Text messages help you plan for a baby bump ... or avoid one

BY SHALLON LESTER
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Monday, December 1st 2008, 3:27 PM

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A new text message service can help hopeful moms-to-be figure out their reproductive patterns.

Not only can text message alerts deliver breaking news and transit updates – now (ahem, ladies) they can tell you when you’re ovulating.

BabyCenter.com, an online resource for parents and expectant moms, has unveiled a new service – The Booty Caller – to remind women of their fertile peaks and valleys via text.

Women can sign up for the free service at http://www.babycenter.com by entering information about their menstrual cycles and a phone number.

The Booty Caller “is the new and modern way for busy women everywhere to keep up with their fertility timing and options," said BabyCenter.com CEO Tina Sharkey.

Subscribers receive three texts per month to help them track ovulation patterns.

So when the phone buzzes, it might say something like this: "Your fertile window starts in 1 week. Find out if your chances of getting pregnant are better in the morning." Or even this: "Your fertile window opens today and lasts 5 more days. Stress can get in the way of conception so relax and get a massage, meditate, or take a yoga class."

The program is intended to help women trying to conceive, but some say it's a sad reminder that many people today are of touch with their bodies.

Scott, a father of three in Manhattan, said he and his wife learned long ago how to do the baby math. "Who can't count to 14?" he said.

If traffic to BabyCenter’s Web site is any indicator – a lot of people are looking for help in that area.  The site’s creators say numbers have skyrocketed since Booty Caller launched.

Connie Devonshire, a registered nurse from New Jersey, thinks the gadget will help women who may not be so savvy when it comes to their own reproductive patterns – and she includes herself among that group.

"Women should definitely know their fertility cycle … I was never good at figuring out that stuff,” she said.

Couples hoping for a little bundle of joy aren't the only ones who might benefit from the Booty Caller. Single girls may also be interested in the service to help them avoid an unplanned pregnancy.

"Oh I’d definitely use this," said Sarah Barlevy, 24, over drinks in a Manhattan bar Friday night. “The last thing I want is a baby … Maybe this will help keep me well-behaved during my fertile days,” she said.