The female body is one of the greatest mysteries of the universe, which has occupied the minds since the inception of life on Earth. After all, only he is able to bear and give birth to his likeness. More than one generation of scientists has devoted work to this small everyday miracle - the birth of a healthy child. After centuries of observation, study, smart heads were able to declassify all the processes that occur in a woman's body during pregnancy. Moreover, in the modern world, fertilization without the participation of men (IVF), artificial “carrying” of babies born much earlier than possible has become possible. And doctors learned to plan the sex of the unborn child, suspect the emerging threats to the fetus according to the schedule of the temperature of the sleeping body.
Getting to know the temperature of a sleeping body
What is called the temperature of a sleeping body? The minimum possible body temperature during prolonged rest is called the base temperature (basal, for the convenience of the abbreviation BT). Long rest means a dream, the duration of which should be from 3 to 6 hours.
To understand how to correctly measure the basal temperature during pregnancy, you need to understand how it is achieved and why it needs to be measured.
When a person sleeps, the body (muscles) completely relaxes, processes slow down, calorie expenditure decreases - because of this, the body temperature drops. After 3-6 hours of such passive rest, it reaches its minimum values (depending on the quality of sleep).
Approximate values
Observation of BT, scheduling helps to understand the processes taking place in the body of a woman. About once every 28 days, a woman experiences menstrual bleeding. Around the middle of the cycle, the egg ripens, which remains active from 12 hours to 2 days; during fertilization, it can develop into a desired pregnancy. From the first day of the menstrual cycle of BT, the average woman has about 36.9 degrees in the body; just before the egg ripens, she drops by an average of 0.4–0.6 degrees; after the end of ovulation - the indicator rises again by half a degree.
Why measure basal temperature?
Observations of changes in the values of this indicator allow you to control the hormonal background of the body and the state of the reproductive system. Briefly, the result can be voiced as follows - identifying the most favorable time for conceiving a baby. So that there are no questions about why to measure the basal temperature during pregnancy (after all, everything has already happened), you just need to read this paragraph to the end.
There are frequent cases when a long-awaited pregnancy occurs, and for unknown reasons, the development of the fetus stops, it is not possible to bear the baby. For any of the women, this becomes a huge blow. After all, the desire to be a mother is inherent in nature. A woman is ready even to the detriment of herself to realize her right - to give birth to offspring, repeatedly trying to conceive a child again. And in the next attempt, she no longer needs to explain why, where and how to measure basal temperature during pregnancy. Indeed, when controlling this indicator, the hormonal background can be corrected, thereby preserving the baby’s life.
So, the most significant reasons for observing this indicator are as follows:
- contraception - determine safe days for sexual intercourse;
- as assistance in conception (to determine the date of ovulation);
- for conception of a child of a certain gender;
- identification of problems from gynecology;
- to monitor the fetus in the first trimester of pregnancy (in order to exclude fading and spontaneous miscarriage).
In connection with the last point, the question may arise - is it possible to measure the basal temperature during pregnancy, is it safe? All doctors will unanimously say - it’s not only possible, but also necessary, because a change in temperature will indicate a change in the hormonal background, and therefore, possible threats. And early detection of threats is an opportunity to adjust the amount of hormones, and therefore, to save the nascent life. The guarantee of safety will be the use of only one (of its) thermometer during measurements. For more accurate conclusions, it is recommended to have readings of two to four months (or menstrual periods), it will be very good if the woman kept records before the start of pregnancy.
How and where is BT measured?
There is no difference where to measure the basal temperature to determine pregnancy or in the early stages. It is allowed to obtain BT values in several ways: rectally (through the anus), vaginally and orally. Let's consider each method separately:
- Rectally - immerse the tip of the thermometer (up to 4 cm) in the rectum, leave for several minutes, depending on the type of thermometer.
- Vaginally - about half a thermometer is placed in the vagina and after a few minutes the results are recorded.
- Oral - measurement occurs through the oral cavity, the tip of the thermometer is placed under the tongue or in the space between the cheek and gum (behind the cheek).
When the question arises: how to measure basal temperature during pregnancy, the recommendations will be categorical - only rectally. With a pregnancy that has already begun, we will talk about the safety of the baby's life! And the most accurate measurements will be with this method.
Which thermometer to take?
Along with the question above, they often ask: what thermometer to measure basal temperature during pregnancy and how long? There is no definite answer to these questions. Both are suitable for use: mercury (more dangerous, may break) and electronic (less accurate) thermometers. Moreover, to exclude errors, it is recommended to take them only by the upper part, avoiding touching the base. A mercury thermometer will show the correct result after 7-10 minutes. For electronic, 5 is enough.
When and in what cases the measurement results are not informative?
