discharge with your finger and record it."

From that question, kegg was born.

Within limited funding, she brought to life a home device that treats cervical mucus as data.

I felt its potential.

4 | The act of "measuring"

Fertility efforts are not difficult because of a lack of information.

Information is overflowing. But it's hard to keep up with.

kegg takes about 90 seconds a day. You don't even have to do it upon waking.

It may seem like a small difference, but for those involved, it's a huge difference.

It's about understanding your body a little.

That might make the next decision a little easier.

That's how I see it.

5 | The question from the first part

Why have we invested so heavily in infertility treatment, but so little in the preliminary "understanding" phase?

Was that order truly rational?

What kegg is posing is not merely about knowing your ovulation day.

It's about bringing the process of observing, recording, and understanding the bodily signs that were previously perceived intuitively back into daily life.

In the second part, I will write about the process of implementing this product in Japan.