home Health Technique for measuring basal temperature: updating your skills. Rules for measuring basal temperature When is it better to measure basal temperature

Technique for measuring basal temperature: updating your skills. Rules for measuring basal temperature When is it better to measure basal temperature

An important indicator of the normal functioning of the female reproductive system is basal body temperature. With its help, the onset of ovulation and pregnancy is determined, and health problems are identified. How to measure basal temperature correctly - details in this article.

How to measure basal temperature correctly

The basic rules that must be followed when measuring basal temperature include the following points:

Of course, you can start measuring your temperature on any day, but it’s still better to start doing this with the onset of the first day of your menstrual cycle.
The temperature must be measured in one place: vaginally, rectally, orally. You need to choose one of these methods since measuring the temperature under the armpit will not give an accurate result. Throughout the entire cycle, it is very important not to change the location of the temperature change.
If you choose the oral method, then you need to place a thermometer under your tongue and measure the temperature for five minutes, while you need to completely close your mouth. If you choose the rectal or vaginal method, then the temperature measurement time can be reduced to three minutes.
The temperature must be measured in the morning, before you get out of bed. In this case, you should sleep at least six hours for a more accurate result.
The temperature must be measured at the same time, but if the deviation in time exceeds 30 minutes, then this result cannot be considered correct. This temperature will not be taken into account in the chart.
You can use any thermometer of your choice to measure your basal temperature, but you should not change it throughout your cycle.
If you choose a mercury thermometer, then knock it down immediately after measuring or before going to bed, as if you put effort into it in the morning, this can significantly affect the result obtained.
Basal temperature can be affected by stress, anxiety, taking medications, long flights, and so on.

BT is determined immediately after waking up after several hours of rest, without getting out of bed or making sudden movements. You should have a mercury thermometer on hand so that you can easily reach it. An electronic thermometer does not give such accurate indicators, and drawing a graph requires accuracy. Temperature measurements are taken every day at the same time of day for several months.

Basal temperature is measured orally, rectally or vaginally. Measuring temperature through the anus is most preferable, as it provides more reliable information. BT is always measured in the same way in order to be able to build an accurate graph.

Before measuring basal body temperature, you must stop drinking alcohol and avoid overwork and stress. Insomnia, hormonal medications, colds, fatigue, sexual intercourse several hours before measuring BT - all this can affect basal body temperature. With such factors, there will be no temperature peaks on the graph, since hormones give even readings throughout the entire cycle.

We record the BT readings

Start measuring BT from the beginning of menstruation. Measurements are recorded daily, indicating the factors influencing the change in temperature (indigestion, alcohol intake, etc.), what type of discharge was that day (viscous, with blood, etc.). The results obtained will give a complete picture of what is happening when the doctor deciphers the records.

This is not difficult at all, you need to do the following:

Take a sheet of paper in a cage,
Draw the X and Y axis,
Horizontal - days of the menstrual cycle,
Vertical – temperature readings.
or use our online service and build your own basal temperature chart - convenient, understandable, practical

The thermometer is held in the anus for an average of about 5 minutes. Mark a temperature point on the graph every day. Then all the points are connected by a line. The doctor will have a more accurate idea of the processes occurring in the female reproductive system if he builds a graph over several monthly cycles, at least three.

BT and the menstrual cycle

To measure BT, strict adherence to time is required; it is advisable to measure it at the same hour, and even during menstruation. On “these days” temperature indicators are purely individual. There are, of course, average temperatures, we will take them as the norm: the normal temperature during menstruation is 37.0, and at the end it drops to approximately 36.4. This is due to changes in hormonal levels.

In the middle of the menstrual cycle, before the upcoming ovulation, the temperature on average ranges from 36.4 to 36.6 degrees. As soon as a mature egg is released from the ovary, the basal temperature rises by half a degree. Such a jump in the graph will indicate that ovulation has occurred.

The other half of the cycle is characterized by a slight rise in temperature, to about 37.2 degrees. Before menstruation there is a decline (up to 0.3), this indicates the approach of critical days.

Rules for measuring basal temperature

If your goal when constructing a BBT chart is to determine the exact date of conception, then you need to learn how to analyze the chart. If the temperature does not decrease before the upcoming menstruation, this may indicate pregnancy. For some women, the graphs do not show rises and jumps in temperature at all - this most likely indicates that there is no ovulation, and infertility can be assumed.

If during a missed period the temperature is far from normal and is low, then most likely a miscarriage occurred before the missed period. If the temperature increases during menstruation, this indicates inflammatory processes in the female genital area.

Every woman who cares about women's health should know how to measure basal body temperature. This simple procedure, of course, requires a little effort and a little time, but you will always have accurate data about the functioning of your reproductive system.

