Basal thermometer or will a regular one do?

[IamRhubarbBikini]

So total newbie when it comes to this conception lark so this is probably a silly question but is a basal thermometer necessary for tracking temperature or will a regular one do?

DH and I, both mid-30s are battling our teenage belief that unprotected sex will automatically lead to a baby so we’re unsure just how much of the stuff peddled at would-be parents is necessary or whether we just continue getting it on and hoping for the best?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

You need a bbt one. They’re not expensive, got mine on amazon. You also need a copy of Taking charge of your fertility, I got one second hand off eBay I think. The fertility friend app is brilliant, start with the free version, it’s really so helpful.

Good luck!

Jumping on this @AnneLovesGilbert would you recommend the one you got? Is it a particular brand? I bought one of amazon but it's useless so need to get another :)

Just checked my old amazon orders and it’s not available anymore, sorry. It was three years ago. I think I chose based on reviews, sorry you’re not happy with yours @RMarieClaire

As you need to use it when you’re half asleep you want one that you find easy and convenient so worth shopping around.

@RMarieClaire which one did you get? I’m tempted to spend a little extra for a bluetooth one so I don’t have to remember to log my temp every day but not sure if they’re worth the extra pennies.

@IamRhubarbBikini I have the femometer blue tooth one and to be honest it's not worth the money just so you don't have to spend 2 seconds inputting a number, a cheap one will do! Femometer do a standard one as well for around £10 I think!

Yup I have the cheap femometer one as well. Tbh I just fall back asleep and input it later, not forgotten a single temp yet. You definitely need a bbt one though as you need the double decimals for accurate tracking.

@Juno231 yeah exactly, it keeps your previous temp recorded so you can go back and check when you're going to input. I wish I'd known that before buying the bluetooth one 😂

I think all you need is a thermometer that records to 2 decimal places - doesn't need to be a specific bbt one (don't know what that even means!). I can imagine something more automated would be handy, as I was a bit crap at remembering to take my temp first thing in the morning / not having a swig of water beforehand etc.

As for the teenage hangover of "IF YOU DON'T USE CONTRACEPTION YOU'LL GET PREGNANT IMMEDIATELY" - oh god I relate. Early 30s, took us 8 months to conceive. Entirely normal. School sex ed scaremongering made us really sad until we did more reading!

Just to reiterate, I can’t recommend that book highly enough. It’s hefty but covers lots beyond ttc and I read that whole section in an evening while wishing, like so many people, that I’d spent my youth panicking about getting pregnant

I did, eventually, but temping saved me many wasted tests and pointless bfns and I got to know my cycle inside out. I’ll get back to it when I’ve finished breastfeeding as my cycles are often slightly different lengths now and that insight into what’s going on is so valuable.

Wishing you all masses of good wishes and luck.

*not spent!

Thanks all. I’ve ordered the book and the standard Femometer thermometer (and some tests for later on down the line) so hopefully I’m all prepared now.

Glad I’m not alone in the teenage hangover, I said to DH the other morning I feel like I should be pregnant already if the sex ed classes of my youth are anything to go by

Good luck OP. You can’t have too much sex, get on it