Two-phase basal temperature chart. Measuring basal temperature (BT). Rules. Interpretation of basal temperature charts. Reasons for deviations from the norm

For most girls planning their pregnancy, measuring basal temperature can be called an indispensable method in this matter. With its help, you can determine favorable days for conception.

Also, measuring basal temperature is important for women who adhere to the calendar method of contraception. This method suggests that these days you should take contraception seriously, as there is a high risk of getting pregnant.

The concept of “Basal temperature”

Basal temperature is the lowest temperature that the human body reaches in a state of complete calm. As a rule, this time comes after a long sleep (at least 5 hours). As soon as a woman begins to perform any movements, the temperature rises significantly, which is no longer acceptable for the correct construction of a graph.

Hormones influence basal temperature. A woman with a healthy body experiences a monthly sequence of phases of the menstrual cycle - luteal, ovulatory, follicular. During each phase, one or another hormone predominates. Their level and quantity is reflected in the basal temperature.

Basal temperature options

Gynecologists advise measuring BT and drawing graphs for the following purposes:

1. if you have not been able to get pregnant for a year;
2. when doubts arise about the infertility of a partner;
3. if there is a risk of hormonal imbalances.

In addition, basal temperature helps in other situations:

• determine the most optimal day for conception;
• helps in planning the baby’s gender;
• understand the work of the body, the processes that occur.

Building a graph provides answers to the main questions:

1. whether the egg has matured;
2. whether there was ovulation after the egg matured;
3. how well the endocrine system works;
4. identify the presence of gynecological problems;
5. time of next menstruation;
6. whether conception occurred;
7. determine how well the ovaries secrete hormones at different phases of the menstrual cycle.

Measuring basal temperature to determine ovulation

When a young couple comes to see a doctor, the specialist asks a lot of questions. Measuring basal temperature is on the list of frequently asked questions. By keeping temperature records, you can determine the presence or absence of reproductive or hormonal disorders in a woman’s body. According to the graph, you can determine conception already at the earliest stages.

If, when measuring the temperature, it often has a high mark, then the woman may have serious diseases, such as endometritis.

Measuring basal temperature indicates impending ovulation. By creating schedules, you can already plan your pregnancy in advance, and also decide on the days when it is best to conceive a baby.

In addition, basal temperature can detect anovulation, i.e. lack of ovulation. Every woman can have such moments throughout the year. If such a pause occurs frequently, you should see a gynecologist.

Each body is individual, therefore, so is the menstrual cycle. Statistics show that ovulation occurs 14 days before the start of the expected cycle.

• before ovulation;
• during;
• after.

Phases of the menstrual cycle

At the initial stage of the first cycle, estrogen progresses in a woman’s body. Under the influence of this hormone, the temperature remains low. In the last phase the situation changes completely. Progesterone is released, causing a significant increase in temperature.

The difference between cycles is from 0.4 0 C. When observing such changes, we can assume that ovulation went well. It is possible that the basal temperature drops sharply during ovulation, then rises. In any case, the third phase occurs at elevated temperatures.

Ovulation process

A mature and fully prepared egg leaves the follicle. The meeting with the sperm takes place in the abdominal cavity. Such an “event” can only happen within 24 hours. Therefore, for everything to happen successfully and fertilization to occur, the sperm must already be in the tube.

Measuring basal temperature during ovulation

One of the main questions when planning pregnancy is “How to measure basal temperature to determine ovulation?” Basal temperature must be measured in the morning at the same time (small deviation is allowed, no more than 30 minutes). A woman should lie on her side without getting out of bed (preferably on the left, it’s easier to insert the thermometer). Without sudden movements, insert the thermometer into the rectum. If you use an electronic thermometer, the measurement will take no more than three minutes. These indicators are recorded in a table or recorded on a graph by measuring basal temperature.

In the initial phase, the temperature is 36.0 or 36.5 0 C (small fluctuations of no more than 0.1 0 C are permissible). What should be your basal temperature during ovulation? On the day when ovulation occurs in a woman’s body, the basal temperature rises to 37.0 or 37.3 0 C.
Throughout the entire measurement period, which is at least 3 menstrual cycles, it is recommended to use 1 thermometer. The new schedule begins on the first day of the cycle.

Situations cannot be ruled out when you need to get up at night, then the measurement should be made after 6 hours, otherwise the readings will be incorrect. In addition, it is worth considering that when body temperature rises due to illness, BT will also increase. This fact should also be recorded when plotting the graph.