Measuring basal temperature (BT) is a cheap and accessible method for every woman to calculate and determine pregnancy. Basal temperature is your body temperature at rest: that is, when you are absolutely calm, both emotionally and physically.

In what cases can BT measurement be useful?

If you are planning a pregnancy and want to calculate the days of ovulation

If you have an irregular menstrual cycle

In what cases is BT measurement useless?

Measuring basal temperature does not make sense in the following situations:

What is the normal basal temperature when taking birth control pills?

In women taking the drug, the level of basal temperature is set by the tablets themselves. Since a woman takes birth control pills every day for a month, the level of hormones in her blood remains approximately the same throughout the entire cycle. In this regard, the basal temperature is maintained at the same level, and the basal temperature graph looks like an irregular curve. Basal temperature may fluctuate, but it does not have peaks (characteristic of ovulation) or pronounced rises.

After stopping taking oral contraceptives, the basal temperature chart restores its normal shape.

In progress preparation for motherhood, women use many ways to define. One of them includes studies of basal body temperature. For convenience, this phrase has been abbreviated as BT.

What is basal temperature?

The body temperature, provided it is in a calm state, is called basal. It is measured rectally, by inserting a thermometer into the rectum. Basal temperature is considered the lowest after prolonged sleep. It is able to reflect the hormonal processes occurring in the female body. The two main functions of measurement are determining the exact day and identifying gynecological diseases.

Some women use information obtained through research for contraception. This method can hardly be called error-free. The probability of conception in this case is quite high. The method of measuring rectal temperature brings much more benefit

REFERENCE! In the process of measuring BT, it is important to follow the established rules. Otherwise, the result will not be reliable.

How to measure to determine ovulation?

All processes occurring in reproductive system women are carried out in strict sequence. They are accompanied by characteristic signs. Exit is an essential component of successful conception. There are many methods that can be used to identify it with the greatest accuracy - a special test, ultrasound monitoring, and also using the method of measuring BT.

The result will be accurate only if there are all rules are followed. During measurement, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

Most preferred is mercury thermometer.

It is necessary to measure BT after continuous sleep lasting at least 6 hours.

Results should be recorded daily without missing a single day.

Manipulations are carried out at the same time of day.

Before measurements, you must not make any body movements. That is why the thermometer should be placed in close proximity to the bed.

Hold a thermometer in the rectum need at least 5 minutes.

Any factors that may affect the result must be indicated in the schedule (sexual intercourse, stress, medication, climate change, poor sleep).

It is better to use a separate notebook or notepad to keep a measurement schedule. Space should be allocated for additional footnotes for each day. The days of the cycle are marked horizontally. Vertical indicated measurement temperature.

Each day is marked with a dot opposite the corresponding indicator. At the end of the cycle all points are connected to each other. A graph appears that allows you to understand when it happened.

IMPORTANT! Using the BT schedule, the attending physician can determine the nature of the existing diseases.

How to determine pregnancy according to schedule?

Regularly filling out the BT schedule allows you to notice any deviations I'm in a woman's body. There are standards that the temperature must meet at certain stages of the menstrual cycle. Before the onset of menstruation, the temperature drops. If conception occurs, then the parameters remain at the same level.

Observations based on plotting help determine the presence of pregnancy even before missed period. This is especially true in cases where a woman needs to take medications. Taking some of them can negatively affect the development of the fetus.

If conception is successful, the following points will be reflected on the woman’s chart:

Implantation retraction 5–12 days after follicle rupture.

No temperature fluctuations at the end of the cycle.

The indicators will not fall below the level of implantation retraction.

REFERENCE! If there are deviations in the course of pregnancy, BT will not meet the standards.

Implantation retraction may coincide with the appearance of pinkish or bloody discharge. They often occur due to tissue injury during implantation. Signs of conception before the delay appear extremely rarely. These include mild nausea, dizziness, appetite disturbances and increased sensitivity of the mammary glands.

The information provided by the constructed measurement graphs will be more reliable, if used in conjunction with other signs. During the release period, mucous discharge appears and libido increases.

Correct basal temperature measurement makes it possible to control the processes occurring in the female body. Violations of measurement techniques lead to the fact that all manipulations become useless.

Doctors call the body, how and for what purpose it is measured, one of the most valuable for a woman who is conscious of her own health and future motherhood. Thus, the compilation method is very, very informative for those ladies for whom it is extremely important to obtain information about the hormonal changes occurring in the body, depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle, and the possibility (or impossibility) of pregnancy associated with these changes. The fact is that it is hormones that cause changes in basal body temperature in one period or another of the cycle: if the first half of it is marked by the dominance of estrogen in the body, then the second phase of the menstrual cycle occurs with an increase in the level of progesterone in the body. And this “turning point” - the transition from the “estrogen” to the “progesterone” period - is the moment: the most favorable time for successful conception and subsequent bearing of a child.