It is necessary to prepare for the process of observing body BT. It is better if the beginning of the measurements coincides with the first day of the menstrual cycle. In advance, you should stop taking all medications, especially contraceptives, sedatives and alcohol-containing drugs (alcohol greatly distorts the data). Stressful situations, sexual contact with a partner, a sharp difference in external temperatures (especially when changing time or climate zones).
Rules to follow to get accurate results.
So, a woman is going to use this method. What does she need to know and what rules to follow in order to get the most believable picture? How to correctly measure the basal temperature during pregnancy, and are there any differences in the recommendations for measuring BT in women in position and not? The tips and rules are exactly the same, and they do not depend on the presence or absence of a fertilized egg in the body.
To get the most accurate picture, you must strictly follow all the rules, although they may seem complicated:
- The measurement should be carried out daily at the same time, preferably in the morning after a long sleep (at least 3 and no more than 6 hours).
- Waking up, without sudden movements, silently, staying in bed, preferably in twilight (because the light irritates the retina, and this can affect BT). Measurements are taken within 7-10 minutes (time should also remain unchanged). Even if you decide to continue sleeping, make the necessary measurements, write them in the diary and continue to sleep. You can hold them earlier, later it is no longer desirable. Distortion may occur.
- The thermometer is prepared in advance (since in the higher chapter it turned out that it is better to use a mercury thermometer and take measurements rectally, we focus on these data), for this, the previous readings are reset, it is put in such a way that it is easy to get out without making unnecessary movements, and it the tip is lubricated.
- The thermometer is used the same, to exclude errors. If the old one crashed, acquiring a new one, give preference to the most similar option (one manufacturing company, number of divisions). The combined use of mercury and electronic thermometers is not allowed.
- In stressful situations that occurred the day before, or lifting weights, the presence of inflammatory processes, the use of fatty foods, it is necessary to make notes in the diary in order to exclude the likelihood of errors when plotting.
Many people care about the question: BT schedule, if you measure basal temperature during the day, will pregnancy show or not? In the case when a woman works in shifts, all studies can be carried out at a different, more convenient time of the day (but all of the above rules should remain unchanged - especially a dream lasting 3-6 hours). With a single measurement of BT in the afternoon, it is better to remove this figure from the graph or mark the circumstances in the notes.
In the evening, the temperature indicator always decreases due to the physiological characteristics of the body, even after prolonged rest, therefore it is not recommended to conduct observations and measurements at this time of day. They will be inaccurate.
Building a chart
To get a graph, they take a sheet of paper, a lined millimeter millimeter, normal in a cage, is well suited. You can draw the grid for the chart yourself. Typically, the vertical axis indicates temperature, the horizontal axis indicates days (calendar dates). Then the points are applied (to find them, the temperature value is selected and a parallel straight line to the axis of the dates is drawn through it, and vice versa, having marked the desired day, they draw a parallel to the axis with marked degrees). All received marks are connected by a continuous line.
How long do pregnant women need to keep a diary?
Once it became clear what the basal temperature during pregnancy is, where to measure it and why, it is necessary to clarify how long it will be useful to measure this indicator. Usually this period is 20 weeks, that is, the entire first trimester lasts. At the 21st week of pregnancy, the effect of progesterone weakens, BT becomes uninformative, and there is no need for further monitoring.
Decryption of indications
So, the schedule is drawn up, all conditions are met. And I really want to understand him myself, without waiting for a trip to the doctor.
When a woman eagerly awaits the opportunity to become a mother, and after ovulation in the diary of observations for BT, after a week and a half, instead of lowering the curve to 36.7 degrees, she sees an almost flat line with values of 37.1, or 37.3 - we can say with confidence goal achieved. It is not recommended to rush and throw measurements. It is worth showing the data to the doctor and together deciding whether to protect yourself and how, measure basal temperature during pregnancy in the early stages or enjoy the result.
With the existing pregnancy, with its normal course, the BT line in the constructed diagram remains unchanged with values of 37.1 - 37.3 until the end of the observations. If you see a sharp jump up (above 38) or vice versa down (below 37) - you should not guess what is happening, it is better to consult a doctor. After all, a decrease can indicate a change in the hormonal background, which means that the threat of a miscarriage is quite real. A sharp increase can provoke a viral infection or other inflammation.
Calm, only calm
In any case, even a doctor will not be able to completely decipher the picture only by BT. If there are any deviations from the norm during pregnancy, one jump on the chart is not enough, additional symptoms should be present. Yes, and the body of each woman is individual, and perhaps someone just did not understand how to measure the basal temperature during pregnancy correctly. The schedule could be influenced by many reasons (malnutrition, increased activity the day before, stress), and no one has yet canceled the features of your pregnancy. Therefore, you need to calm down, not to invent what is not. Excessive excitement will not bring anything good. Only a gynecologist conducting a pregnancy, having prescribed additional studies, will be able to put everything in its place.