Computer graphics

In the modern world, girls are increasingly using the help of the Internet in everyday affairs. Even in such a simple matter as plotting a graph, many people use special programs. All you need to do is measure the temperature and enter the data into the program. She, in turn, will be able to calculate the expected date of ovulation, draw a graph and be able to calculate the temperature difference between the phases.

Factors influencing thermometer readings

Basal temperature during ovulation, if measured every morning, a woman may notice some deviations, this indicates an incorrect measurement method or problems in the body. In addition to all this, some factors may affect the data:

1. If the temperature is measured a couple of hours earlier or later, the thermometer may show false results. As a rule, measurement is carried out after continuous sleep of at least 3 hours. If the rest is much shorter, this will affect the result.
2. Common causes of incorrect readings include: sex at night or before taking the temperature, drinking alcohol, using a heating pad, stress and some diseases.

If for any reason situations arise that affect the temperature increase or decrease, then this must be recorded in your schedule.

Basal temperature after ovulation

When taking daily measurements, most girls are interested in basal temperature after ovulation. Basal temperature after ovulation and before the onset of menstruation have different values, which depend on the phase of the cycle. If there is a discrepancy, this means that it is time to visit your treating gynecologist.

During ovulation, progesterone plays a major role. In the place where a wound forms in the ovary, a corpus luteum appears. At this point in the cycle, the hormone is responsible for fertilization - it prepares the endometrium to welcome the fertilized egg. In addition, it plays a very important role in maintaining pregnancy. Basal temperature after ovulation, with a positive result, remains in the range of 37.0 - 37.5 0 C. Similar indicators are observed during the second cycle and during the entire pregnancy.

If the result is positive (fertilization), the embryo moves to the uterus. After 7 days it is attached to the wall. On the graph, this action can be seen in the form of a slight decrease in temperature by a couple of tenths of a degree. This decrease occurs for only 1 day, then the indicators return to normal. This retraction has a scientific name - implantation.

However, not every girl can see such a change, since everyone’s body is individual and the reaction to the attachment of the fertilized egg is unpredictable.

The basal temperature indicator is different for everyone: in some patients, pregnancy proceeds calmly even at a temperature of 36.9 0 C. Therefore, there are simply no clear criteria for what the basal temperature should be during pregnancy. The only diagnostic indicator is the absence of a decrease in temperature after ovulation has occurred.

Fertilization and basal temperature

If fertilization has occurred, the basal temperature after ovulation increases. Also, an increase in temperature indicates the long-awaited conception even before the delay begins. Since the temperature drops before menstruation, but this does not happen during conception, this fact can be noticed when plotting a graph. To verify your assumptions, you should take a pregnancy test on the very first day of your delay.
Despite such arguments, gynecologists do not recommend relying on BT to confirm conception. A high basal temperature after ovulation may indicate gynecological problems and infectious diseases.

Plotting a graph

To build a measurement schedule, you need to record the thermometer readings every day in the morning. Electronic devices have a number of advantages: their indicators are more accurate, and they produce the finished result much faster.

If there are factors during measurement that affect the readings, this must be recorded in a separate column. Such actions are necessary for a more accurate analysis.

When plotting a graph, all correct readings are connected by a straight line; days with deviations are indicated by a dotted line.

In addition to the thermometer indicators, women who approach pregnancy planning with full responsibility create another column. It records the discharge, its consistency, color and volume.

Ovulation line on the chart

When the basal temperature chart during ovulation is carried out in accordance with all recommendations, then you can easily monitor the characteristics of the female body and a number of concomitant diseases. For a woman wishing to become pregnant, determining basal temperature is necessary to determine the favorable moment of fertilization. During this very period, this indicator will have a low value.

After the long-awaited day, the temperature will rise for three days. The difference between the values ​​should be no more than 0.1 0 C for two days out of three, or not less than 0.2 0 C for one day out of two.

If everything is done correctly, it will not be difficult for a woman to draw the ovulation line. It is this point that is important when constructing a schedule, since on a certain day + 2 “spare” days there is a high probability of conception.

Temperature difference on the graph

The difference between the average values ​​of the two phases should be less than 0.4 0 C. If the basal temperature is lower, this indicates hormonal problems in the female body. To confirm the suspected diagnosis, it is necessary to take tests for progesterone and estrogen.

The temperature will be higher when a woman has an increased amount of progesterone in her blood (7.6 - 12.7 nmol/l). It is possible that increased temperature will be observed in the second phase of the cycle.

