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Basal Body Temperature and Fertility
Your basal body temperature is what you actually plot on the graph while charting your fertility. Each morning before getting out of bed you take your temperature.
Does that sound like a pain? I promise you it's not! After a few mornings you'll be so used to it you'll hardly even notice.
My alarm goes off every morning and I pop the thermometer into my mouth and doze a bit until it beeps at me. Then the fun starts and I get to face the day!
You use a special thermometer called a basal body temperature thermometer - it displays tiny increases (.4-.6 of a degree) in your basal (base) body temperature. These increases occur because of rising progesterone in your body. Progesterone is a hormone that helps sustain pregnancy. The amount of it in your body rises just after ovulation.
The upward movement of your temperature, called a thermal shift, indicates that ovulation has occurred. As you're charting basal body temperature every day you'll be able to see a pattern. Matched up with other fertility signals you'll be able to learn how to determine when you're most fertile every month.
Take your temperature in the morning before you do anything. Have your thermometer right beside your bed. Take it before getting up to do anything - even go to the bathroom! You should take your temp at the same time each morning and after you've had a solid 3 hour block of sleep. I've found it easy to consistent by taking my temp as soon as my alarm goes off in the mornings.
If you don't get that much sleep (like if you get up with a child) try to time your temperature for about the same time each morning after your most solid block of sleep. I've found the book with the clearest rules on sleeping and basal body temperature to be Honoring Our Cycles
What if you've been charting basal body temperature a couple of cycles and you haven't noticed a temperature shift? This is a big clue that you're not ovulating and it's a great starting point for you.
Take your charts to your doctor or midwife and start looking into why you're not ovulating. You'll also want to talk to your doc or midwife if you notice that your temperatures are consistently low (under 97.6) - this could indicate thyroid issues which can influence fertility.
Taking Charge of Your Fertility
At some point during the day record your temperature on your graph, or plot it into your computer. Here's a screenshot of one of my cycles (click it to see it full size). I use Ovusoft, a computer charting program. It makes charting super easy for me.
I've also provided a free chart for you to print and use if you're a paper and pencil kind of gal! If you're interested in a digital charting solution (with a one time fee, unlike many others) I highly recommend Ovusoft (read my review of Ovusoft) - use it along with Taking Charge of Your Fertility to avoid and plan pregnancies naturally.
