National Fertility Week: Basal Body Temperature

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Good Morning!

 

National Fertility Week: Basal Body Temperature

 

This week is National Fertility Awarenss Week. Especially close to my heart,

helping woman get pregnant naturally has been my specialty for many years. This

week, I will review the many ways to help increase fertility in both woman and

men.

 

Basal Body Temperature and BBT Chart

 

A Basal Body Temperature chart is a way commonly used to determine the time of

ovulation. The basal body temperature refers to the temperature of your body at

rest. You will need a special thermometer or ovulation thermometer and graph

papers or a special chart. To determine your BBT, record your temperature

everyday upon awakening before you get out of bed. Immediately after ovulation

there will be a slight (no more than 0.4 to 1.0 degree Fahrenheit) but definite

rise in your body temperature. Temperatures remain elevated until the next

menstrual period.

 

Prior to ovulation, a woman's basal body temperatures generally range from 97.0

to 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures are suppressed at this time due to the

presence of the estrogen. After ovulation, due to the production of the

heat-inducing hormone progesterone, temperatures rise to about 97.6 to 98.6 F.

This rise in temperature indicates that ovulation has occurred. Your most

fertile day is the one immediately before the rise in temperature. This method

can be best utilized along with other fertility signs such as a pain or aches

felt on one side of the lower abdomen, to be accurate. When a woman is pregnant,

her temperature remains elevated throughout pregnancy. This test can also be

used to know whether a woman is ovulating or not. If ovulation does not occur

the normal temperature remains static always.

 

 

Predicting Ovulation

1. Counting Your Days: A cycle is counted from the first day of one period to

the first day of the next period. Remember, the hormone levels are at point zero

or neutral for the first three days. Keeping track of the average length of your

menstrual cycles is one of the easiest ways to predict ovulation. In a 28-day

cycle, for example, ovulation will generally take place between 12 and 15 days.

This is the time that a women is most fertile and most likely to get pregnant.

Therefore, the best time to have intercourse is between days 10 and 17 of your

menstrual cycle. This first phase (Phase 1) should not be shorter than 10 day or

longer than 17 days. If too short, the uterine lining does not have enough time

to thicken and the egg does not have time to mature. If too long, this means a

women's estrogen production is low.

 

2. Changing Cervical Mucus: As you approach ovulation, your cervical mucus

changes in both volume and texture. You are most fertile when your cervical

mucus discharge is clear and stretchy, like egg white texture. For conception,

have intercourse during each cycle on the days when your cervical mucus (vaginal

discharge) feels elastic, wet and slippery.

 

3. Cervix Changes: When levels of estrogen are heightened, as they are around

ovulation, the cervix will become more pliable, soft and change positions upward

away from the vagina. The cervical opening will also become wider. To check the

position of the cervix, reach into the vaginal canal with your finger. The tip

of the finger will touch the tip of the cervix. Note any subtle changes that

vary before and after ovulation.

 

4. Lower Abdominal Discomfort: Some women may experience mild aches and pain in

the lower abdominal area. Referred to as mittelschmerz (a German word meaning

" middle pain " ), abdominal pain can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few

hours and is a sign that ovulation is occurring.

 

5. Body Temperature Increase: This change in temperature occurs because of the

release of the egg and the production of hormones that accompany it. While this

temperature is too slight to be felt, it can be measured using a body

temperature thermometer.

 

6. Ovulation Timing Self-Test: An ovulation predictor kit is an option in

predicting ovulation. A positive result means that your hormone levels are high,

signaling that ovulation will occur within 12 to 48 hours.

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, MS. L.Ac

http://www.peacefulmind.com/infertility.htm

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