The day when there is a sharp change in temperature is considered by gynecologists to be the most suitable for conceiving a child. The day before the bubble bursts, the BZ on the chart noticeably decreases. From the moment the ovarian wall breaks through, it increases noticeably. Here many people are concerned about what the basal temperature should be during ovulation? The thermometer during this period and for another 4 days will show about 37 0 C.

If fertilization has occurred, then the basal temperature after ovulation remains between 37.3 and 37.5 0 C.

It is important to note that if the basal temperature is normal and there is no ovulation, the patient may be diagnosed with “Nonovulating Follicle Luteinization Syndrome” upon examination and certain tests.

Fever

The temperature measurement schedule is divided into 2 phases. The division occurs at the place where the ovulation line passes on the graph. Phase 1 is located in front of it, the second, naturally, after it.

During the first cycle, a predominance of a hormone such as estrogen is observed. It affects the basal temperature before ovulation occurs, so it will be between 36.2 and 36.5 0 C. If the figure is higher, then most likely there is a shortage of this hormone in the female body. As a rule, the temperature is 36.5 and 36.8 0 C. To compensate for the lack of estrogen, the doctor prescribes a special remedy.

Reduced temperature

During the second phase of the cycle, the basal temperature changes significantly - by four tenths of a degree. When the measurement is carried out rectally, the temperature reaches 37.0 0 C, sometimes more. In a situation where the difference is less than 0.4 0 C, there is a possibility that negative processes are occurring in the female body. You should see a specialist.

However, some exceptions are possible here too. Due to the fact that each woman’s body is individual, therefore, the temperature at any phase may differ slightly. Therefore, doctors advise keeping a schedule of at least three menstrual cycles.

Basal temperature in numbers

To summarize all the above data and easily remember important indicators, just use a short but understandable list:

• From the first to the last day of menstruation, the temperature is 37 0 C.
• After 4 days it drops to 36.5 - 36.8 0 C.
• Before the rupture of the bladder, a slight decrease of 0.1 - 0.2 0 C is observed, after which a sharp increase occurs, which indicates the release of the egg from the ovary.
• In the second phase, the basal temperature rises to 37.1 - 37.3 0 This temperature lasts no more than 4 days.
• A few days before this, there is a sharp drop within 36.8 0 C.
• With the onset of a new cycle, everything repeats in the same way.

Basal temperature is the body temperature at rest, when it is possible to calculate the state of the gonads and the system as a whole. It shows the lowest temperature readings, which are observed only at rest. This helps many women understand what phase they are in. Correct measurements and schedule during the cycle help determine the period of ovulation when you can conceive a child or, conversely, have unprotected sex without consequences.

There are three successive phases of the menstrual cycle:

1. Follicular.
2. Ovulation.
3. Luteal.

At each stage there is a different level of hormones, which is reflected in the basal temperature. To obtain accurate data, it is necessary to take accurate measurements in the rectum, vaginal or.

Measuring rules

The main rules of measurement, which are noted on the website, are as follows:

1. Take your temperature no more than 30-60 minutes after waking up.
2. The duration of sleep before measurements should be at least 3 hours. A shorter rest period may skew the results.
3. Take measurements at the same time.
4. Take your temperature while lying down, do not sit down.

If you take the temperature later, you may make a mistake. Notes should be made in the records at what time the measurements were taken. Every hour the temperature increases by 0.1 degrees.

The same thermometer should be used throughout the entire cycle to obtain more accurate data. It is better to use a digital thermometer that makes a sound when the measurement is completed. However, when using a mercury thermometer, you should hold it for 5 minutes. At the same time, it is not advisable to rise or move suddenly.

It is better to take measurements throughout the month, including monthly days, in order to create a schedule.

BT schedule

The basal temperature (BT) chart is drawn from the beginning of the last to the beginning of the new menstruation and then a new one is drawn. The dividing line is the period of ovulation, when the egg is released from the ovary. She divides the stages into before and after. Ovulation occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle - on days 12-16.

The average cycle length is 28 days. This is the period from the start of bleeding of the previous menstruation to the first day of bleeding of the next. In some cases, this period increases to 35 days. Sometimes the last point in the BT chart is 21 days.

What does the BT chart show?

1. Days of ovulation, which allows you to determine when to conceive.
2. Causes of infertility that only a doctor can identify.
3. Causes of delayed or supposed menstrual flow.
4. Identify sexually transmitted diseases, such as endometritis.

