Basal Body Temperature And Ovulation

Whether you are trying to have a boy or a girl, just become pregnant, or perhaps looking at natural birth control methods, you have probably heard or saw a lot about basal body temperature and ovulation. What is basal body temperature? What is the difference between every day thermometers and basal body temperature thermometers? Should you know your basal body temperature? Are there basal body temperature pregnant results? Can the basal body temperature be trusted? There are several "mysterious" articles and ideas around what is basal body temperature. Let's just try to break it down into its easiest understanding of it.

What is basal body temperature?

Basal body temperature is the temperature of your body, considered the "core temperature". Normal basal body temperature is usually around 97 degrees fahrenheit, taken the first thing in the morning. Your basal body temperature may fluctuate a little one way or the other from 97 degrees. You will have to start a history, that is to say record or chart, your basal body temperature for several menstrual cycles to find your normal basal body temperature. You should have this data collected to understand your basal body temperature and ovulation cycles. Basal body temperature is also known as the temperature of the body while it is in its resting stage. The woman's body temperature will fluctuate throughout the activities of the day, and it is at its lowest (or while at rest) immediately after waking in the morning. Recording or charting this first morning temperature every day will give you a better understanding of your menstrual cycle and when your body is best situated to become pregnant, or best time to not become pregnant.

How do you record your basal body temperature?

This is not going to be hard at all, the hardest part will be consistency. You must strive for consistency to acquire the most accurate results. First you must acquire a basal body temperature thermometer, which is different from the everyday "do I have a fever?" thermometer. But don't panic because they are easily acquired. Basal body temperature thermometers can be purchased in almost any pharmacy, including internal pharmacies in the big store chains like Walmart and K-mart, and I am sure many others. They are about $15, some a little higher. They come in two different styles, either the old fashioned mercury glass type, or the new fangled digital type. Neither one is better than the other, it is a matter or preference, but the digital basal body temperature thermometers seem to be quicker and easier to read, as it shows an exact number versus you looking at mercury level to find out. But for measuring purposes, they are about equal. You should keep this and your recording material, either the chart itself or at least a notepad, on the nightstand next to your bed for immediate accessibility when you awake every day.

Remember we spoke about consistency, so if you have to set an alarm to get to work, school, or where-ever during the week, even if you do not plan on getting out of bed (like on the week ends), you should still keep the alarm on to get the normal basal body temperature at the same time every morning. Again the basal body temperature thermometer is not the same as the every day thermometer. The basal body temperature thermometer is marked off in tenths of a degree. And it is critical to record this temperature accurately to better understand your menstrual cycle.

Why are we tracking the normal basal body temperature?

Here is why you want to make sure you track your basal body temperature. Again a normal basal body temperature is around 97 degrees fahrenheit. Your cycle produces an egg, and the human egg is usually only able to be fertilized 12 to 24 hours after ovulation. Temperature increases from .4 to 1 degree and remains higher for a few days, ovulation has likely occurred. The normal (average) time of this is around the 17th day of your cycle. However women differ from body to body and this is not a hard and fast rule. Which is why we are tracking your basal body temperature for at least 2 or more cycles, preferably multiple. The more cycles recorded the easier it is to be more accurate to predict the body's cycles. You will start to see a pattern develop that will allow you to start predicting, along with the temperature spike, the ovulation period. The egg is released, also known as the ovulation, and for the next 24 or so hours, the temperature should spike from its normal basal body temperature, up to 1 degree. So, the first day of temperature spike is supposed to be the time to give you the best odds of becoming pregnant. And those odds slowly decline as the days go by, usually around 5 days, and your basal body temperature returns to its normal basal body temperature.

To avoid pregnancy using this method, you stop having sex several days, like 5, before your temperature spike, and several days after your temperature spike. This is by no means a fail safe method to be trusted as a contraceptive. Not any more than you absolutely becoming pregnant on the ovulation period. There are many factors in a woman's body that may either hinder or help her to become pregnant. These include but are not limited to cervical mucus, acidity, alkaline, spotting, fevers, length and temperature of fallopian tube, and several other factors.

Tracking, recording, and charting your basal body temperature can help you understand your cycle and predict the times of better odds of becoming pregnant. Although do not get discouraged if you are not successful the next cycle after you have tracked for a certain time frame. It can take up to 12 months, after that you may want to consult professionals.

Stress is also something that can interrupt a woman's body, and if you are trying desperately to become pregnant, it goes without saying you will probably experience a little stress if not a lot, followed by emotional times. Normal basal body temperature tracking is not a 100% method. But it is one of the easiest to start when trying to become pregnant. And you can even use more expensive ovulation kits to track your cycle. Whatever you decide to do, it is always recommended you begin with talking to your doctors and finding out the most information you can before starting on any program. I am not a doctor, I do not even play one on TV!

I hope that you have found this informative, and if nothing else encourages you to investigate the subject more. Good luck in your endeavors. You can learn more at venusormars.com.


About the author:
The Reverend M. Hall owns Venus Or Mars. A website that helps people learn about what baby gender selection is. You may re-use this article without change only.