Can we talk BBT?

Question

So I'm not sure how many of you are currently temping, but if you are not, let's talk. I am determined to get everyone into it lol. Starters, BBT (basal body temperature) is the only known way to currently confirm ovulation.

"What? How about opks?" You ask.

They are great and I use them while temping, but they can only predict when you may ovulate based on your LH surge.

Temping not only confirms your ovulation, it also can (sometimes) help show implantation and when/if you are due to start your period.

"Bo, this sounds ridiculously hard and stressful" (I'm talking for you guys)

Not at all! Go to your nearest Walmart, Walgreens, or even Amazon.com and pick up a thermometer, be sure it is specified as bbt and tells temp to the tenth degree. Download fertility friend and wait for CD1 (it is always better to start temping at the beginning of a cycle, rather than middle).
Each morning set an alarm to the same time each morning. DO NOT get out of bed. Take your temp without moving around too much. Once you have your temp, input on fertility friend and glow and watch the magic happen each day. 
You can temp orally or vaginally. If you suspect you may be a mouth breather, temp vaginally. And no, vaginal temping isn't weird. You actually get your most accurate reading vaginally. 
Below you can see my fertility friend chart from last month. The red crosshairs are indicating the day I ovulated. Notice the temp stays above the crosshairs until the last day where it drops below, and ultimately, I start CD1. Had that temp stayed above the crosshairs and I didn't get AF, could mean pregnancy, or had that temp dropped below the crosshairs around 7-10DPO (days past ovulation) it could indicate an implantation dip. 
See? Temping is the best way to take control of your body!

Sincerely, 
Your temping obsessed groupie

Answer

Thanks for all the input! I'm ordering one from amazon now to starty next cycle. I work shifts so I get up at different times but I'm going to try and set an alarm and if I have to fall back asleep after so be it!

Answer

Yeah!  A BBT expert on the team!! I'm trying to start now- find it hard with shift work and all and sometime I just full out forget. Going to get religious with it next cycle though!

Answer

Bo I need your expertise to give me some hope. As you know I just started temping this month and I had my first peak as well as ovulation cramps on cd14. It's cd16 now and I have not had that rise in temp that I should get after ovulation. Now I'm starting to think I didn't ovulate. The huge spike on cd15 was because I had some drinks on cd14. I'm afraid that my monitor caught my peak, I felt my body gear up and it didn't happen?

Answer

So I started temping, and the second day had a huge jump in temp. I drank the night before could this be the reason? Is it normal to have that much of a jump to start? Excuse my ignorance this charting is all new to me

Answer

Another one for the shift workers:

Sorry for the million and one posts but I keep remembering things I do to try to get the best results possible. 
On FF I added custom data for days off, night shifts, and day shifts so that hopefully I'll see a pattern of my temps seem off. This is my first month temping so I may be out to lunch but so far it seems to be working :) Here's hoping!!

Answer

For you shift workers:
(See comment on mindy's post), and.. 
I also will temp if I wake up in the middle of my sleep if it's been more than 2-3 hours then again when my alarm goes off if it's been long enough, usually there's not much of a change

Answer

Hi Katie! 
Looking at you chart, it's hard to find ovulation because of the missed temps. Hopefully you can get on a routine. You can test any time throughout the day as long as you have at least 2-3 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Fertility friend will give you open circles because they are at different times of the day, but you should still be able to get solid readings with 2-3 hours of sleep. 
Based in your current chart and your cm, cp, I think you may have ovulated around cd23-26. Get in the habit of setting an alarm before you fall asleep no matter time of day and keep tracking! Good luck!

Answer

Bo; what do you think of this? First cycle really playing with it.

Can we talk BBT?

Let's Glow!

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