Using Basal Body Temperature, BBT to track Ovulation

5. tips for properly tracking BBT Basal Body Temperature:

1. You need a thermometer that is specific to two decimal places.

Oestrogen dominates the first half (follicular phase) of the cycle and promotes vasodilation (opening of blood vessels), allowing more heat to be dispersed, so our resting temperature is lower.

Progesterone dominates the second half (luteal phase) and causes vasoconstriction (blood vessels constricting), not allowing the heat to be released, so we see a higher resting temperature in the second half of the cycle.

2. The result is we see two very distinct phases of temperatures 36.11 - 36.38 degrees Celsius in the first half, then 36.44-37 degrees Celsius in the second half. We are looking for a rise in temp of 0.2-0.6 degrees. A rise is considered sustained if there are 3 consecutively high temperatures. After a few cycles can see the data build up and use it to predict ovulation.

3. Do not overthink your daily temperature as you can go into a spin if even one reading is off! We are looking for overall patterns, we are not looking at each day, or even one cycle - you need at least 3 to see a pattern!

4. You are most fertile the 2-3 days before your temperature rise, so after a few cycles of tracking you should get a better idea of which day of your cycle you ovulate (if you have a relatively regular cycle)

BE CONSISTENT! Temp must be taken FIRST THING on waking. As soon as we start moving the temperature is affected. Try to be consistent - keep the thermometer in the same place by your bed and stick to putting the thermometer on the same side of your mouth each morning. Make sure to put the thermostat all the way in under your tongue.

5. Please note a BBT reading can be influenced by: aircon, getting fewer than 3 hours of quality sleep, having a fever, jet lag, electric blanket, drinking alcohol the night before, very hot weather, stress.

Record the data on an app or graph. This sustained biphasic BBT change confirms that you have ovulated!

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