First phase

The follicular first phase is also called hypothermic, while the luteal phase is hyperthermic. From the names it becomes clear that in the first period the body temperature is slightly lower, and in the second – increased. In the follicular phase, a follicle is formed in which the egg matures. Estrogen is produced by the ovaries. The normal temperature during this period is up to 37°C. This is favorable for pregnancy.

Elevated temperatures during this period become the reasons why conception does not occur. If in the first phase the temperature remains at 37 degrees, and the basal temperature on the 17th day reaches 37.5 degrees, then insemination becomes problematic, even if the sperm has penetrated the female reproductive system.

Second phase

Ovulation is difficult to detect. In the second phase, the temperature decreases, and the next day it increases by 0.4-0.5 ° C. She stays like this until her period. On average, the second phase lasts 14 days.

A decrease in basal temperature during implantation indicates the activation of estrogen - hormones that affect the temperature inside the reproductive system. This decrease occurs for several hours, and then increases again.

The duration of the luteal phase can be short - 10-12 days, which indicates its insufficiency and inability to bear a fetus. A longer phase may indicate the appearance of a cyst in the corpus luteum or the beginning of pregnancy. Only a doctor can decipher the data.

Ovulation occurs somewhere in the middle of the cycle. Sometimes it may not happen at all. Its presence is indicated by an increase in temperature.

Indicators in the first phase

In the first phase, estrogens predominate, which control the temperature of the reproductive system. Normal values ​​are 36.2-36.5°C. If during this period the temperature rises to 36.5-36.8 ° C, then this indicates insufficient estrogen levels. In this case, gynecologists prescribe hormone therapy.

If the increase in temperature during the follicular period occurred within one day, then you should not worry. No pathologies can occur during such a period. Deviations should be judged not by a single indicator, but by the entire schedule, which is drawn up many times.

Indicators in the second phase

The second phase can also be marked by high temperatures. This indicates estrogen deficiency. After the egg leaves the follicle, the temperature rises to 37°C or more, which interferes with conception. The mark of 36.8 degrees is observed very rarely.

Rectal measurements exceed those in the first phase by 0.4 degrees. This is considered normal. Less significant differences indicate problems that need attention.

Every woman's body is unique. He is not required to meet clear indicators. Sometimes a high or low temperature is a feature, not a disease. Measurement methods should also be taken into account. Differences of 0.2 degrees are quite normal.

Impact factors

It is necessary to take into account factors influencing BT indicators. They are:

• Drinking alcohol.
• Sexual relations before dawn or at night.
• Inflammation in the leg area.
• Stress.
• Various diseases.
• Sleeping with a heating pad under an electric blanket.

These factors should be noted in your notebook where you keep your BT chart. Gynecologists advise taking daily measurements for at least 3 months, which will help identify more accurate data and features.

If a woman wants to more accurately determine the day of ovulation, then she should take daily measurements and write them down in a notebook for six months, or better yet, a year. In this case, you should stop taking hormonal medications and the contraceptive device. Only the use of a condom is allowed.

Rising temperature as an indicator of pregnancy

All manipulations are done for the sake of conception. A rising temperature may be an indicator that pregnancy has begun. This becomes clear when, from the moment of ovulation until the onset of menstruation (when they should begin), a high temperature is noted. It rises to 37°C or more and does not subside. This indicator becomes unambiguous if such a high temperature is noted in the period before the onset of menstruation and its delay.

In the second phase, BT can also be high in the absence of pregnancy. It rises to 37 degrees and above and stays there. Its decrease occurs the day before the start of menstruation. Accordingly, if there is a delay and BT is high, then we can talk about pregnancy. Therefore, you should focus not only on pregnancy tests, but also on internal temperature indicators.

Gynecologists recommend waiting for a delay so that breast disease and high temperature before menstruation are not misleading. These factors are normal before normal menstruation. However, a delay in combination with such symptoms may already indicate the beginning of pregnancy.

Temperature changes during other processes

You should listen to your body. A situation may arise when a change in temperature indicates other processes, for example, a miscarriage. In this case, menstruation is scanty and BT is high. You should take a pregnancy test and visit a gynecologist.

An increase in basal temperature on the 22nd day and its absence before or on the first day of menstruation may be an individual feature or indicate inflammatory processes in the body.

If BT drops on day 25, then this indicates upcoming menstruation. Everything in a woman’s body happens normally.

Forecast

Basal temperature, of course, can help a woman determine the days of ovulation and even find out in advance that she is pregnant, but such indicators are not always unambiguous. The prognosis largely depends on a combination of many factors, not just resting body temperature.

