How To Take Your Basal Temperature For Ovulation
Women can track their bbt to determine when they are ovulating and when they are most fertile.
How to take your basal temperature for ovulation. Take your temperature at as close to the same time every morning as possible. Plot your temperature readings on graph paper. If you don t take your temperature immediately after waking up your bbt chart will not be accurate. Your basal body temperature bbt is your temperature when your body is at rest.
The first step to charting your basal body temperature is getting a chart to record your temperature. Use an accurate thermometer fertility basal thermometer available at your drugstore pharmacy. What is the normal basal body temperature. Your lowest body temperature in a period of 24 hours is what is known as the basal body temperature.
Try to take a reading at about the same time each morning and record it on a bbt chart see below. Before ovulation your bbt may range from about 97 2 to 97 7 degrees fahrenheit. During ovulation your body releases the hormone progesterone which brings on a slightly raised temperature a day or two later usually by 0 5 degrees. Record your daily basal body temperature and look for a pattern to emerge.
The process for basal body temperature tracking is simple but it does require a small commitment. For the most accurate results always take your temperature using the same method. You can find sample charts in some fertility books such as take charge of your fertility harper perennial 1995 a book considered by many to be the go to resource for basal body temperature charting guidance. Your basal body temperature may increase slightly typically less than a 1 2 degree f 0 3 c when you ovulate.
Taking your basal body temperature is a pretty straightforward process. Take your temperature as soon as you wake up after a solid block of sleep before moving around. The cervical mucus changes become favorable for pregnancy when you are 2 to 3 days before ovulation. Your cervical changes during that time will show an egg white type vaginal discharge at around the same time that your temperature dips a little bit before going up at the time of ovulation.
Once you have your bbt you can chart it on a graph to help you determine when you are most fertile.