Every woman must have heard such a term as "basal temperature." What is it, everyone has their own concept, but most will say that this is an indicator that is needed to track ovulation when planning pregnancy. In general, yes, but you need to more fully disclose this topic so that there are no white spots. We start with the definition, we will touch upon the technique of measuring and plotting. In addition, I would like to consider how the basal temperature changes during pregnancy.
Basic knowledge
We will start from the very beginning, that is, with the definition of "basal temperature". What is it, now it will become clear. This is a temperature that is measured rectally. There are two points to consider. To obtain accurate and reliable information, measurements should be performed strictly at the same time and after a long rest. That is, the time is considered optimal at 6 o’clock in the morning, when you just woke up.
What are these indicators for? To analyze the hormonal background. Moreover, all changes due to biological factors and causes occur only locally, so putting a thermometer under the arm is pointless. There is one more thing to consider: if a person is overheated or sick, the basal temperature also changes. It is unnecessary to add that this can cause data corruption.
You need to know
What will you do the research for. By itself, performing a single measurement yields nothing. But the totality of data for several months allows you to get a pretty bright and clear picture. Another important point. Performing measurements, women achieve exactly one thing, they can clearly see how their menstrual cycle goes when an egg matures and ovulation occurs.
But if you take hormonal contraceptives, then this technique stops working for the simple reason that the cycle is regulated by the hormones taken, and not by your own. Moreover, their action is aimed at ensuring that the eggs do not mature. Therefore, no matter how long you plot, the basal temperature will always be the same. That this is completely uninformative, you already guessed yourself.
Learning to measure temperature
Remembering the basic rules once again, you must complete the entire procedure early in the morning without getting out of bed even after a thermometer. That is, we set an alarm within reach and, barely opening our eyes, we measure. Only in this case can the indicators be considered informative. We emphasize once again that the body should be at rest. Do not stretch or sit down in bed; you should also not throw back the blanket. Just bend your legs slightly and insert the tip of the thermometer into the anus. About 5 minutes you need to lie still.
After that, put it on a pre-prepared napkin and you can easily fill up or get up. Basal temperature is not measured during the day for the simple reason that physical activity makes the indicators completely uninformative. Even having built a graph based on the results of many months of measurements, you will not be able to see anything on it. So, we are a little distracted. The result should be immediately entered in a notebook, and it is better to immediately transfer it to a simple schedule, where one axis is the date and the second is BT.
Measurements during the day
Sometimes, wanting to get the most reliable data, a woman begins to take measurements every two hours. This not only does not add informativeness, but also confuses. It turns out a huge array of data, which is more difficult to process, since the indicators contradict each other. Depending on physical activity, emotional state, food intake and other environmental factors, the numbers will change constantly. It is almost impossible to find the optimal time for measurement during the day.
Plotting
Most often, women begin to take measurements in order to track ovulation and not to monitor the onset of pregnancy. The basal temperature during pregnancy in the early stages really varies greatly. As we said above, you can’t say anything until you have accumulated information for several months. Only then can you visually assess the cyclicality and determine which of the peaks accounts for ovulation. Based on the results, you can calculate the days of ovulation and determine the period of greatest fertility.
First of all, this information is important for couples who are planning a child. This method is also used by those who want to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. However, doctors recommend in this case to additionally use other methods of contraception. The basal temperature during pregnancy in the early stages rises sharply, after which for some time it stays at about 37.2.
Technical Subtleties
So let's get to practice. You will need a notebook in a box, a pen and a thermometer, preferably digital, not mercury, so as not to be afraid of falling asleep inadvertently break it. Prepare the coordinate axes in advance. On the horizontal axis, the day number of the cycle is plotted. There are some nuances here. The countdown must be carried out from the first day of menstruation. Taking it as a reference point, you will create the most accurate graph. On one axis you will postpone your measurements daily. It is important to maintain accuracy to 0.1 degrees.
What allows you to see the graph
Basal temperature readings should be made daily. Skip only one day, and reliable information will not work. In a couple of months, it will be necessary to reliably determine:
- Ovulation time. Most often they are interested in those who for a long time plan to conceive, but for various reasons this does not happen. When contacting a doctor, the first recommendation is to build a schedule.
- With the help of such material, an experienced specialist can understand what is the reason for the imbalance. In addition, he will need ultrasound data and laboratory tests.
- The onset of pregnancy. The basal temperature during pregnancy in the early stages demonstrates confident stability. Not a hint of a drop, as is usually the case before the onset of menstruation. Thus, you can find out whether a pregnancy has come.
