Graph of basal temperature during pregnancy, normal and pathological menstrual cycle. Rules for measuring basal temperature to determine ovulation

Measurement of basal temperature (BT) is a cheap and affordable method for every woman to calculate, as well as determine pregnancy. Basal body temperature is the body temperature at rest: that is, when you are absolutely calm both emotionally and physically.

When can measuring BBT be useful?

If you are planning a pregnancy and want to calculate your ovulation days

If you have an irregular menstrual cycle

When is BBT measurement useless?

Measurement of basal temperature does not make sense in the following situations:

• What is the normal basal temperature when taking birth control pills?

  In women taking, the level of basal temperature is set by the tablets themselves. Since a woman takes birth control pills every day for a month, the level of hormones in her blood remains approximately the same throughout the entire cycle. In this regard, the basal temperature is maintained at the same level, and the basal temperature graph looks like an irregular curve. Basal temperature can fluctuate, but it does not have peaks (characteristic of ovulation) or pronounced rises.

  After the end of taking oral contraceptives, the basal temperature graph restores its normal shape.

Ovulation is a process that takes place in the body of a healthy woman, which is associated with the release of an egg into the fallopian tube for further fertilization. Knowing when you ovulate can help you plan your pregnancy or prevent unwanted conception. There are several methods for determining it, but the most accessible and simple is the measurement of basal body temperature.

What's this?

Basal body temperature (BBT) is an indicator that is measured in a state of complete rest, in the anus, immediately after waking up in the morning. It is a reflection of the hormonal background of a woman and allows you to identify problems in the work of the sex glands. However, more often BTT is used to determine the days favorable for conception.

Many gynecologists advise women to keep their own basal temperature chart. Especially for those who are planning to replenish the family. The schedule of basal temperature during ovulation has its own characteristics. It allows you to calculate the most suitable day for getting pregnant. The basal temperature directly depends on the hormonal processes in the woman's body.

and its phases

Created for procreation, therefore, all the processes occurring in it are aimed at ensuring conception and preparing the body for pregnancy and childbirth. The menstrual cycle has three consecutive phases: follicular, ovulatory and luteal.

The first phase begins with menstrual bleeding, then the formation of a follicle in the ovary and the formation of a new endometrium. Its duration can suggest a graph of basal temperature. Its normal duration is 1-3 weeks. In this phase, the follicle-stimulating hormone and estrogen play a role. It ends with the maturation of the follicle.

The second phase is ovulation itself. The walls of the follicle rupture, and the egg passes through the fallopian tube towards the sperm. The phase lasts about 2 days. If fertilization occurs, then the embryo attaches to the endometrium, if not, the egg dies. On a normal day, ovulation is at its lowest level for the entire cycle.

In the third phase, the production of progesterone begins. It is produced by the corpus luteum, which formed at the site of the ruptured follicle. The basal temperature after ovulation changes upwards - by 0.4-0.6 ° C. During this period, the female body prepares for bearing and preserving the fetus. If conception does not occur, then the concentration of female sex hormones decreases, and the circle closes, the follicular phase begins. Its duration is normal for all women is about 2 weeks.

Why do temperature fluctuations occur?

The measurement of basal temperature during ovulation as a method characterizing hormonal changes in a woman's body was proposed in 1953 by the scientist Marshall. And now approved by WHO as an official method for detecting fertility. Its basis is a regular change in the concentration of progesterone in the blood. This hormone affects the thermoregulatory center in the brain, which causes a local increase in temperature in the organs and tissues of the small pelvis. That is why a sharp increase in temperature in the anal region occurs in the luteal phase.

Thus, ovulation divides the menstrual cycle into two parts: in the first, the average temperature is approximately 36.6-36.8 ° C. Then it drops by 0.2-0.3 ° C for 2 days, and then rises to 37-37.3 degrees and stays at this level almost until the end of the cycle. A normal basal temperature chart during ovulation is called biphasic.