Basal body temperature: what it is and how it changes

In specialized literature, basal body temperature is the lowest body temperature in the period immediately after sleep. A woman’s basal temperature can be measured in three different ways: in the mouth, in the vagina or in the rectum. In this case, the choice of thermometer is not important - to measure temperature indicators, either a classic mercury thermometer or a supernova electronic thermometer can be used. But a prerequisite for observing all the rules for measuring basal temperature and then drawing up a temperature chart is the rule of the thermometer being unchanged: the basal temperature is always recorded exclusively by the same thermometer, because the errors of each individual thermometer are different even by 1 tenth of a degree. Accordingly, the use of different thermometers may well become the reason for drawing up an incorrect temperature graph.

Temperature readings when measuring basal temperature throughout the entire menstrual cycle change and directly depend on hormonal fluctuations. Experts divide the menstrual cycle into 3 periods: follicular (the period of time before ovulation), ovulatory (the period when a mature egg is released from the ovary) and luteal (the period after ovulation until the onset of menstruation). In the compiled graph of basal temperature, at the same time, the menstrual period by changing the curve is divided into 2 periods: the follicular and luteal phase. The transition from one phase to another - the ovulatory period - becomes the most suitable time for conceiving a child, for which, in most cases, the mentioned schedules are drawn up.

The follicular period is characterized by the predominance of estrogens in the female body; this is a time of low temperatures: the basal temperature will now remain at 36.2-36.5 degrees. When the luteal phase begins, on the eve of the release of the egg from the ovary, the temperature drops even more, by about 0.1 degrees, and then a sharp rise in temperature follows - the active production of progesterone causes the basal temperature to increase to 37.2-37.5 degrees. Such temperature indicators will persist until the start of the next menstruation, after which a gradual decrease in basal temperature should be expected.

So, drawing up a basal temperature chart with a daily indication of temperature levels will allow you to optimally calculate the most favorable days for successful conception, as well as the days for actually safe sex. Please note that for each woman, depending on the characteristics and duration of the menstrual cycle, the duration of the follicular phase will be different. At the same time, the luteal phase always has approximately the same duration: from 10 to 14 days. For example, if the menstrual cycle is an optimal 28 days, the estrogen and progesterone dominance phases will be approximately equal. If the cycle is shortened or, conversely, longer, the estrogen dominance phase decreases or increases.

How to measure basal temperature?

In order to obtain the most accurate basal temperature chart, which will be used to navigate and calculate the chances of conception, it is necessary to strictly follow a number of specific rules. After all, even seemingly insignificant actions or interventions from outside subjective factors affect the temperature of the body. By the way, keep in mind that by monitoring your basal temperature for several months, it is also possible to determine possible hormonal problems in the body. For example, elevated temperatures in the first phase indicate a deficiency of estrogen in the body, while low temperatures in the second phase may indicate insufficient production of progesterone. But an even schedule, without any special temperature changes or sudden jumps in the schedule, can be an alarming signal of a lack of ovulation and inability to conceive. In any of the above cases, it is advisable, if possible, to consult a doctor as soon as possible and undergo diagnostics for possible hormonal disorders.

You can correctly and accurately track your basal temperature and create a correct schedule by following the written rules. So how can you measure basal temperature so that the chart you create is as informative as possible?

Basal temperature is measured exclusively after sleep, without getting out of bed and before the start of any physical activity. Temperature measurements should always take place at the same time: if you wake up at 8 am, then your temperature should be taken at the same time every day. In the case when, for example, on a weekend, waking up occurs a little later (and, accordingly, measurements are also made with a time shift), it is necessary to make a note about this state of affairs in the schedule.
The duration of continuous sleep before measuring basal temperature should be at least 4-6 hours. So, if, for example, you woke up at 6 o’clock in the morning due to a slight need, and then go to bed to get some sleep, it is better to measure the temperature immediately after waking up “with an urge”: if you wake up at 8.00 you will no longer receive accurate data. And, even after sleeping for more than 3 hours after first waking up, the data will be less accurate than those obtained a few hours earlier.
Having decided on the method of measuring temperature (orally, rectally or in the vagina), in the future it is necessary to use this method as the only one, without moving the thermometer. Otherwise, there is no need to talk about an exact schedule. You should also measure your temperature during menstruation, each time writing it down immediately after the measurements, so that you don’t forget to do it later.
Temperature readings can be influenced by the following factors: drinking alcohol the night before or at night; stressful conditions; various diseases, including those with increased body temperature; insomnia; moving or flying with climate change; taking medications; sex a few hours before waking up. Please note that it is not possible to chart your basal temperature when taking hormonal medications or contraceptives.

