Ovulation and basal body temperature
When We ovulate our basal temperature rises a little. We do not notice it, but we can collect this data and know when the egg has been released and thus schedule sexual relations if we are looking to achieve pregnancy. This rise clearly tells us the fertile days since just after ovulation the basal temperature will rise and we can use the temperature method to achieve pregnancy.
We tell you what is happening and how it works so that you can master the basal temperature tables and your menstrual cycle.
This rise in basal body temperature is due to the action of the hormone progesterone that the ovary will produce. So by measuring the temperature we know if we have a peak or not of this hormone and in this way we can schedule our sexual relations in case of looking for the positive. If you are not looking for pregnancy, it is still interesting to familiarize yourself with this method and thus learn more about the functioning of your body and your menstrual cycle. I must say that there are also women who use it as a contraceptive method without side effects, although the family planning technique must be mastered very well and ideally combine it with other signs such as cervical mucus and not leave it solely to the basal temperature method.
In these cases we must remember that using basal temperature as a natural contraceptive method does not prevent sexually transmitted diseases and there may also be possibilities of getting pregnant.
When to measure basal temperature
Not all moments are good. Basal temperature is lowest temperature of our body and this only occurs when sleeping after a few hours of rest. The most common thing is to take these basal temperature data right after waking up, without getting out of bed, regardless of the type of thermometer. Taking your temperature without getting out of bed is the best routine if you really want to take the most accurate basal temperature.
Temperature change
If you record your basal temperature every day, you will be able to get a graph, with this graph, you will be able to observe a moment when a peak occurs and the temperature remains high for three days or more by measuring this basal temperature every day and without fail. If you see the temperature increase, you are observing the action of your progesterone 🙂
Keep in mind that your medication basal temperature should always be done by the same thermometer, ideally always at the same time and you can detect this change in temperature sublingually, in your armpit, vaginally or rectally and it will depend on each type of thermometer.
If you are looking for pregnancy, keep in mind that the ideal is to have intercourse just before the peak or when the peak begins, so take your temperature every day of the cycle and when you practice you will have no doubt about which are your most fertile days. Remember that after ovulating, The egg is available to be fertilized at certain times. Therefore, after ovulation, two to three days later, our fertility decreases, hoping that the oocyte could have been fertilized in the tubes.
Best thermometers to know when you ovulate
You can certainly take an ordinary thermometer like the one you probably have at home to measure your basal temperature, but it is true that it is much better to purchase one that tells you your basal temperature. basal temperature to two decimal places.
Furthermore, today there are app-linked basal thermometers that already organize all the data such as fertility monitors Daysy either Trackle and they already tell you data about your menstrual cycle and ovulation very precisely, although they are much more expensive than the basic thermometers that I am going to show you here.
Since when has the basal temperature method been used to understand the menstrual cycle?
Already in 1926, the scientist Van de Velde related the activity of the corpus luteum (what the follicle transforms into after ovulation) with a slight elevation of the basal body temperature (between 0.2 and 0.5 ºC). That is, ovulation takes place on the first day of high temperature but now we know that the fertile days are prior to it, so this method is once again somewhat useful to seek conception.
Subsequent studies by Gnoth and Barbato found that ovulation takes place before the first day of elevated temperature in 62% cases, so we would be late if we used this parameter exclusively.
However, continuing to observe the temperature can be interesting to confirm, a posteriori, whether or not there is ovulation and to confirm, If positive, a possible pregnancy since a high level of temperature that is maintained for 20 days is a diagnosis of probable pregnancy. The temperature will remain high during the first three months of pregnancy.
Temperature variations that are not due to ovulation
This method is not without difficulties since body temperature is sensitive to several factors that must be taken into account: it must be taken at the same time and under similar conditions. No sleep well, drinking alcohol or eating too much or too little or it can alter the temperature slightly and mislead us. That is why it is important to have a good thermometer or application that helps us interpret any variation.
Once we know its limitations and virtues, we are going to take advantage of today's technology to make ovulation detection much simpler and more effective.
The most economical thermometers to measure basal temperature to two decimal places.
- Digital Infrared Thermometer. If you want the TOP and fastest To measure basal temperature with a digital thermometer and with more precision, there are undoubtedly infrared thermometers, non-contact, fast and mega precise. It is so precise that it does not need to be two digits. This has a super simple operation, you simply turn it on and ask the thermometer to give you the reading by pressing the button. The reading is immediate and you could see it clearly on the screen, which can be difficult with a home basal thermometer...LINK to the thermometer on amazon
- Femometer linked to an application iOS or Android and available in Spanish. You can do two things, or buy just the thermometer and manually enter the temperature in the application and it will draw the graph for you (about 10 euros). Or buy the entire pack that, apart from the thermometer, comes with the Bluetooth system and the thermometer and application are coordinated and you don't have to register anything. (about 35 euros) In any case, the same application gives you the graphs and indicates your fertile days. It is a high precision thermometer and once you get your positive it will be a good thermometer to measure fever. You can buy just the thermometer (click here) or you can buy the pack. LINK to the two-decimal thermometer with application on Amazon
- The usual one with two decimal places. Simple but effective. If what you want is a simple but effective thermometer that simply gives you two decimal places and you already coordinate the graphs yourself, either with applications or by hand, a very good option is the simple two-decimal thermometer that is in white and lilac. female. It has a very economical price. Afterwards you will also have a precision thermometer to measure fever. LINK digital thermometer two decimals on amazon