Measuring your BBT can help you pinpoint a fertile day with high accuracy. According to statistics, it is known that the highest probability of getting pregnant will fall on the day before and after the temperature rise - 30% each. 2 days before the jump - 21%, 2 days after - 15%. Pregnancy can occur with a 2% chance if fertilization occurs 3 or 4 days before the temperature rises.

What is this method used for?

If you constantly draw up a graph of basal temperature, the norm and pathology begin to be traced literally after 2-3 cycles. The resulting curves can answer many questions. Therefore, gynecologists strongly recommend this method to solve the following problems:

• Determination of a favorable day for conception.
• Early diagnosis of pregnancy.
• As a method of contraception.
• Identification of malfunctions in the work of the sex glands.

Basically, basal temperature is measured to calculate the day the ovulatory phase of the cycle begins. This is the easiest and cheapest way. It is very easy to determine ovulation by basal temperature if you take measurements regularly and follow all the rules.

Correct measurement is the key to the effectiveness of the method

In order for the results of the method to be true, it is necessary to follow all the instructions when measuring BBT, because it is very important that the basal temperature chart during ovulation includes only accurate and reliable data. There is a set of basic rules:

• Temperature measurement is carried out daily at the same time (optimally - 7.00-7.30) in the rectum.
• You must sleep for at least 3 hours before the procedure.
• If a woman needed to get out of bed before the measurement time, then the readings should be taken before taking a vertical position.
• The thermometer must first be prepared and placed near the bed. Shake it off before bed.
• You can measure the temperature only in a horizontal position, lying motionless on your side.
• During the cycle, you can not change the thermometer.
• It is better to enter readings in the graph immediately after the measurement.

For measurements, both a digital and a mercury thermometer are suitable. But an infrared thermometer is absolutely not intended for this method, since it has a high probability of an error in the results. Since the basal temperature before ovulation and on the day it starts differ by only 0.2-0.3 ° C, such a thermometer may not show this difference. An electronic thermometer gives large errors if you do not follow the instructions for its use. The most accurate readings can be obtained using a mercury thermometer, but it requires special care when handling.

When the received indicators may be incorrect

It must be remembered that the basal temperature during ovulation, the norm of which is individual for each woman, can fluctuate depending on the influence of various factors. Often, external influences on the body lead to the fact that BBT indicators are highly distorted and have no informative value. These factors include:

• Flights, transfers, business trips.
• Stress.
• Excessive intake of alcohol.
• Taking psychotropic and hormonal drugs.
• Inflammatory processes in the body, fever.
• Increased physical activity.
• Short sleep.
• Failure to follow measurement instructions.
• Sexual intercourse a few hours before the measurement.

If something from the above list happened, then you should not trust the measurements. And the day on which there was a violation can be ignored in the construction of the schedule.

How to plot a basal temperature chart

To build a graph of basal temperature, it is necessary to take measurements every day and make notes in a specially designated notebook. The graph is the intersection of two lines at a right angle. The vertical axis contains data on temperature, for example, from 35.7 to 37.3 ° C, and on the horizontal axis are the days of the menstrual cycle. Each cell corresponds to 0.1 °C and 1 day. After making the measurement, you need to find the day of the cycle on the graph, mentally draw a line up and put a dot in front of the desired temperature. At the end of the cycle, all points of the graph are connected, the resulting curve is an objective display of hormonal changes in the female body.

In the chart, you should indicate the current date and build a column for special notes. In order for the data to be sufficiently complete, you can describe your state of health, the symptoms that appear, or situations that could be reflected in a change in basal temperature.

If it is not very clear to a woman how to draw up a schedule of basal temperature, then a gynecologist from the antenatal clinic will definitely explain how to do this, and also help to decipher the data obtained.

Now there are many programs with which you can create an electronic schedule that will always be at hand. In this case, the woman just needs to enter the temperature. The program will do the rest.

Chart decoding

In this method of determining fertility, it is important not only to build, but also to decipher the basal temperature graphs. The norm for each woman is individual. However, there is an approximate view of the graph, which should be obtained if the gonads are working properly. To analyze the resulting curve, you need to build the following elements: overlapping line, ovulation line, duration of the second phase.

