The normal body temperature of a healthy individual at the time of waking up in the morning is called basal body temperature. Women who are trying to conceive are asked to learn how to measure basal body temperature and maintain a chart of the temperatures all through the menstrual cycle. This is because a woman is most fertile at the time of ovulation, and the body’s core temperature rises when a woman ovulates, indicating that an egg has been released by her ovary and that it is on its way down the fallopian tube to the uterus.
To measure basal body temperature for charting purposes, a woman should, first, know how to measure basal body temperature. Second, she should take the temperature first thing in the morning, at the same time every day, before starting any activity. It is also vital that she takes the temperature from the same part of the body and from the same location, in order to ensure consistency of the data collected. Once the temperature is noted, it should be recorded on a graph. Since the body’s core temperature rises by a half a degree to one degree, you should measure your basal body temperature with thermometers that can measure temperatures by tenths of a degree. Digital thermometers are ideal for this purpose. See also body temperature to get pregnant
As a woman learns how to measure basal body temperature and to plot it on a chart, she should understand the reasons behind the change. Estrogen, the hormone that prompts the ovaries to produce and release eggs keeps the body cool in the first two weeks of the menstrual cycle. This phase is called the follicular phase. Once ovulation takes place, the second phase called the luteal phase starts, and during this phase, the hormone progesterone raises the body temperature and prepares the uterus for receiving a fertilized egg. On the chart with the measured basal body temperature, ovulation is indicated by the peak in the middle of the cycle, before the temperature tapers off in anticipation of the onset of the next menstrual cycle. See also how to increase basal body temperature
For a woman planning to have a baby, not only is it important to know how to measure basal body temperature but it is also equally important that she understands the various factors that affect her temperature. Insomnia, emotional outbursts, consuming alcohol, fever, and even using an electric blanket can result in a high basal body temperature that has nothing to do with ovulation. Any doubts and fears with regards to basal body temperature would best be dealt with your doctor.
Submitted by N S on December 16, 2010 at 12:44