Track body temperature to help with getting pregnant
Trying to get pregnant without success? One of the ways that medical experts recommend to aid conceiving a baby is to track your base body temperature, or BBT.
Your BBT is your temperature you make any move in the morning. You must take your temperature as soon as you wake up in the morning (yes, even before going to the bathroom) in order to chart your most likely fertile period.
The process works like this:
First, purchase a good basal thermometer and leave it on your nightstand. This is a type of thermometer that only registers from 94 to 100 degrees, but is marked in one-tenth of a degree increments for easy recording.
Next, set a scheduled time to take your temperature. Most likely, this will be the time that you usually wake up. It’s very important with this method to take consistent readings. If you wake up early, add one-tenth of a degree (.1) to your temperature for every half hour you’re early. If you oversleep, then subtract one-tenth of a degree for each half hour. You can only use these adjustments if you’re within 90 minutes of your usual wake-up time. That’s because your BBT rises as the day goes on.
Once you’ve taken your temperature, WRITE IT DOWN! This step can’t be emphasized enough. Try as you might, you will never remember what your temperature was yesterday. The only way you will be success in conceiving a baby by using this method is to write down your temperature every day, so that you will know when your are ovulating.
It’s also important to chart your temperature to see if you can spot any patterns in your cycle. Some women exhibit what’s’ known as a “triphasic” pattern. Your BBT will be at its lowest at the beginning of your menstrual cycle, typically around 97 degrees F. When you ovulate, you should notice a rise in your temperature of about half a degree (or more). Your temperature will stay at this higher level throughout the two-week Luteal Phase, which is the time period between ovulation and the start of your next period.
During the Luteal Phase, the ovary forms a mass of yellow tissue called the corpus luteum. This mass release the hormone progesterone, which signals the uterus to prepare for the possibly implantation of a fertilized embryo. Your temperature will remain slightly elevated throughout this phase.
The third level of temperature (the “triphasic pattern”) occurs around six to nine days after ovulation if implantation occurs.
One reason it’s important to record and chart your BBT for a few months is because you’re most fertile two to three days before your temperature rises and on the day your ovulate. An ovum (egg) will only survive up to 24 hours, and often only 6 to 12 hours, so it’s important to have intercourse 12 hours before you ovulate.
Although sperm can reach the fallopian tube where the egg is traveling within minutes of intercourse, the sperm actually needs about half a day in the uterus in order to become capable of fertilization. That’s because technically sperm are foreign cells to a woman’s body, and unless the woman’s body becomes used to them, they may be rejected. That’s not what you want if you’re trying to conceive, so you need to give sperm their 12 hours of adjustment in the uterus.
In addition, you need at least 10 days of higher temperatures after an egg releases so that a fertilized egg has enough time to attach itself to the uterine lining. The typical Luteal Phase lasts 12 to 14 days, and you can verify that yours falls into this range by charting your temperatures. If you find that your post-ovulation temperature doesn’t stay higher for at least 10 days, you may have what’s known as a Luteal Phase defect, so consult with your doctor immediately. There are ways to increase your Luteal Phase so that you can improve your chances of conceiving a baby.
If you find your temperature has remained higher for 18 days, congratulations! It’s likely that you’re pregnant, and you need to make an appointment with your doctor right away to assure a healthy pregnancy.
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