Trying to Conceive Basal Body Temperature
Basal body temperature charting is being used as a pregnancy achievement technique. A woman can almost pinpoint the moment of ovulation if she combines this method with charting cervical position and the consistency of the cervical mucus. Charting your basic body temperature ( the temperature when your body is at rest) gives women the ability to understand the process of their ovulation and teaches them how their body works.
What is basal body temperature?
Basal body temperature (BBT) is the temperature of your body at rest. You need a special basic body temperature thermometer (oral use) with one tenth degree increments, you must take your temperature as soon as you wake up and before any activity. You need to have had at least three hours of sleep and the temperature difference you're looking for is only a 0.2 to 0.6 degree rise. The thermometer usually comes with detailed instructions, read them carefully.
What temperature changes am I looking for in my cycle?
Your average basal body temperature is 97 to 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit, this is the two week period prior to ovulation. Your BBT is kept low by the hormone estrogen. As soon as you ovulate your temperature goes up this is caused by the hormone progesterone, the rise in BBT ranges between 0.2 and 0.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Your BBT will stay up until your next menstrual period or longer if you're pregnant. The rise in temperature tells you that you have ovulated.
How does it work?
You can chart your basal body temperature by using a simple piece of graph paper or by using a computer program. It is pretty simple, you start the first day of your period and each day of your cycle you record your BBT. Also record things like if you had intercourse that day and any causes for variation in temperature ( your BBT may fluctuate for various reasons, for example the use of alcohol the night before or less than 3 hours of sleep). This chart can give you the knowledge about how your cycle works and when to conceive or ofcourse how not to get pregnant, as BBT charting is also used as a method of birthcontrol.
Used correctly BBT can be a very effective method in achieving or avoiding pregnancy. To make it even more accurate, you could also chart the other 2 signs of ovulation, being the consistency of your cervical mucus and the position of your cervix.
BBT only lets you know that you have ovulated and that everything is working, it takes one or two days for the temperature to rise so by that time your egg (eggs have a 12 to 24 hours life span) is already dead. The trick of BBT is how to identify a certain temperature pattern the days before and after ovulating. Once you've mastered this then your body's fertility is an open book to you!