The individual characteristics of the body should be taken into account. You can find out about them if you keep a BT chart for several months. Based on the indicators, it will become clear what is inherent in a particular female body at each phase and before menstruation. Also, you should not prematurely rejoice in pregnancy if BT is high before the onset of menstruation.

Various factors affect a woman's body. The seasonality of the year should be taken into account, which also affects the state of general health. After taking measurements for six months or a year, we can draw some conclusions. It is better to review the schedule with a gynecologist, who takes into account many factors. This will help either conceive a child or get rid of female problems that prevent you from getting pregnant.

The concept of body temperature is known to everyone, but the default value of 36.6 is not true. The body's temperature is constantly changing. This is influenced by both various processes inside the human body and external factors. And although such fluctuations are invisible, they make it possible to judge the state of women's health.

Basal temperature and ovulation determination

The human body temperature is not only normal, which is measured under the armpit, but also basal, obtained after a long sleep. Unlike the first, it is always lower, but it gives more opportunities to understand the processes occurring in the body, including finding out on what day the probability of conceiving a child is highest.

A woman's hormonal background is not constant. In this case, the main roles are assigned to estrogen and progesterone. They alternately replace each other depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle. These changes are reflected in body temperature, which makes it possible to use a thermometer to determine when ovulation occurs.

At the beginning of the cycle, estrogen predominates, but after ovulation it gives way to progesterone.

Table: relationship between basal temperature and cycle phases

The value of basal temperature indicators

You can measure basal temperature on the recommendation of a gynecologist or at your own request. This data is required for:

• obtaining information about the state of women's health. Deviations in basal temperature from the norm indicate hormonal disorders, help make a diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment;
• protection from pregnancy. Knowing on which days the probability of conceiving a baby is maximum, a woman, by regulating her sex life, can protect herself from undesirable consequences;
• planning the gender of the child. This becomes possible due to the distinctive features between sperm that carry male (XY) or female (XX) gender. The former are characterized by increased activity, but die faster, while the latter are better adapted to survival, but move more slowly towards the goal. Therefore, those who want a son need to have sex on the day of ovulation. If a couple dreams of a girl, intimacy is recommended 2–3 days before the follicle ruptures and the egg leaves it;
• determining pregnancy in the earliest stages.

The values ​​of basal temperature are influenced by various circumstances:

• stress and lack of sleep;
• changing your usual daily routine;
• sex the day before;
• various diseases (both chronic and acute), including ARVI, even if it is not accompanied by fever;
• drinking alcoholic beverages;
• travel, flights, change of time zone or climate;
• problems with the gastrointestinal tract, in particular diarrhea, which is associated with the method of measuring basal temperature;
• taking medications.

If one of the listed factors occurs, then there is no need to talk about the accuracy of the data obtained after measurement. But this does not mean that you need to abandon the determination of basal temperature. External circumstances are necessarily recorded in the diary, and then taken into account when deciphering the schedule.

Temperature change and plotting

Measurements are taken immediately after sleep. To do this, you need to prepare a thermometer in advance, because getting out of bed is prohibited. Moreover, it should also be knocked down in the evening, because even such a slight effort will affect the obtained value, and then the result will be inaccurate and the conclusions will be erroneous.

Basal temperature is measured only in the anus. In some sources you can read that this indicator is also determined in the vagina and mouth, but the data obtained in this way will not be 100% reliable.

It is recommended to write down the obtained basal temperature readings immediately so as not to forget

After receiving the figure, it is entered into the measurement diary, and then a graph is built. To do this, the days of the cycle are marked horizontally, and the temperature vertically. After transferring all the indicators onto paper, they are connected by a curved line.

It is worth noting that the graph itself does not say much about the woman. To interpret it correctly, it is necessary to carry out measurements regularly, from month to month. Then, by analyzing the data obtained, it is possible to judge with high accuracy how well the reproductive system of the fair sex functions.

Table: example of a diary to keep when measuring basal temperature

Thermometer readings are normal

1–3 days before menstruation, basal temperature decreases noticeably

Video: basal temperature chart - assistant in conception

Low or high basal temperature: reasons, what to do

The female body does not always work like a clock. Hormonal imbalances, inflammatory diseases and other health problems are reflected in basal temperature. A decrease in basal temperature usually occurs with progesterone deficiency. Doctors talk about this condition even when the difference on the thermometer before and after ovulation is less than 0.4 degrees. The pathology is accompanied by:

• painful periods;
• increased abundance of discharge;
• changing the cycle length;
• anemia;
• decreased sexual desire.

