OverviewThe basal body temperature method — a fertility awareness-based method — is a type of natural family planning. Your basal body temperature is your temperature when you're fully at rest. Ovulation may cause a slight increase in basal body temperature. Show
You'll be most fertile during the two to three days before your temperature rises. By tracking your basal body temperature each day, you may be able to predict when you'll ovulate. This may help you determine when you're most likely to conceive. If you're hoping to get pregnant, you can use the basal body temperature method to determine the best days to have sex. Similarly, if you're hoping to avoid pregnancy, you can use the basal body temperature method to figure out which days to avoid unprotected sex. The basal body temperature method alone may not provide enough warning time to effectively prevent pregnancy. Often, people use this method in combination with other fertility awareness-based methods for avoiding pregnancy. Why it's doneBasal body temperature can be used as a way to predict fertility or as a part of a method of contraception, by helping you gauge the best days to have or avoid unprotected sex. Tracking your basal body temperature for either fertility or contraception is inexpensive and doesn't have any side effects. Some women may choose to use the basal body temperature method for religious reasons. The basal body temperature method can also be used to detect pregnancy. Following ovulation, a rise in basal body temperature that lasts for 18 or more days may be an early indicator of pregnancy. The basal body temperature method is often combined with the cervical mucus method of natural family planning, where you keep track of cervical secretions throughout the course of a menstrual cycle. You might also use an electronic fertility monitor to measure hormone levels in your urine, which can tell you which days you're fertile. This combination of approaches is sometimes referred to as the symptothermal or symptohormonal method. RisksUsing the basal body temperature method to promote fertility doesn't pose any risks. Likewise, using the basal body temperature method for birth control doesn't pose any direct risks, but it doesn't offer protection from sexually transmitted infections — and it's one of the least effective natural family planning methods. As many as 1 in 4 women — maybe even more — who use fertility awareness-based methods to prevent pregnancy will become pregnant after one year of typical use. Using the basal body temperature method along with another fertility awareness-based method for birth control may improve the method's effectiveness. But, the method requires motivation and diligence. If you don't want to conceive, you and your partner must avoid having sex or use a barrier method of contraception during your fertile days each month. How you prepareTracking your basal body temperature doesn't require special preparation. However, if you want to use the basal body temperature along with another fertility awareness-based method for birth control, consult your health care provider first if:
Keep in mind that your basal body temperature can be influenced by many factors, including:
What you can expectTo use the basal body temperature method:
Although there are numerous apps available for tracking menstrual cycles, only one is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pregnancy prevention. Natural Cycles uses an algorithm to calculate the days during your cycle when you're more likely to be fertile. The app calculates your fertile days based on daily temperature readings as well as other information you input about your menstrual cycle. Basal body temperature for natural family planning
Is basal body temperature the same as body temperature?Basal body temperature is the body's at-rest temperature. It is the lowest temperature of the human body and ranges from 97.8-98.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Basal body temperature differs from body temperature in when and where each is measured.
Can you check basal temp with a regular thermometer?The change in your body temperature is very slight, so you need to use a special thermometer to measure it. You can use a regular digital thermometer, or you can buy a basal thermometer. A basal thermometer shows you the temperature in tenths of a degree. This allows you to note tiny changes in body heat.
Is BBT higher or lower than regular temp?After you ovulate your BBT rises and generally stays high until before your period. Once your period starts, you'll notice that the temperatures drop back down to their normal pre-ovulatory temperature levels. If you're pregnant, you will not have a period and your temperatures will stay elevated.
What will your temperature be if you are pregnant?So what is a normal body temperature for a pregnant woman? “It could rise about 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit,” she says. For example, if your baseline body temperature pre-pregnancy was 98.2, your body temperature when pregnant could be 98.4. “It's super, super subtle,” says G.
What is the basal body temperature for early pregnancy?What is basal body temperature in early pregnancy? There is no specific temperature to indicate early pregnancy, but your BBT won't decrease following ovulation for 18 days or more.
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