Using BBT Charting for fertility

What is a BBT chart?

Basal body temperature is called the BBT. The BBT chart is where you take your temperature on a daily basis before you get out of bed. Our temperature changes according during our menstrual cycle. This can assist you to understand your menstrual cycle, to help you predict when you ovulate and also if you are pregnant.

What does a BBT chart show us?

The BBT chart gives us information about our entire menstrual cycle. The chart shows the different phases of the menstrual cycle. Our temperature changes according to the hormones that are secreted in our body. It tells us if the phases are at their optimal length for fertility, or not. It can show us what aspects of our menstrual cycle are in balance or whether there is a need help to regulate the cycle and balance the hormones.

Some of the things a BBT chart can show us is if ovulation is occurring, if it is occurring early or late. If your fertile mucus is occurring at the right time and if our luteal phase is long enough for conception.

Benefits of BBT Tracking

• Cycle Regularity: A well-documented menstrual phase helps establish a baseline for future cycles, making it easier to identify irregularities.
• Fertility Awareness: Recognizing when menstruation begins allows you to anticipate ovulation timing in subsequent phases, enhancing your chances of conception when trying to conceive.

By diligently recording your BBT chart for fertility, you empower yourself with knowledge about your body’s unique rhythms and patterns. Such awareness fosters informed decisions regarding family planning and reproductive health management.

The Menstrual Phase

The menstrual phase is the first phase to the menstrual cycle. Start a new BBT chart every month on day one of your period. Day 1 is the first day you wake up with your period. This phase typically lasts between 3 to 7 days and is characterized by the shedding of the uterine lining. If you spot pre-period, it is part of the former cycle.

With the menstrual phase, there usually is a drop in temperature from the luteal phase. If the temperature doesn’t drop until after the period, this may be a sign of heat or inflammation in your pelvic region.

Characteristics During Menstruation

During menstruation, the following characteristics can be observed:

• Hormonal Levels: Estrogen and progesterone levels drop, leading to a decrease in BBT. This is primarily due to the lack of hormonal support for maintaining the uterine lining.
• Temperature Patterns: It’s common to see lower temperatures compared to those recorded in the luteal phase.

The Follicular Phase

The next phase is the follicular phase. The follicular phase is dominated by estrogen which aids the thickening of the endometrial lining. During the follicular phase your ovaries are developing follicles for a mature egg to be released at ovulation. So the temperature and length of this phase is telling us about your eggs and endometrial lining.

The follicular phase comes after the menstrual phase and is important for getting the body ready for possible pregnancy. During this time, estrogen levels rise, and it usually lasts from day 1 to day 14 of the menstrual cycle.

Basal body temperature (BBT) tends to be lower in the follicular phase compared to the luteal phase because progesterone levels are lower before ovulation.

The Ovulation Phase

The ovulation phase is a crucial time in the menstrual cycle when a mature egg is released from the ovary. This usually happens around day 14 in a typical 28-day cycle, but it can vary. Knowing about this phase is important for getting pregnant.

The ovulation phase is when the LH (luteinizing hormone) peaks to promote ovulation. Basal body temperature (BBT) shows a noticeable rise because of increasing progesterone levels.

Your fertile window is about 3 days before ovulation and a day or 2 after.

One of the reasons for not falling pregnant might be that you are ovulating later or early than you think you are and missing the window of opportunity.

Ovulation tests are not always accurate. For example, if you think you are ovulating on day 14 of your cycle, but you actually ovulate on day 17 then you won’t fall pregnant. So timing is very important. Once you have charted your BBT for a couple of cycles, and you are ovulating regularly then you can predict when you will ovulate and time appropriately.

You may hear or read there is a clear drop in temperature just before ovulation followed by an increase afterward. In reality this is not usually seen on a BBT chart.

The Luteal Phase

The next phase is the luteal phase. The luteal phase is an important part of the menstrual cycle. It happens after ovulation and lasts until menstruation begins. This phase needs to last at least 11 days for supporting a possible pregnancy.

During this phase our temperature rises higher than the follicular phase. BBT stays elevated, often indicating that ovulation has taken place. The luteal phase is dominated by progesterone. Progesterone keeps the endometrial lining thickened so if an embryo implants into the uterine lining it is well nourished and supported for pregnancy until the development of the placenta which happens in about week 9 of pregnancy.

This is a brief introduction to BBT charting. Learning and understanding your BBT helps you understand your cycle and timing of ovulation. You can even chart your BBT and do ovulation sticks to check the accuracy of the ovulation sticks.

Pregnancy

If temperatures remain elevated past the expected duration of menstruation, it might suggest potential pregnancy. However, if there is not a pregnancy, it may indicate hormonal imbalances requiring further investigation. Your holistic health practitioner can help you with this.

There are many apps now that you can use to track your BBT. Fertility Friend is one of the oldest, Kindara is another popular app, though there are many more.

How to record a BBT

1. You will need a BBT thermometer. They are available at the clinic or chemist.
2. You will need 4 hours of sleep minimum before you can take the BBT. Take the temperature immediately after you wake up, before you get out of bed.
3. It is a good idea to take the temperature at the same time each day. If you change the time you take the temperature, please note it down on your chart and we need to take this into account when reading your chart.
4. Note down things that can also can change your temperature – this includes sickness, alcohol or interrupted sleep.
5. If you struggle to do your BBT you can now purchase tempdrop that automatically tracks your BBT for you. The series 8 apple watch also has a BBT function.

Pearls of Wisdom for BBT Charting

Every Mama Matters founder, Julienne Tatkovic, at her clinic in Redcliffe, Queensland, uses BBT charting as one of her diagnostic tools with fertility patients. She has this advice for you:

1. If you have some strange readings – buy a new thermometer.
2. Do not use the ear or skin thermometers
3. BBT charting is gathering data, holistic practitioners use the charts to help with diagnosis and tracking treatment response.
4. BBT charts are more accurate the ovulation pee sticks. If you are using ovulation sticks, double check them with your BBT chart to ensure accuracy.
5. Work with a holistic practitioner to interpret your chart.
6. Some women find taking their chart contributes to feelings of anxiety or stress. However – remember – it is simply a window into your cycle, life and emotional world. Our temperature is affected by alcohol, stress, over-exercising, our thyroid function and so on. A practitioner is key for interpretation, lifestyle advice and treatment.

Utilizing a comprehensive BBT chart for fertility not only aids in understanding your cycle but also serves as a crucial tool in navigating complex fertility journeys.

Every Mama Matters Fertility Courses and Consults

In our online courses, Kickstart your Fertility and Get Your Body Baby Ready, you can support your fertility journey, whether you are trying for natural conception or using assisted reproduction including Invitro fertilization (IVF) or Intrauterine insemination (IUI).

If you are wanting some further support from Julienne, you can book an appointment with her here.