With progesterone deficiency, the level of basal temperature in the second phase of the cycle is lower than normal

If there is a low level of estrogen in the body, then this is reflected accordingly on the graph: the level of basal temperature is constantly kept at a high level. This affects the well-being and general condition of a woman who complains of:

• headache;
• sweating;
• pressure changes;
• irritability;
• untimely menstruation.

With estrogen deficiency, the level of basal temperature constantly remains at a high level

Deviation of hormone levels from the norm requires the prescription of hormonal drugs. At the same time, it is necessary to reconsider the diet and lifestyle, adjust the menu, make sure to find time every day for physical activity, but at the same time avoid excessive stress, give up bad habits, and focus on treating concomitant diseases. Herbs are often used to regulate hormonal balance. But only a doctor should select treatment, because the effect on hormonal levels will affect the entire body.

Basal temperature in inflammatory processes and various diseases

The inflammatory process always entails an increase in basal temperature. At the same time, the indicator is influenced by both general and chronic diseases, and problems with the female genital organs. Endometriosis, uterine fibroids, inflammation of the appendages, cysts, thrush and other disorders in the pelvic organs necessarily affect the numbers displayed on the thermometer. But how much the temperature will change depends on the nature of the disease: acute pathologies will lead to a significant jump in temperature, and chronic, sluggish processes can only be recognized by an experienced specialist.

Basal temperature will also increase in diseases not related to the reproductive system. Appendicitis, hemorrhoids, cystitis, viral and bacterial infections affect the readings of the thermometer, so when drawing up and reading the chart, you need to take into account all existing factors.

It is useful for every girl who is planning a pregnancy to know how to keep a basal temperature (BT) chart. This is not difficult, but the process requires a lot of patience, because you will have to mark your BT every day for at least two to three months. It is better to analyze the resulting graphs together with a gynecologist. However, using this method, even without a doctor, you can learn a lot about your health and ability to conceive. Our article, written together with an obstetrician-gynecologist, will help you with this.

What is basal temperature

Basal temperature and body temperature are not the same thing. BT is measured not in the armpit, but in the vagina, mouth or (most often) in the anus. This is not the temperature of the surface of the body, but the temperature of the internal organs. Basal temperature changes noticeably even with slight changes in the level of some female hormones.

Body temperature depends little on the day of the monthly cycle, but BT changes noticeably when changing phases of the cycle. That is why obstetricians-gynecologists and women themselves have been drawing up BT charts for several decades to find out how the reproductive system works.

The method was invented in the 50s of the 20th century in Great Britain. Professor Marshall discovered that the hormone progesterone (one of the main hormones of the female reproductive system) can significantly influence the temperature of the female body. Basal temperature can be used to fairly accurately determine fluctuations in hormone levels. And since the amount of progesterone changes throughout the cycle, using the BT schedule you can understand at home how the ovaries work.

BT will even help tell you whether conception has occurred. Of course, you will receive a clear answer to this question only after a delay with the help of special tests or analyses. But the chart will tell you that pregnancy is not excluded.

However, you should not think that a “thermometer in the butt” is a mandatory part of the program for all women who want to get pregnant. Not at all. When planning a pregnancy, measuring your basal temperature is completely optional. It is much more important to undergo at least a minimal medical examination by a gynecologist and therapist - tests for infections, levels of major sex hormones, a general blood test, etc.

But there are situations when the method of measuring basal temperature will be really useful:

1. If you fail to get pregnant within 6-12 months. If the “experience” is less, there is absolutely nothing to worry about yet. You just have to keep trying. If it is more, we can already talk about infertility, and you need to undergo a serious examination by a doctor. But in this time period, the chart will help you navigate when ovulation occurs (and specifically “work” on a future pregnancy on these days). BT will also help you make sure that your reproductive system is working correctly.
2. If your doctor recommended that you measure your BT. This method is not the main one in diagnosis, but as an auxiliary method it has been used for a long time and successfully. For example, it will help your doctor figure out whether your dominant follicle is maturing and whether you are ovulating. However, as a rule, the doctor asks the patient to supplement the BBT measurement with ovulation tests. And keep in mind that no doctor has the right to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment only on the basis of BT charts! This is an additional research method, but nothing more;
3. If you are in a hurry to get pregnant and want to know exactly when your fertile days are.