The overlapping (middle) line is built over 6 points of the follicular cycle without taking into account the first 5 days and days when the indicators deviated greatly due to external factors. This element has no meaning. But it is necessary for clarity.

The basal body temperature decreases on the day of ovulation, so in order to determine the day for a successful conception, you need to find successive points that are under the overlapping line. In this case, the temperature values ​​of 2 out of 3 points should differ by at least 0.1 °C from the midline, and at least 1 of them should have a difference of 0.2 °C with it. The next day after that, you can observe a jump of the point up by 0.3-0.4 degrees. In this place, you need to draw an ovulation line. If there are difficulties with this method, then you can use the "finger" rule to plot. To do this, it is necessary to exclude all points that differ by 0.2 degrees from the previous or subsequent indicator. And based on the resulting schedule, build an ovulation line.

The basal temperature after ovulation in the anus should be kept above 37 ° C for 2 weeks. Deviations in the duration of the second phase or a small jump in temperature indicate ovarian dysfunction or low productivity of the corpus luteum. If 2 cycles in a row the duration of the second phase does not exceed 10 days, then it is necessary to consult a gynecologist, since this is the main sign of progesterone deficiency of the luteal phase.

The basal temperature chart during ovulation should also correspond to the norm for such a parameter as the temperature difference between the follicular and luteal phases. This indicator should be equal to more than 0.4 ° C.

What does the schedule look like in the presence of ovulation and pathologies

The normal ovulatory schedule consists of two phases. In the first one, an average temperature of 36.5-36.8 °C can be observed for 1-3 weeks, then a drop by 0.2-0.3 °C and a sharp rise to 37 °C and above. In this case, the second part of the schedule should be no shorter than 12-16 days, and before the onset of bleeding, there is a slight decrease in temperature. Graphically it looks like this:

You should also give examples of basal temperature charts in which pathology is traced. The curve in this case will differ from the norm in various ways. If there is, then the temperature jump will be no more than 0.2-0.3 ° C. This condition is fraught with infertility, therefore, it requires an appeal to specialists.

If the second phase on the graph is shorter than 10 days, then this is a clear sign of progesterone deficiency. Usually, there is no decrease in temperature before the onset of menstrual bleeding. In this case, pregnancy is possible, but under the threat of interruption.

If there is a lack of estrogen in a woman's body, then the schedule will be chaotic, strikingly different from the norm. It may also be due to the influence of external factors (flights, excessive alcohol intake, inflammation, etc.).

When the curve does not have sharp jumps in temperature and is a monotonous graph, then this is called This happens in healthy women, but not more than 1-2 times a year. If this is repeated from cycle to cycle, then this may be a sign of infertility.

If, after the second phase, there is no decrease in temperature, then most likely the woman is pregnant.

Deciphering the basal temperature charts, examples of which are presented above, require specialist knowledge. Therefore, you should not independently draw conclusions, diagnose yourself and prescribe treatment.

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

The advantages of the method are its absolute availability, simplicity and complete absence of costs. When the basal temperature chart during ovulation is maintained by a woman regularly, this makes it possible to determine the days of ovulation, recognize early pregnancy in time or detect hormonal abnormalities and consult a gynecologist.

However, there are also downsides to the method. This method is not very accurate due to the individual characteristics of each organism. Here are its main disadvantages:

• It does not make it possible to predict when the ovulatory phase will come.
• Does not give accurate information about when ovulation occurred.
• It does not guarantee, even in the presence of a normal two-phase schedule, that ovulation really took place.
• Cannot give specific information about the quantitative content of progesterone in the blood.
• Does not provide data on the normal functioning of the corpus luteum.

In order to know exactly how informative the method is, it is necessary in the first couple of cycles to take blood tests for female hormones and do an ultrasound scan. If the data of the graph and research coincide, then the woman can easily keep a graph of basal temperature. The norm and deviations displayed on the curve, in this case, will correspond to reality.

This method is convenient, simple and does not require financial expenses. If you follow all the rules exactly and know how to decipher the basal temperature chart, then finding out the day of ovulation and planning conception is very easy. However, if there are any deviations from the norm, it is worth contacting a specialist to prevent the development of pathological processes.