Basal temperature chart

Drawing up a basal temperature chart itself is actually not that difficult. For the graph you will need an ordinary checkered piece of paper, which is drawn out manually: horizontal and vertical rays are drawn from one point. The days of the menstrual cycle are marked on the horizontal beam, and degrees are recorded on the vertical beam, with the calculation of 1 cell = 0.1 degrees. Every morning, when measuring your basal temperature, you should immediately make a corresponding note in the chart, marking the indicators with a dot.

For maximum reliability, it is better to draw up a schedule for no less than 3 cycles. And after that, you can study the dynamics of the curve by determining the day of ovulation.

The most common way for us to measure temperature is in the armpit. But not everyone knows that this value does not characterize the true body temperature.

During the day, the human body is exposed to many factors that can cause temporary temperature fluctuations. Therefore, the most informative is body temperature at rest, which is otherwise called basal temperature. It is measured rectally (in the rectum).

During the menstrual cycle they are cyclical and depend on the level of female sex hormones. If daily measurements are plotted on a graph, a defined curve will be obtained at the end of the cycle.

Based on the analysis of this curve, the doctor will be able to make an assumption about the patient’s fertility or identify some hidden diseases.

But most importantly, basal temperature measurements are often taken to determine pregnancy.

Daily monitoring of basal temperature allows you to identify:

egg maturation;
favorable and unfavorable times for conception;
time of onset of menstruation;
hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle;
some gynecological diseases.

Indicative only if at least 3 menstrual cycles are carried out, and measurements are carried out in compliance with certain conditions.

Which thermometer to choose: conditions for correct BT measurements

To measure basal temperature you need to use a separate thermometer.

It is best to use a regular mercury thermometer, since the data from other types of thermometers are less accurate.

It must be prepared in advance, placed on the bedside table.

The thermometer should be positioned so that you can take it in the morning without getting out of bed.

The data from the previous measurement must be reset in the evening, because in the morning this will lead to unnecessary hand movements. This may negatively affect the accuracy of the measurement. After use, the thermometer must be wiped thoroughly.

Daily measurements should be carried out using the same thermometer.

If for some reason the thermometer was replaced by another, a special note must be made about this in the table with the results.

Rules for taking measurements

In order to provide reliable information to the doctor, it is important to know how to correctly measure basal temperature at home.

Any deviation from them can have an impact on what numbers the woman ultimately sees on the thermometer. Even tenths of a degree matter, so for accurate diagnosis it is necessary to approach the measurement process as responsibly as possible.

When measuring basal temperature daily, the following rules should be strictly followed:

the procedure is performed every morning at the same time (the permissible error is no more than half an hour);
measurements begin on the first day of the menstrual cycle;
It is best to measure basal temperature with a regular thermometer;
the thermometer is inserted into the anus to a depth of 3-4 cm immediately after waking up;
you cannot get out of bed, roll over, sit up, or engage in any other activity;
the body must be at rest for at least 6 hours before starting the measurement;
The duration of the thermometer in the rectum is at least 5 minutes.

Basal temperature cannot be measured during the day or evening. In this case, the data will be uninformative.

The resulting value must be immediately entered into a special table. It should contain columns indicating the date, day of the cycle, temperature values, the nature of daily discharge (heavy, scanty, transparent, and so on).

Based on the table data, a graph of changes in basal temperature is built. The days of the cycle are marked on the horizontal axis of the graph, and the measurement results are marked on the vertical axis.

It can be done manually - on a lined sheet of paper, or you can install a special application that will generate the curve yourself.

Factors affecting the reliability of the results

Uncharacteristic fluctuations in basal temperature are possible in the following cases:

taking a significant dose of alcohol the day before;
use of hormonal contraceptives or intrauterine device;
sexual intercourse less than 6 hours before measurement;
taking medications (sedatives, sleeping pills, hormonal drugs). For example, when taking or may be lower or, conversely, higher than normal. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the body.
insufficient duration of night sleep (less than 6 hours);
flights, stress, unusual physical activity;
diseases (flu, any infections, etc.).

Any of these factors may cause measurement error. Therefore, it is necessary to add a “Note” column to the table for entering measurement results. It needs to record all the reasons that may affect the accuracy of measurements.

The method of monitoring basal temperature is available and safe, but is not reliable enough due to possible measurement errors.

Monitoring internal body temperature is one of the additional diagnostic methods, therefore it is impossible to draw a conclusion about a woman’s health and her ability to conceive only on the basis of analysis of graphs.

To make a correct diagnosis, additional tests and examinations must be prescribed.