Not all women manage to get pregnant quickly when they get married. And the test can not always show the fact of conception in the early stages. Absolute readings almost immediately can give a temperature measurement in a certain way. How to measure basal temperature to determine pregnancy and we will talk today.
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Correct basal temperature measurement
For the sake of the effectiveness of indicators, you will have to spend time to make a certain schedule. Basal temperature (BT) also shows the onset of ovulation and various changes in hormonal levels. It is measured at rest by methods such as rectal, vaginal or oral.
First you need to understand the mechanism of the graph (scale with temperature indicators).
These factors are influenced by many factors, for example, dramatic changes in diet or lifestyle, and not only:
- deviations of the hormonal level;
- if you smoke or abuse alcohol;
- being in constant stress;
- change of residence or change of climate zone;
- pathologies of internal organs and colds.
Important: with constant temperature measurement, it is possible to detect problems at the level of hormones that interfere with pregnancy, and accordingly, promptly take measures to restore it.
To obtain the most reliable indicators, you must correctly measure - in the morning immediately after waking up, without getting out of bed. Every day, these manipulations should be carried out at the same time - the permissible error of 30 minutes.And one more rule - to carry out measurements in one of the three selected ways, that is, if you did it orally on the first day, then all subsequent days should be carried out only like that.
Which thermometer to use
If we talk about a thermometer for such measurements, then any one is suitable - digital or mercury. If you compare them, then the mercury thermometer gives more accurate information, but digital (the error is 0.2-0.3 degrees) is more convenient to use.
You will receive completeness of information when measuring basal temperature for 3-4 cycles.
How much time to measure
It is not advisable to get out of bed at night for any needs - measurement is done after you wake up and immediately. If this happened at night, then you are measuring at that moment. But remember that the next day you will need to wake up around the same time, otherwise the information will be distorted.
The measurement time depends on the measurement method selected:
- with oral administration from 4 to 5 minutes under the tongue;
- rectal up to 8 minutes, introducing a thermometer into the rectum at 5 cm;
- vaginal mercury lasts up to 8 minutes;
- electronic 10-15 seconds or until the signal is entered into the vagina halfway.
Perhaps you are interested in the question - is it possible to measure basal temperature in the evening? It is better not to do this, since at this time of day the indicators are always higher than the morning. With constant night wakefulness, measure BT in the afternoon immediately after waking up, but sleep should last at least 5 hours in a row.
What do the measured indicators show?
Regularly measured BT lets you know how hormone levels fluctuate throughout the cycle, how it deviates, shows the day of ovulation and conception. A basal temperature chart also helps to identify the cause of the delay in menstruation.
Using such measurements, it is possible to identify disorders in the body due to a malfunction in the hormonal system. If you are protected by a calendar method, then this method is also shown. It is also possible to plan the sex of the unborn child if BT data are used. With unsuccessful attempts to become pregnant and with suspected infertility, a similar method can help.
Read also:basal temperature before menstruation
How to plot a basal temperature
Basal temperature is an indicator recorded at rest, which is not affected by external factors, heat, stress, and so on. Results are taken every day in the morning after at least 6 hours of sleep. This is best done rectally, which will give the most reliable indicators.
Knock down the thermometer to 34-35 degrees and insert into the anus to the required distance. After the specified time, remove it, and write the result in a notebook, making notes about the violations, for example, alcohol taken on the eve, a bad dream, and so on. And so every morning.
In the first phase of the cycle, the temperature will be from 36.4 to 36.6 degrees. Ovulation raises this level to 36.9-37.1. The day of ovulation or when the temperature drops, the most favorable for conception. If the temperature is too high or low, you can talk about existing violations, to identify which you need to contact a gynecologist.
It will be possible to speak about accurate diagnostics after temperature measurements for three consecutive cycles.
Important: taking in the evening before measuring alcohol affects the results. Certain medications also act in the same way.
And if you drink hormonal contraceptives, then such manipulations are generally meaningless, since any useful information will be missing.
Early Indications and Definitions
An important hormone for attachment to the uterine wall of a fertilized egg is progesterone, and it is most during ovulation. Thanks to this process, BT in the early stages of pregnancy reaches indicators from 37 to 37.3 degrees.
BT during pregnancy: normal and deviations
The above figures will indicate the normal development of the process.Although it happens that the temperature reaches 38 degrees, which is explained by the individual characteristics of the woman’s body. But just in case, with such indicators, you need to visit a doctor.
The determination of BT is also carried out in the morning after waking up at the same time. Eating, emotional or physical overload, strongly affects the basal temperature, which makes no sense to do this in the afternoon or in the evening.
If there is a reduced temperature in phase 2, then there is a risk of miscarriage. Similar indicators in a non-pregnant woman will indicate a possible infertility.
A specialist call is needed if the numbers are less than 37 degrees or more than 38. In the first case, this is a lack of progesterone, which is dangerous for the baby, and in the second - the development of some kind of inflammatory process.
Diagnosis of pathologies using BT
There are a number of diseases that directly affect the schedule of BT, for example, with endometritis, the temperature rises to 37 degrees, keeping it at the onset of menstruation.
Adnexitis will also show an elevated temperature for several days in a row, then returning to normal values. The same result indicates the inability of the egg to fertilize.
The jumps in indicators when measuring BT will indicate the death of the egg due to stress, the use of pharmacy drugs or other factors.
If menstruation does not arrive on time and BT is reduced, then most likely it is ovarian dysfunction, to confirm which you will need to visit a gynecologist and undergo additional examinations.
Elevated temperature in the proliferative phase means a lack of estrogen, and low progesterone and corpus luteum.
Indicators for a frozen pregnancy
Unfortunately, the pregnancy does not always end in childbirth, miscarriages, premature births and missed pregnancies occur. This happens in 15% of women, which is difficult to determine. This can happen at any stage of pregnancy, but most often in the initial period, up to 13 weeks.
And it is the measurement of basal temperature (low values) that helps to see this process in a timely manner, when it can still be prevented. The causes of this condition can be infectious ailments and the endocrine system, malfunctions of the hormonal level, alcohol and nicotine abuse, as well as age after 30 years.
It happens that the basal temperature holds 37 degrees, and the development of a dead pregnancy has begun. This can be judged by the sudden disappearance of all symptoms - suddenly toxicosis disappeared, the chest does not hurt, you began to look at any food normally without any changes. In this case, the lower abdomen may begin to hurt and blood may appear in the secretions. All this should make you immediately consult a doctor.
If nothing can be done and the pregnancy has stopped, then the only treatment is an abortion, if the term is long, then curettage. Before the next fertilization after such procedures, it is necessary to wait six months, which will allow you to fully recover and safely conceive.
Regular and correct measurement of basal temperature will not only help you get pregnant, but also determine the various deviations in your body. Health to you and your loved ones!
