BBT - Temperature issues!

[Loubydoo]

Hi. I hope you can help. I've just started taking my bbt each day with a thermometer. Each day it?s between 36.28 and 36.48. I?m on CD 17 of a very regular 28 day cycle. I?m a bit concerned that I haven?t seen any significant rise (except for the last 2 days of my period). I did a bit of googling (always dodgy, I know!) and it seems to be that there HAS to be a temp rise but I haven?t had one. I?m using an oral thermometer and yesterday as a test I took my temp in bed as usual when I woke up at about 7 and it was 36.27, then dozed off and took it again about half an hour later (still hadn?t got up and boyf is away so was on my own) and it was then 36.48. Can anyone help?
Thank you!

Hi I am new to charting so hoping someone wiser will be along.

But I did read that the best time to take your temperature is when you are half asleep - groggy from sleep. I am not sure you will get accurate reading with the sleeping and doing it half hour later. In any case they recommend at least 3 hours of solid sleep.

My temperature has done a weird drop at 14dpo so I am trying to google and figure out if its the weather going chilly or whether its AF on its way. I think I am starting to come to the conclusion that BBT is very unreliable.

If you are trying to detect Ovulation, I would recommend using OPKs along with BBT.

Are you using a proper BBT thermometer?

Yes you do need to see an upwards shift to confirm ov, but it is not always large. My temp shift is usually about 0.5 degrees. You need to take the first reading on waking as the one to chart, if you pick and choose which ones you chart you won't get a true reading.

redstrawberry some people, not all, get a small drop just before ov occurs. It is in no way a guaranteed sign. Many things can cause your temperature to fluctuate - illness, lack of sleep, etc.

The key with charting is that it is the only way to confirm ovulation, apart from a blood test. You have to take a view of the chart as a whole, you can't take one or two fluctuations in isolation.

Have been charting for a long time. A great book to read is 'Taking charge of your Fertility' by Toni Weschler. The website www.fertilityfriend.com has a series of tutorials that show you how to take the temps, how to look for patterns.

Thanks blackrocked - I've heard about that book before. I think I need to do the charting properly as it's not changing much each day so far!

First of alll your temp is likely to be higher when af is there , I dont take my temp when i have af . If your temp is 36.28 after af and then rises to 36.48 then it can be that you ovulated but you need to chart your temps on a graph or on a software program. Toni weschlers site has a free download that you can use for 14 days to try. Even with a 28 day cycle you might not ovulate until later it just means that you have a shorter lp phase. To get a more accurate temp with a more noticeable shift you could temp vaginally as taking your temp orally can be affected by if you snore or not !!! Even having a glass of wine can affect your temps, but you are looking for an overall pattern, lower temps before ovulation with a sustained rise after ovulation. Temps will go up and and down within that range.

I agree with the recommendations of the book and the website suggested (I have never read the book, but just used the website).

Another thing is that you need to take the temperature at the same time as well as after 3 hours sleep (min). If you don't take at the same time it can vary significantly too, hiding the ovulation pattern.

I found it took me about 3 months of temping to get it all right for accurate readings. Now I only have to temp just after af finishes till 3 days post ov, and the rest of the month I don't have to temp as the pattern is normally very clear.

Do use the fertilityfriends.com website.

Agree on taking your temp before you do anything following four hours of sleep, otherwise it can be in accurate. My charts go up and down a bit, but when you look at a whole cycle on a graph you can see two phases, one lower and one higher. Mine are 36.2 -36.4 and then 36.8-37.4. My basal is a bit too low so I am trying to find ways of getting it higher!

Hello all,

I have been charting since June 2011 but due to long time of being on the pill my body is still attempting to reset itself so I have had lots of anovulatory (no ovulation) cycles but this cycle just gone I have seen my first very clear temp rise occurring with all secondary signs concurring (cervical fluid and cervix) Its so exciting I almost want to put it in a frame on the wall!!

Loubydoo to answer your question yes you do need a rise in your bbt to indicate that you have o'd some people have a sudden rise and others like me have a slow rise. If your unsure it may help to print out a blank chart (I googled and found one online) and mark it out that way, to make it easier to detect a change you can put in a coverline (look at your temps on days 1-6 which ever is the highest draw a line.1 deg above) this will give you a base to see if your temps are rising. If your temps rise above and stay above this line then regardless of slow or quick rise you should be able to see. Temps should be taken as close to the same time of day as possible but you can adjust for later rises see this Basal Body Temperature Adjuster . Your body temp will slowly increase over time and with movement for the sake of accuarcy you need to take it after 3 hours of sleep minimum and on waking. Hope this is helpful.

F&T x

Rather than worry about plotting charts and working out base-lines, join Fertility Friend. You can chart your temperatures online and the website will work out your base-line, ovulation etc. they also do a phone app, so you can input all your data through that.

Great new faithandtruthful and great advice frankiesaysrelax, great name too, will remember to have that mantra through all of this!

I agree with all the recommendations for the Toni weschsler book....I had been TTC for 6 months when I bought it and got pregnant on my second month of charting. It works best when you combine bbt charting with recording cm and cervix position etc. As people have said, it's important to bear in mind looking at the pattern overall and bear in mind there will often be 'odd' results.
Good luck xx

Well I am now seeing an acupuncturist who is looking at my charts. Fingers crossed my temo rises and luteal phase increases. I have rung a Chinese herbalist too. Going to try this until Christmas.....cannot afford longer. Heigh ho, here goes! CD10 Temp 36.3 this morning.