First of all, having learned to determine the basal temperature, women will be able to calculate the optimal day for conceiving a child. Many ladies seek to gain this knowledge only in order to accurately determine the "dangerous days" on which you should not have unprotected sex. This method of natural contraception helps them avoid unplanned pregnancies. In general, every woman would do well to learn how to measure basal temperature. It is about the intricacies of its measurement, drawing up graphs that we will talk about.

Why and how to measure basal temperature

We will still have time to chat about how to measure the basal temperature, for a start it is worth figuring out what it is for. A number of girls have heard how important it is to know the nuances of measuring basal temperature. But not everyone understands that such knowledge can improve the quality of sexual life. Yes Yes. My words may seem strange to you, but by learning how to measure basal temperature, you can finally reach the highest peak of pleasure during sex. How are basal body temperature and intimate life satisfaction related? Let's figure it out.

Often women cannot relax during sex, having enjoyed the process, because, while making love, they constantly scroll through vital questions in their heads. These out of place thoughts interfere with relaxation. The dilemmas that pop up in the head of the ladies, killing the desire, can be divided into two categories. The first one includes the following questions:

1. Is this position the most suitable for conceiving a child?

2. How much will "birch" increase my chances of getting pregnant?

3. Why can't I get pregnant?

4. Am I or my partner infertile?

5. What should I do if nothing works out this time?

6. God, have I done something bad that you won't give me a baby?

But not all women are obsessed with having a baby. Many do not want this. Completely different questions are swarming in their heads, which also prevent a woman from relaxing. So, the second category of questions is something like this:

1. I can't get pregnant if I use the calendar method?

2. Can you get pregnant if you have sex during your period?

3. I wonder which methods of natural contraception are effective?

4. Have I correctly identified safe days?

5. How will the partner react to a pregnancy resulting from an incorrect determination of the ovulatory period?

6. God, you understand that I'm not ready to give birth to a baby yet?

Here's what usually happens in women's heads during intimacy with a partner. What relaxation are we talking about here? Despite the exact calculations, girls get pregnant on the safe days that they have determined using the calendar method of contraception. Ladies often conceive children by making love during menstruation. Women who want a child are often unlucky, but for some reason they cannot determine the optimal day for conception. Oh, if all women understood how to measure the basal temperature, with which it is easy to determine the day of ovulation, pregnancy, then they would probably learn to get more pleasure during sex, stopping asking themselves silent painful questions in the process.

We must understand that the temperature method of natural contraception is based on the measurement of basal temperature, which, in combination with the cervical method, will not yield to a high-quality condom in terms of reliability of protection. That is, knowing how to measure basal temperature, you can minimize the possibility of getting pregnant with unprotected intercourse on certain days, saving yourself from pleasure-killing fears. Women who want to have a baby, thanks to changes in basal temperature, can easily determine the fertile days that are the most favorable for conception. In general, if you want to get pregnant or, on the contrary, are afraid of it, you want to learn how to enjoy sex without stuffing your head with what you don’t need, then you will really need information on how to measure basal temperature.

How to measure basal temperature correctly

The most correct decision when you do not know how to measure basal temperature correctly is to ask your gynecologist about it. But we will talk about the main nuances of its measurement right now. So, the basal temperature is actually directly dependent on the phase of the menstrual cycle. Temperature measurements must be taken throughout the cycle. This should not be done only when a woman is menstruating.

Basal temperature measurements should be taken in the morning. It is very important that before this a woman does not get out of bed. To measure the temperature, you should use a simple mercury thermometer, which is gently inserted into the rectum. You need to hold the thermometer there for at least five minutes, and best of all - all seven. Data should be recorded in a spreadsheet daily. After taking measurements throughout the cycle, you need to build a graph. On top, indicate the days of checks, on the side - the possible basal temperature on these days. At the junction of the lines we put points that we connect with a straight line. On days when there is a sharp increase in the straight line after its rapid decrease, ovulation occurs.

