Basal temperature is the temperature of the body, which shows changes in the internal genital organs that occur under the influence of certain hormones. With the help of measuring the basal temperature, you can determine with certain accuracy when ovulation occurs and what level of progesterone in the body (on whether this hormone is produced, the probability of pregnancy depends).
Basal temperature is measured at a time when there is virtually no effect on the body from the outside. The best time for this is the morning, but not less than 6 hours of sleep. It is extremely important to measure the temperature at the same time every day with the same thermometer.
Methods for measuring basal temperature:
- rectal - thermometer is inserted into the anal opening with the use of additional lubricants;
- vaginal - the thermometer is inserted into the vagina for half its length without the use of lubricant;
- oral - the thermometer lies under the tongue and holds with closed lips.
Basal temperature chart for pregnancy
At the onset of pregnancy, the basal temperature will stay at a level above 37 degrees Celsius for the next 12-14 weeks, without sinking before the days of menstruation. This is due to the fact that at this time the yellow body produces progesterone. This level of basal temperature is the norm during pregnancy.
You do not need to stop measuring basal temperature after pregnancy, because this indicator during pregnancy is very informative. With it, you can monitor the course of pregnancy.
Allowable measurement of basal temperature during pregnancy from a rate of 37 degrees - no more than 0.1-0.3 degrees Celsius. If in the first 12-14 weeks of pregnancy there is a decrease in basal temperature for several days in a row, this indicates a threat to the embryo. Probably, there is progesterone insufficiency. This condition requires immediate contact with a specialist and urgent measures.
The increase in basal temperature during pregnancy to a level of 38 degrees Celsius is no less dangerous, since it indicates the presence of inflammatory processes or infections in the body of a woman.
However, do not panic if a decrease or increase in temperature is observed not systematically, but occurred once. Perhaps, when measuring it, mistakes were made or stresses and other extraneous factors affected.
After the onset of 12-14 weeks, the measurement of basal temperature can be stopped, as its indicators become uninformative. By this time, the hormonal background of the woman is changing and the already developed placenta starts to work out the progesterone, while the yellow body withdraws to a secondary plan.
How is the basal temperature plot constructed?
After the next measurement of basal temperature, it is necessary to record in the graph, which is constructed in this way: on the ordinate axis are degrees with a division frequency of 0.1 degrees Celsius, along the abscissa - the days of the menstrual cycle.
If unusually high or low temperatures occur during the plotting process, due to various factors such as stress, hypothermia, illness or insomnia, these points should be excluded from the connecting line. To always know about the causes of these or those jumps, next to the cells of the days of the cycle, you can make notes. For example, that on this day there was sex, later going to bed or taking alcohol.