Trying to Get Pregnant? Start with a Basal Body Temperature Chart

If you have been trying unsuccessfully to achieve a pregnancy, the first thing you should do is get familiar with your body by keeping a basal body temperature chart. nnMenstrual CyclenYou will need to figure out the length of your menstrual cycle by noting the start day of your period and when it ends, along with any other pertinent information. If you decide to visit a fertility specialist, he/she will probably have you do this anyway. This way you can stay one step ahead by doing it yourself and taking it with you when you go. nnKeep in mind that cycle lengths can vary anywhere from about 21 days to 35 days, the average being about 28 days. A woman who has a 28 day cycle will ovulate (release an egg) at about day 14. Women who have shorter or longer cycles will ovulate earlier or later than that. nnIllness or stress can interfere with ovulation. A woman may not ovulate every month. This is called an “anovulatory cycle”. nnCervical MucousnIn addition to charting your menstrual period, you will also need to check and chart your cervical mucous. The quality and quantity of cervical mucous changes over the course of your menstrual cycle. In the early portion of your cycle the mucous is likely to be sticky and thick. However, as ovulation time approaches the mucous becomes progressively wet, slick and abundant. During ovulation the mucous may actually resemble “egg white”. After ovulation it will go back to sticky and thick. nnCervix Position nYour cervix position also changes during the course of your cycle. At the beginning of your cycle your cervix is firm and slightly lowered into your vagina. Then as ovulation time grows nearer, it rises up a little into your vagina, becoming soft and chunky. nnIn order to check your cervix you need to put your clean, middle finger into your vagina so that it goes up to your middle knuckle or more. Right before ovulation it might feel like your “lips”. After you ovulate, it will seem harder, somewhat like the tip of your “nose”. nnMake sure you record any noticeable changes on your basal chart. nnBasal Body TemperaturenYour Basal Body Temperature is when you take your temperature as soon as you wake up in the morning before you get out of bed. This temperature will shift at different times during the cycle to give you an idea of when you ovulate. Right before ovulation, your temperature will be slightly lower (somewhere between 97.0 degrees F to 97.5 degrees F) whereas during the beginning of the cycle your temperature range should be (somewhere between 97.6 degrees F to 97.8 degrees F). nnAdvice n· Make copies of the Basal Temperature Chart so that you can start a new chart every cycle and keep track for several months. nn· Use a standard digital thermometer to chart your temperature. nn· Keep track of any illness, stress, lack or sleep and days you have intercourse. nn· Connect temps to see a pattern. nn· Remember that you need to have intercourse sometime during the five days before ovulation because once you ovulate, the window of opportunity slams shut.nnnIf you keep a basal body temperature chart, it should help you become more familiar with your body so that you may be able to achieve a pregnancy on your own.