Temping - how important is it to take your temperature at the same time every day?

[PeppermintPatty]

Cos this is the first month I've tried it and my chart is all over the place.

I can see approximately when I ovulated because in general my temps go up after day 14 (and FF puts ovulation on either day 14 or day 18). But there are still lots of big zig zags up and down all over the place.

Is this normal?

I don't take my temp at the same time each morning and don't always get 3 hours solid sleep before I take it (FF says this is important). It's pretty much impossible for me to do this though as DD gets me up at random times in the night / morning.

So I guess what I really want to know is: is temping going to work this way? Or am I wasting my time slightly?

I found my temp did vary quite a bit if I took it at different times. I can usually factor that in when interpreting my chart, though - there is usually still a period of generally lower temps and a period of generally higher ones post ov. So it shouldn't be a complete waste of time.
Re the not getting 3 hours sleep before taking it, this does not make much of a difference to me provided that I go back to sleep quickly after waking. If I was up for an hour and was feeling sleep deprived come morning my temp would be noticeably higher. But again, if it is not every day you could disregard temps for those days.
Is there any way you can take it at, say, 5am every day and then go back to sleep?

It is important, but not impossible to chart with this situation. The interpretation of a chart with varied times is difficult. If you have not got 3 hours sleep before taking it, I would say forget it! I found that what I had to do was take my temp before getting up to my dc, and only use the temp if I had suceeded in sleeping for 3 hours. I would then plot the one where I had had 3 hours sleep as near to the "usual" morning time as possible. So some nights if I managed to get to bed at 10pm and got woken at 1 am and then repeatedly after that, I would use the 1am time. However it did affect the look of my chart. But over a couple of months I was able to see for myself the way in which my temp is affected with temps taken earlier/later.

Sorry this is long-winded, but just to say, it is worth persevering, but be ready to take your temp more than once in the night, after each time you manage to achieve 3 hours sleep!!!!!

Yes I could set my alarm at 5am every day and take it then. But I don't really want to! Once I'm woken up in the morning I often find it difficult to go back to sleep Especially if I know I'm gonna be woken up by DD anytime soon. And it would soooooo annoy me to be woken up at 5pm unneccasarily.

I didn't want it to be a chore IYKWIM [lazy emotion], as I have been TTC for 9 months already and it all feels like it becoming a bit of a chore as it is

rainbowdays - so do you think its more important to get 3 hours sleep before you take your temp, than the actual time of the temp?
I do usually take my temp when I first wake up but the time varies between early hours of morning and 9am!

Also I notice if I have been drinking (alochol) the next day's temp is much higher (and I don't drink loads either ) IS this normal?

Yes, the alcohol will make a difference. Just make a note that you'd been drinking and be prepared to disregard that temp when looking at the overall pattern.

Yes, the alcohol will make a difference. Just make a note that you'd been drinking and be prepared to disregard that temp when looking at the overall pattern.

Yes it is important to take your temp every day at the same time or the results are not reliable. Getting a bit personal but how do you take your temp? My DH and I practise Natural Family Planning and I take my temperature vaginally each morning.. Since doing that the results are MUCH clearer and you can see the changes much more easily. I know it is not exactly pleasant to do that first thing when you wake up but it is surprising how quickly you get used to it! Good luck

Thanks for your replies.

Cupcake - I take my temp in my mouth - I didn't realise there was any other way

It looks like it's not gonna work so well for me - it's sooo complicated! It seems impossible for me to wake up at exactly the same time every day AND after 3 hours of solid sleep.

I'm going to keep doing it for now though, just to see how I get on.

Just another question - I found this thing on fertility friend called temperature corrector. You put in your temp and the time you took it, and it alters the temp to what it thinks it should be, if you had took it at your usual wake up time. However, FF says it doesn't recommend you use it it isn't accurate

Has anyone used this with any success?

is there a special type of thermometer if you do it vaginally cupcake?

I used FF temp corrector sometimes. I'm not sure you could call it 'successful', but it's a way of getting a temp in there when you've overslept! It really is much better to do the same time every day. And alcohol makes a HUGE difference, I always made note of it.

If you're having trouble with getting back to sleep because you're turning on lights and writing down temps, maybe consider a fertility monitor that records the temp for you and has an alarm on it (always set for same time each day)? I did much better with temping once I got mine, was £40, Boots Fertility Monitor.

Ooo I didn't know about the fertility monitor - thats definitely something to consider. Thanks Yank

You're very welcome!

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