- Moreover, the doctor can use such valuable diagnostic material to suspect endometritis or another formidable disease that the sooner you detect, the easier it will be to cure.
Graphic fluctuations are normal
It is important to be able to not only build, but also read the schedule correctly. For this, it is not necessary to have a medical education, it is enough to carefully familiarize yourself with this material. Once again, we draw your attention to the fact that we are talking about the indicators of a healthy woman, any disease can distort information.
From the first day of the cycle, BT decreases. With an indicator of 37.2, it reaches 36.5. You can easily see these fluctuations on your monthly schedule. Around the middle of the cycle, the egg matures and leaves. It is at this time that within 3-4 days the temperature slowly rises to 37.1-37.3 degrees. It is this long, smooth rise that you will see on the vertical axis.
After this comes the most stable period, the line runs at the same level throughout the second half of the cycle. Indicators remain at the level of 37.2-37.4. Regular changes are expected 2-3 days before the onset of menstruation. Now you are recording the indicators that were at the beginning of the cycle (36.9). The basal temperature during pregnancy in the early stages remains stably high, this characteristic decrease is not observed.
Waiting for a miracle
Let's dwell on how to determine that you are really expecting a baby. Recall that we are talking about those periods when only the most sensitive tests can correctly diagnose conception. The basal temperature at an early stage, when life is just beginning to emerge in you, noticeably changes its character. The indicators that were supposed to decline will remain at the same level as throughout the second half of the cycle. The temperature will remain at the level of 37.2 and throughout the entire period of the estimated monthly.
Abnormal basal temperature
However, it also happens that for a successful conception you can take completely different indicators. That is why we say that even the best schedule does not replace competent expert advice. Average BT should be kept at 37.2 degrees. In some cases, it is permissible to increase it to 38. However, this is already the upper limit of the norm. If BT has reached such indicators or has risen above, you should immediately consult a doctor.
A high basal temperature before menstruation can not only talk about conception, but also suggest the presence of various kinds of inflammatory diseases. But to diagnose yourself is not worth it. It is better to see a doctor. Do not forget about the likelihood that you may simply take measurements incorrectly, for which reason you receive unreliable results.
How to measure the temperature of pregnant women
Even after the woman’s interesting position has been confirmed, the doctor may recommend that she continue to conduct her observations. Sometimes this is done because, based on the examination, the gynecologist can only assume the presence of pregnancy, and additional data are required to confirm the diagnosis.
Basal temperature in the early stages is very significant. Analyzing the table, you can see the following patterns:
- The increase in indicators lasts at least 3 days longer than on standard charts. This is the time when, after ovulation for several days, a high temperature remains.
- If, reading the graph, you see that the corpus luteum phase lasts more than 18 days.
- In the standard, two-phase graph, you see the third peak.
From the point of view of diagnosis of BT, the first 2 weeks of pregnancy are significant. After that, the hormonal background changes. Therefore, basal temperature after the first delay will not give much to the patient herself. However, if the doctor asks for continued monitoring, it is worth listening to.
Development of events
These are already quite reliable signs of pregnancy. You will soon notice more obvious symptoms that are familiar to every woman. What basal temperature should be in the first trimester? To answer this question, you need to go a little deeper into physiology.
A trained reader knows well why the BT scores increase. The hormones that are designed to prepare the walls of the uterus and fix the fertilized egg are to blame. When pregnancy occurs, hormones continue to be produced in large numbers, so the first three months the schedule will show an almost flat line, at the level of 37.1-37.3. After about 20 weeks of pregnancy, it begins to decline.
Possible causes of BT reduction
Low values are considered if their value is below 37 degrees. This may mean that there are complications during pregnancy. Therefore, in this case, you need to measure the next day, and if the indicators are low again, then consult a doctor. In addition, it is recommended to make additional measurements during the day and compare them with the morning indicators.
If doctors diagnose low progesterone, then the woman is hospitalized for preservation. Sometimes a decrease in BT indicates a fetal freeze. In this case, the corpus luteum ceases to fulfill its functions. However, it is impossible to make a diagnosis only on the basis of the schedule, since sometimes even in the presence of a frozen pregnancy the temperature remains high. This once again emphasizes the fact that any data should be analyzed by a specialist, checking them with the results of inspection and laboratory tests.
Instead of a conclusion
If you want to get to know your body better and understand the processes that occur in it, then we advise every woman to take up the measurement of BT. Only 4-5 months of regular measurements will give you the richest material on the basis of which you can plan a future pregnancy or avoid it more effectively.