It is also not forbidden to use an electronic thermometer. Of course, it does not need to be kept for five minutes in the anus. The result can be read after one minute from the moment the thermometer is placed in the appropriate place. When measuring temperature on different days, you must use the same thermometer.

Important: You need to measure the temperature after sleeping for at least three hours.

How to measure basal temperature to determine ovulation

As you can see, you do not need to absorb an immense amount of information to understand how to measure your basal temperature to determine ovulation. After all, you need to measure it with a simple thermometer, which is usually placed in the ass. After that, we regularly record indicators, build a graph, etc. The only thing that needs to be well understood is how the basal temperature will change before ovulation.

For your information: some women use oral or vaginal methods when measuring basal temperature, but they are not standard.

So, on the eve of the release of the gamete from the ovary, the basal temperature reaches the lowest possible level. The next day, it rises rapidly by half a degree or more. This level is maintained for two weeks. An increase in temperature is caused by the action of progesterone, which affects the thermoregulatory center in the brain. The most favorable days for pregnancy are two days before and after ovulation.

Attention: charting your basal temperature is easy with the help of special applications that are hosted on some women's sites.

But remember that the general health of a woman can also affect the basal temperature charts. Therefore, if you feel unwell, you have inflammatory, infectious diseases, chronic conditions occur, then it is better to postpone measurements of basal temperature until the causes of the development of disorders are eliminated and women's health is restored. In addition to diseases, stress, lack of sleep, sex, and alcohol can lead to a change in temperature. Do not forget to mark each of the violations at the bottom of the graph.

You need to understand that not all women have a temperature rise of almost half a degree in the second phase, just like for some ladies it is difficult to see its significant drop before menstruation, ovulation. If the temperature rises by no more than 0.3 °, then this may indicate estrogen-progesterone deficiency. When the second phase is short and there is no drop in basal temperature before menstruation, most likely the lady has a second phase deficiency. Women who do not have characteristic changes during the cycle should be wary. After all, this means that ovulation does not occur at all. Random factors and the same estrogen deficiency can make the curve chaotic.

If you experience atypical fluctuations in temperature or it does not change at all, be sure to consult a doctor. Those women who do not want to go to the gynecologist, but still want to learn how to determine the days of ovulation even with an abnormal basal temperature, should pay attention to other factors of its approach. For example, you need to look at the discharge, which becomes viscous, less transparent before ovulation. You can also navigate by pulling, aching pains in the lower abdomen. They can occur on both the right and left sides.

It is not necessary to chart your basal temperature for years. If you have a correct two-phase menstrual cycle, there are no delays, your periods are the same number of days, then in order to determine the days of ovulation, it is enough to measure the temperature for three menstrual cycles. But do not forget that hormonal disorders, diseases of internal organs, overwork, diets can make their own adjustments to your established menstrual cycle. During such a period, one cannot rely on old schedules.

Girls who do not want to meet the morning with a thermometer in an interesting place can use special tests to determine ovulation. Most often there are tests that look like stripes. But in pharmacies you can also find cassette tests for ovulation. The action of the strips is identical to the action of pregnancy tests. That is, the strip responds to an increase in certain hormones. For example, before the onset of ovulation, the luteinizing hormone, to which the test strip reacts, makes itself felt with a peak increase. You can determine ovulation using such a test as early as 36 hours before its onset. The verification reliability reaches 99%. The cassette test should be used by women with irregular cycles. You can read about its use in the instructions that come with each package of ovulation test cassettes.

How to measure basal temperature to determine pregnancy

So, above we got acquainted with the main nuances of calculating ovulation. Now let's talk in more detail about how to measure basal temperature to determine pregnancy. Look, you need to do everything as usual - in the morning, without getting out of bed, measure the temperature, write down indicators, make a graph, see when the temperature dropped, on which days it peaked, etc. Recall also that the temperature after its rise should remain at this level for two weeks. If the fever persists for more than 14 days from the peak of its rise, then this often indicates the onset of pregnancy.

