temperature / fertility monitoring

[HappyHeart87]

Has anybody done the thing where you monitor your temperature to try to identify fertile days?

I've started and am using a decent in-ear thermometer but get wildly different readings at any given time. I do it first thing in the morning, a few times in each ear to try to establish an average. This morning the readings ranged from 36.5 to 37.4, and that's pretty typical.

Any tips?

Hi Happy, you need to get yourself a digital bbt thermometer which reads to 2 decimal places. They're not expensive, you can find them in any chemist. I temp orally (under the tongue) every morning immediately upon waking, before getting up to go to the loo etc (temping vaginally is supposed to be the most accurate method!) I recommend using the free Fertility Friend app for recording your temp. You should start to see a pattern emerge whereby your temps will be lower pre-ovulation, take a small dip just before you ovulate, then increase post-ovulation & stay high until AF arrives & temp drops again. Temping won't identify fertile days - it will only tell you when you ovulated that cycle, after the fact. To identify fertile days you need to check for egg white cervical mucus & use opk's as well. Hope that helps!

Hi happy, this was my first month of bbt, I've attached so you can see an example of what you're looking for (I haven't done last few days as got a BFP :) ). As bear has said it will only tell you after ovulation so no good at first but will tell you when you're in to the 2ww, and after a few cycles you'll know your lp and a hopefully a pattern of when you ov. As bear said you need a bbt thermometer and need to do it first thing before you even move. I set my alarm half an hour before i need to wake up, stick it in and go back to sleep. Good luck!

That's a nice looking chart Moonlight. And congratulations on your bfp!

Yes, you need an oral thermometer, in ear ones are not accurate enough.

Oh thank you all! I'll head out for a BBT. I thought the ear ones were the best.

Congratulations, Moonlight!