Try to Get Pregnant? Learn About Your Basal Body Temperature
What is Basal Body Temperature?
Your BBT is your temperature when you wake, before any type of activity takes place. Women have what is considered a biphasic pattern. This means that pre-ovulation, her temperature stays lower, and post-ovulation, her temperature is higher. The temperatures will vary from person to person, but this is why it is very helpful to chart your BBT each cycle. It will allow you to see a pattern, assuming you have a regular cycle.
Why is tracking your BBT important?
While having a regular cycle can mean that you ovulate regularly, this is not always the case. Many women with regular cycles do not ovulate, while many women with irregular cycles will ovulate regularly. Tracking your BBT will help determine if you are indeed ovulating.
How do you track your BBT?
Each morning, preferably at the same time every day, you take your temperature with a BBT thermometer. (these can be found at any drugstore and most Walmart or Walgreen type places) Start taking your temperature (temping) at the first day of your period. This is considered cycle day (CD) one. Write down your temperatures every day of the entire cycle. You will be looking for that biphasic pattern. For example, if you notice that every cycle, your temperature spikes at CD17, this is most likely around the time you ovulate. This does not mean that you ovulate on CD17. Ovulation usually occurs the day before the temp. spike, though it can vary up to 3 days. Once you have determined a pattern over a period of a few months, you will be able to plan intercourse around your most fertile time of the month.
Summary
Tracking your BBT can be helpful in TTC, but you shouldn't fully rely on that method. There are many other ways of tracking your fertile periods, which I will cover later on this site. Tracking BBT is a great starting point though! Good luck!
For more information on BBT as well as other tips for tracking your fertility, check out these sites:
www.iparenting.com - there are a lot of supporting and encouraging forums available here
www.4woman.gov - in the section under "health tools," there is a BBT chart available!
Published by Mandy Hill
I love to write. I don't just love to write, I love to research and write interesting things that people will want to read. Things that people will need to read. I write for me and for anyone searching. View profile
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