Basal Body Temperature

The basal body temperature system, a fertility awareness-based method, is a kind of natural family planning. Your basal body temperature is the temperature you body registers when you are completely at rest.

Ovulation is known to cause a small increase in the basal body temperature. You will be most fertile during the two to three day prior to a rise in body temperature.

By monitoring your basal body temperature each day, you can be able to predict when you will ovulate. This information can also help you determine when you are most likely to conceive.

If you have hopes of getting pregnant, you can utilize the basal body temperature method to determine the best days for sexual intercourse.

In the same vein, if you are hoping to avoid  pregnancy, you can use the basal body temperature method to help determine the days to avoid unprotected sex.

Because the basal body temperature method sloely cannot provide enough warning time to effectively prevent pregnancy, it is generally used in combination with other fertility awareness-based methods if you are hoping to prevent pregnancy.

Tracking your basal body temperature for either fertility or contraceptive purposes is cheap and does not have any side effects. Some women can also choose to use basal body temperature for religious reasons.

The basal body temperature method can be used as a mode of predicting fertility or as part of a method of contraception, by helping your gauge the best and worse days to have unprotected sex.

The basal body temperature method can also be used in the detection of a possible pregnancy. After ovulation, a rise in basal body temperature that lasts for 18 or more days can be a primary indicator of pregnancy.

The basal body temperature method is often used in addition to another natural family planning method, such as the cervical mucus method. This combination is sometimes called the hypothermal method.

The basal body temperature method does not have any potential risks if used to promote fertility.

Likewise, using it for contraception does not have any risks, but cannot offer any protection against sexually transmitted diseases and it is one of the least effective methods of natural family planning.

As many as 6 out of 25 women who use fertility awareness-based method to prevent pregnancy, such as the basal body temperature method for one year will get pregnant.

Making use of the basal body temperature with another fertility awareness-based method for birth control requires motivation and diligence.

If you do not want to get pregnant, you and your partner must avoid  having sex or use a barrier method of contraception during your fertile days every month.

You should keep in mind that your basal body temperature can be influenced by the following factors: Illness or fever. Stress. Shift work.

Interrupted sleep cycles or oversleeping. Alcohol. Travel and time zone variations. Gynaecological disorders. Certain medications. Some women also ovulate without a clear rise in basal body temperature.

Monitoring your basal body temperature does not require any special preparation.

However, if your want to use the basal body temperature method for birth control, make a consultation with your health provider first if:

• You recently gave birth or stopped taking birth control pills or other hormonal contraceptives
• You are breastfeeding
• You are approaching menopause

Read on to learn more about what to expect before, during, and after your basal body temperature procedure for natural family planning.

To use the basal body temperature method: Take your basal body every morning before getting out of bed. This must be done with a digital oral thermometer or one specifically designed to measure basal body temperature.

Make sure you get at least three hours of undisturbed sleep to improve accuracy. You may also consider taking your temperature vaginally or rectally if you have problems determining a pattern or change in your basal body temperature.

For the most accurate results, always take your temperature using the same method. Make a graph and plot your temperature readings. Record your daily basal body temperature and look for a pattern to emerge.

Your basal body temperature  may slightly increase, typically less than 0.5 degrees F or 0.3 degrees C during ovulation. You can make an assumption that ovulation has occurred when the slightly higher temperature remains steady for three days or more.

Make a careful sex plan during the fertile days. You are most fertile during the two days prior to a rise in your basal body temperature, but sperm can live up to five days in your reproductive tract.

If you have hopes of getting pregnant, this is the best period to have sex. If you are trying to avoid pregnancy, unprotected sex is off-limits from the start of your menstrual period until three to four days after your basal body temperature rises every month.

The results of a basal body temperature will be given by your doctor.

Capability to plan when to engage in sex to either promote fertility (become pregnant) or as a contraceptive measure.