What
is Basal Temperature, and How Can Knowing It Help You Get Pregnant?
By Stacey Woods
The body temperature of a woman will rise and fall a tiny bit
each day. On the day immediately following ovulation, her temperature
will usually rise several tenths of a degree. By taking her temperature
every day, in a few months she can begin to predict when this
temperature rise will take place, and thus find the date of ovulation.
A basal thermometer
is a special kind of thermometer that measures the body temperature
to the tenth of a degree. A normal thermometer only measures to
the degree, so you will be unable to determine your exact temperature
close enough to be able to chart the differences. The thermometer
is used under the tongue, just like you do when you are coming
down with the flu. (Is that a sigh of relief?) The way to use
a basal thermometer is to have it beside your bed. Take your temperature
immediately upon waking up, before getting out of bed, or even
moving around much. If you're prone to forgetfulness, you can
have your chart and a pencil handy, too. Record the temperature
each morning at about the same time.
In the appendix
of this ebook, you will find a sample chart for keeping track
of your basal temperature. The days across the top of the chart
begin with the first day of your cycle. If you tend to spot a
day or two before, choose either the spotting day or the real
first day, but always use the same day. The goal is to find the
day when your temperature peaks each month, and plan your marital
encounters (i.e. sex) for the day right before. Obviously, you
will have to record temperatures on the chart for several months
in order to be able to predict the day. It will probably take
at least that long for a pattern to appear.
Basal thermometers
are available in digital, regular, and non-mercury models. You
should be able to get either type for well under $20. The thermometer
you get will probably come with a chart that you can make additional
copies of.
There is another
aspect to the recording, too, which you will note on the bottom
of the many of the charts used for recording basal temperature.
This symptom to record each day is the texture of your vaginal
secretions. The fluid or discharge changes from day to day throughout
your monthly cycle. On the day of ovulation, the secretions will
be slimy and stretchy with a texture somewhat like mucous or egg
white. To test for this "egg white" fluid, you can place
two fingers of one (clean!) hand into your vagina. Get a little
of the fluid on your fingers and pull them out. If the vaginal
secretion is of the right texture, it should stay intact, stretching
while you spread your fingers four inches or more apart. For best
results, you need to keep track of the texture and amount of secretions
each day.
Between these
two indicators, you should be able to get a pretty good idea of
when ovulation is taking place. Some women feel a little pain
in an ovary when it releases an egg, and this can be a tip off
as well. Breast tenderness and discomfort in the middle abdomen
are other possible indicators that ovulation is taking place,
but the majority of women have no symptoms beside the temperature
rise and the change in discharge.
There is one
other physical sign that can be checked when trying to predict
the time of ovulation, and that is cervix position, sometimes
called CP. When you feel internally for fluids to check the consistency,
you can also feel the cervix itself. After your period and before
ovulation, it tends to be felt lower in the vagina and harder
in texture. It has been said to feel like the tip of your nose
in firmness. Later, just preceding ovulation, it gets higher and
softer. You might not be able to reach it. It will feel soft,
like your lip, when ovulation takes place. You can keep track
of CP conditions on your chart along with your basal temperature
and fluid texture.
My name is
Stacey and I am 39. I always heard about women having trouble
conceiving a baby at this age, but it never really struck me directly
until recently. I managed to find a natural way to conceive at
my age, so I decided to expose the secret.
To find out
more, please visit http://www.conceiveeasy.com
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