Of course, the most correct way to determine whether conception has occurred or not is to take a pregnancy test. If a home test showed a negative result, then this does not mean that there is no pregnancy. This fact should be confirmed in the gynecologist's office. To determine pregnancy, you can take a blood test, undergo an ultrasound examination, etc.

Basal Temperature Measurement Efficiency

In the anus, the normal temperature is about 36.9 °. When ovulation begins, a hormonal surge occurs and the temperature can rise up to one degree (although usually the increase does not exceed 0.5 degrees). But many girls fail to reliably measure the maximum decrease / increase in temperature. They often forget to measure their basal temperature at the same time (the maximum allowed time error is 20-30 minutes), they can jump to their feet and do their morning toilet, and only then, remembering the ritual, go back to bed, etc. the more you violate the conditions for measurement, the less likely you are to get a reliable result.

In general, this method of determining ovulation can deservedly be called archaic. It is inconvenient, designed only for super scrupulous young ladies. In addition, many processes that have nothing to do with ovulation can affect the increase in basal temperature. Therefore, it is best to determine fertile days using an ovulatory test. To accurately determine the onset of ovulation, you can also undergo folliculometry (from the 7-9th day of the menstrual cycle).

Anovulatory schedule let's say 1-2 times a year even in perfectly healthy women. In other cases, it is a hormonal disorder. You should immediately visit a doctor to start timely treatment.

With endometritis

By analyzing the basal temperature, it is possible to identify the presence of a disease such as endometritis. Normal at the beginning of a new cycle temperature should drop. If during menstrual flow an increase in BT occurs and remains at this level, then this is a clear symptom of the presence of the disease.

Along with this, the appearance of other symptoms of the disease is noted. These include the following:

• Pain during intercourse.
• Feeling worse.
• Cycle breaking.
• Purulent discharge.
• Uterine bleeding.

It is not recommended to determine deviations according to the BT schedule on your own. This should be done attending doctor. Treatment is prescribed based on the results of tests and other studies.

Some women may ask why it is necessary to measure the basal temperature, and not the usual one? Throughout the day, body temperature can change under the influence of a variety of factors, and therefore it is impossible to choose the ideal time to measure the temperature. That is why the best option remains the measurement of basal temperature - this means that the temperature is measured in the state of the body at rest and after at least six hours of sleep.

Some women don't understand why charting a basal body temperature, and there are several reasons for this.

• you can not get pregnant for a long time;
• there are suspicions of infertility;
• if your doctor suggests that you have a hormonal imbalance.

• you want to get pregnant faster;
• if you want to try a new way of planning your baby's gender;
• if you are interested in what processes you have going on inside.

What is the scheme of this method?

Some women do not understand why the usual temperature is not suitable. And the reason is very simple: throughout the day, depending on various factors, this temperature will change. Finding the perfect time to measure it is almost impossible. Therefore, in such cases, it is best to find out your basal temperature when the body is at rest and only after six hours of rest and sleep, no less.

Method for measuring basal temperature

1. It's best to start taking your temperature after your monthly report ends;
2. the measurement must be carried out in only one way. It makes no difference which one you choose, the main thing is to use only it until the end of the cycle;
3. if you prefer the oral route. Then put a thermometer under your tongue, close your mouth tightly and measure the temperature for at least five minutes;
4. if the method is vaginal, then three minutes will be enough for the measurement;
5. you need to measure as soon as you wake up, but you have not yet got out of bed;
6. the measurement must take place at the same time;
7. you can not change the thermometer during one menstrual cycle, so that you do not have difficulty reading the schedule;
8. if you are sick during the temperature measurement, then you should not rely on the results that you will receive as they can be greatly distorted;
9. negatively affects the performance and intake of alcohol in large doses.

How do gynecologists feel about the method of measuring basal temperature?

Gynecologists around the world agree that this method of tracking fertile days really works. It belongs to the main method and is used by a huge number of women. If you make a schedule yourself, taking into account the results obtained, this will greatly facilitate the task of the gynecologist in making a diagnosis. But it is worth remembering that, nevertheless, the final diagnosis cannot be made solely on the results of the graph and without additional examinations and analyzes.