Infertility Term Series- Part Two
What Exactly Does This Mean?
First, basal by dictionary definition means “forming, bottom layer or base”, so for us women let’s just say this is our beginning or baseline body temperature for the day.
Now, this basal body temperature is affected by many different factors such as hormone levels, being sick, your sleep pattern for that night, bathroom breaks in the night, and the list goes on.
I am just going to be real with you. Out of all the tools you will use to help with determining your fertile window, I am not a huge fan of this one. (GASP) What?!
I know, I know. This is usually one of the very first terms you come across when researching how to get pregnant. Maybe I’m just doing this part wrong, (story of my life) but I just do not put a lot of my tokens in this machine.
Please note that some of the links within this post are affiliate links, and at no cost to you, I could earn a commission. Please read my full Affiliate Disclosure for more information.
Why you ask?- In my opinion this fertility tool is the one that outside factors can affect dramatically, and for checking my basal temperature at the same time every morning is hard for me due to my work schedule.
This is my opinion and you will make your own. This post is about giving you easy to understand information and that is what I want to give you. I just want to let you know if this avenue is just not working for you, you are not alone in that!
Detect Ovulation by taking BBT, but HOW?
Now you may have laughed at that heading, and believe me when I first started I was like, “Well, taking my temp in the morning sounds easy enough”. WRONG!
Let me explain. . .
Okay, so you buy your thermometer, you place it right next to your bed, and you go to sleep ready to go for the morning.
You wake up and all of a sudden a wave of anxiety comes over you. Crap! I woke up on my stomach and now I’m in an awkward position to take my temperature. Do I roll over and get on my back or do I test with half my face in the pillow?
I mean rolling over exerts energy, right? Well now you have no choice, so you roll over and grab the thermometer, but now you have to turn it on and wait for the beep to let you know it’s ready. So that took about a minute. Crap! Crap! With the rolling over and then having to wait for it to turn on I feel a little cooler than I did just a minute ago. Is that going to change my result?
Now even if you haven’t done this yet, I’m sorry to tell you, but this is going to be you too. Even after reading this. It’s just the name of the game.
Okay, I swear I’m going to help you and not cause more stress. Yes, all these things can in a small way impact the result. There are so many outside factors that can affect your basal body temperature. Theres just is no way to measure it without some outside influence. THIS IS OKAY!
Now it is recommended to test first thing in the morning, at the same time every morning- there should only be about a 30-minute difference between the times you are testing. Do not get up or sit up. Once your eyes open that’s when you grab your handie dandie thermometer. (Gurevich, 2019)
Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention in the anxiety-stricken scenario above is the fact that you need at least 4 hours of undisturbed sleep before taking your temperature.
So, if you’re like me and get up at least two if not three times in the night to pee (thanks gallon of water throughout the day!) then you will sometimes barely make that requirement.
Let’s Bring All That Together
You go out and buy a thermometer, you place it by your bed in arm’s reach. You go to sleep, try not to get up and use the bathroom, get at least 4 hours of undisturbed sleep, make sure it’s within 30 minutes of when you tested yesterday, grab your thermometer, pop it under your tongue and wait for your results and finally chart those results. Done!
Now that wasn’t hard, right? Haha
Get a tracking app; it will be your best friend! I use the Femometer; it will chart everything for you and also give you predictions and extra advice!
Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Chart What Does It Tell Me?
Your basal body temperature dips a bit just before your ovary releases an egg. Then, 24 hours after the egg’s release, your temperature rises and stays up for several days.
Before ovulation, a woman’s BBT averages between 97°F (36.1°C) and 97.5°F (36.4°C).
After ovulation, it rises to 97.6°F (36.4°C) to 98.6°F (37°C). (Romito & Olatunbosun, 2019)
If you track this cycle-to-cycle (or have your app do it) and you start to see a pattern, this could be a good way to help determine when you may ovulate each month.
This Should Not Be Your Only Tool
If you have not learned by now, listen to me when I say this should not be the only tool you are using to determine your fertile window. You do not just pick one of these tests (BBT, LH Surge, Cervical Mucus, Cervix lengthening, etc.) and run with it. I realize all these tests can make this process overwhelming.
Girl, I get it, trust me. It is unfortunately something that you will have to decide if it is right for you and your journey to making a baby.
I will forever say you do what YOU feel is right. This journey is hard enough as it is, so you decide where your stress comes from!
Now I am not saying this journey will be stress-free. I think that anxiety and stress are just a package deal in this whole thing. What I am saying, is if using all these different ovulation tools would just be too much for you to handle right now, then don’t do it!
Wait until you have tackled some of the emotions and stress that you are currently dealing with and maybe come back to all of this when you feel like you can add something in.
I hope this in some small way this has helped and if there is anything I did not answer for you, please leave me a comment and I will do my best to get those answers.
Resources
Romito, K., MD, & Olatunbosun, F., MB. (2019, May 29). Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Charting. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/hw202058
Gurevich, R. (2019, June 27). How to Detect Pregnancy or Ovulation on Your BBT Chart. Retrieved May 12, 2020, from https://www.verywellfamily.com/ovulation-on-body-basal-temperature-chart-1960284