Should I trust this method?

Let’s make a reservation right away: many modern doctors consider this method outdated. Just 10 years ago, scheduling BT was a mandatory part of the examination of patients who had difficulty conceiving.

Now a number of doctors have abandoned this study in favor of other - more accurate and less painstaking - methods. For example, (special ultrasound) and ovulation tests.

Indeed, in some situations the BT chart will be inaccurate and may be misleading:

• If you measure the temperature incorrectly;
• If you measure BT for only one month. The only graph is uninformative. It is necessary to carry out measurements at least three cycles in a row;
• If you have a chronic or acute disease (not necessarily related to gynecology);
• if you have hypo- or hyperthyroidism (thyroid disease);
• You are taking sedatives or hormonal medications

and in some other situations.

However, if done correctly, BT can still serve as a free but valuable diagnostic tool.

Of course, you yourself should not make any diagnoses or take medications based on the BT schedule. This is an inaccurate method, and self-medication is unacceptable!

How to measure basal temperature correctly

There are three main ways to measure basal temperature:

• in the mouth (orally);
• in the vagina (vaginally);
• in the anus (rectally).

Each of them has its pros and cons, while the third method is considered the classic and most accurate. Refrain from experiments: if you start measuring in your mouth, continue until the end of the cycle. In the next cycle, if the measurement method seems inconvenient, it can be changed.

You can measure basal temperature with either a regular (mercury) thermometer or an electronic thermometer, but it must be of high quality and accurate. After all, if you have, for example, a sore throat, then it doesn’t really matter what your temperature is - 38.6 or 38.9. But when measuring BT, every tenth of a degree carries a lot of meaning. The mercury thermometer is held for 6-7 minutes, the electronic one - until the signal is given, plus 2-3 minutes, this will be more accurate. You should not change the thermometer during one cycle. For hygiene reasons, the thermometer should be wiped with alcohol after measurement.

BT is measured early in the morning immediately after waking up, without getting out of bed and without even moving (the thermometer must be shaken off in advance and placed on the nightstand next to the bed, but not under the pillow). It is important that you get at least three hours of uninterrupted sleep (without going to the toilet or getting water) before waking up.

The main rule for measuring basal temperature is to keep the thermometer in a lying position, in a relaxed state, almost half asleep, without moving. Write down the result (graph) immediately - it’s easy to forget.

If you couldn’t measure it in the morning, there’s no point in doing it in the afternoon. After all, during the day the basal temperature is unstable, it jumps depending on the emotional state, physical activity, food, etc.

Why does the schedule go wrong?

Some conditions can affect your basal temperature and make the chart unreliable. Continue measuring BT, but note those days when the following circumstances were in effect:

• ARVI or other viral and bacterial diseases with fever;
• taking certain medications, such as hormonal or sedatives. When taking oral contraceptives, ovulation is suppressed, so measuring BBT is generally pointless;
• injuries, surgical interventions, including minor ones (for example, you had a tooth pulled out);
• stress, insomnia;
• drinking alcohol;
• indigestion;
• moving, flying, especially with a change in time zones;
• sexual intercourse

When analyzing the graph, you need to make adjustments for these factors.

How to build a graph

To plot your basal temperature chart, click on this template and save it to your computer (and fill it out right there) or print it.

Click to enlarge the template. Download it to your computer and fill it out right there. Or print and fill out by hand.

The numbers in the top column are the days of the menstrual cycle (not to be confused with the days of the month). Every day after measuring your temperature, put a dot in the appropriate box. To create a graph, at the end of the cycle, connect the points sequentially with a line.

After the graph is completed, you need to draw a closing line. To do this, you need to look at the temperature values ​​on days 6 to 12. A line is drawn above them. This line is a service line, it is needed only for clarity.

Below, in the empty field, you can make notes. For example, “from 12 to 15 dc - a tooth hurt, the temperature rose.” “Day 18 of the cycle is very stressful.”

What should be a normal basal temperature?

Normally, basal temperature changes throughout the entire cycle, and the graph turns out to be two-phase.

The duration of the cycle and the length of each phase are different for each woman, so we give approximate, indicative figures.

During menstruation, BT is usually 36.7-37 degrees. When the bleeding stops, the temperature drops slightly. In the first phase of the monthly cycle (from 1 to 10-15 days), a woman has high levels of estrogen and low levels of progesterone. Immediately after menstruation, the normal basal temperature is low. In a healthy woman it rarely rises above 36.6.

Before ovulation it may decrease slightly. And after ovulation it rises to 37 and above. The difference between the phases is 0.4-0.8 degrees.

Normally, basal temperature may drop slightly before your period. If this does not happen, this may indicate both individual characteristics and a possible pregnancy.

Here is an example of a basal temperature chart.

If your graph is similar to the one in the picture, then most likely you are ovulating and your ovaries are working correctly. If there are deviations, if there is no clear rise in temperature in the second phase of the cycle, this may indicate (although not necessarily) some hormonal problems.

How to determine ovulation on a schedule

By how the basal temperature changes, you can calculate ovulation - that important moment when the egg is released from the ovary and fertilization is possible. A normal basal temperature chart involves fairly sharp fluctuations. Before ovulation, BT decreases slightly, and then, during ovulation, it rises quite sharply. On the graph, at least three points in a row must be above the covering line. The ovulation line is drawn vertically - it separates low temperatures from high ones.

If, for example, BT was 36.5, and then the basal temperature was 37, then this means that ovulation occurred. If you are planning to conceive, you should have sex two days before, during, and two days after ovulation.

But keep in mind that you should not use this information as a method of contraception. The “dangerous days” method is extremely unreliable. It gives a high percentage of spontaneous pregnancies. If you use contraception only on “dangerous days,” be prepared for the fact that you will become pregnant within a year with a probability of 10-40 percent (this variation is due to the fact that the risk was analyzed using different methods).

The unreliability of the “dangerous days” method is due to the fact that viable sperm can “survive” in the female genital tract for several days. And wait for the ovulated egg. In addition, the method of measuring basal temperature cannot determine ovulation with one hundred percent accuracy.

BT for various pathologies

Basal temperature can tell you whether a woman is healthy and even help with making a specific diagnosis.

We publish examples of basal temperature charts with explanations.

Anovulatory cycle

If the graph is monotonous, if there is no rise in temperature in the second phase, we can talk about the absence of ovulation and that this cycle and. That is, the dominant follicle does not mature or matures, but for some reason does not burst. Accordingly, a mature egg is not released, and conception cannot occur in this cycle. Normally, each woman has from 2 to 6 anovulatory cycles per year (the older the woman, the more there are). But if such a picture is observed for several months in a row, this may be a source of problems with conception. We need to see a doctor.

Estrogen-progesterone deficiency

If there is a rise in temperature, but it is small (01-0.3 degrees), this may indicate a deficiency in the corpus luteum phase (estrogen-progesterone deficiency). In this situation, ovulation occurs, fertilization may even occur, but the level of hormones is insufficient to support pregnancy. This condition is corrected with hormonal medications (they must be prescribed by a doctor).

Short second phase

(after ovulation) is normally 12-16 days. If it is shorter than 10 days, this may indicate a failure of the second phase. A ovulated egg, even if fertilized, will not be able to penetrate the endometrium, and pregnancy will not occur. In this case, deciphering the basal temperature chart will not be difficult: pregnancy is problematic. See your doctor.

The duration of the first phase is not so important: it depends on the individual characteristics of the woman and has little effect on the ability to conceive.

Estrogen deficiency

If BT is high in the first phase (36.7-37 degrees), this may mean that you lack estrogen - important female hormones. If this condition is confirmed by tests, then it needs to be corrected with special medications.

Inflammation

Also, high temperature in the first phase can be triggered by inflammation of the appendages or other gynecological inflammatory diseases.

Signs of an inflammatory disease

Attention: these graphs can only suggest problems! This is not a diagnosis or a reason to take medication.

What abnormalities should you report to your doctor?

monotonous graphs, when the temperature is higher or lower than 37 throughout the entire cycle, with temperature differences being less than 0.4 degrees;

• too short monthly cycle (21 days or less);
• the monthly cycle is too long (more than 36 days);
• if there is no clear ovulation on the chart, and this picture is observed for several cycles in a row;
• if sharp, unsystematic jumps in BT are observed during the cycle. However, this condition can be explained by various external and internal factors that affect temperature (alcohol intake, stress, somatic diseases, etc.);
• if the schedule is normal, but the desired pregnancy does not occur within 12 months.

BT during pregnancy

If at the very end of the cycle the temperature does not decrease, but remains high (37 degrees or above), there is a chance that you are pregnant. Normally, it will remain at a level of 37-37.5 throughout the first trimester. A sharp decrease may be random, or may indicate complications during pregnancy. There is no need to panic, but it is better to contact your gynecologist.