Mapping the menstrual cycle: BBT

Written By Ceda Jarick

YOUR BASAL BODY TEMPERATURE (BBT) CHART

Have your thermometer (Surgipack ovulation digital thermometer), this chart, a pen and a clock/phone beside your bed before you go to sleep. Place your thermometer on top of your phone as a reminder to take your temperature immediately upon waking.

Leave the THERMOMETER UNDER YOUR TONGUE FOR 2 MINUTES. Temperature is only accurate if you take it BEFORE YOU GET OUT OF BED and after AT LEAST 3-4 HOURS OF SOLID SLEEP. If you mouth breathe at night, speak to Ceda about how to take your temperature. If you are a shift worker, take the temperature daily, after any unbroken sleep of 4-5 hours. Apple Watches and wearable devices like TempDrop take your temperature whilst you are asleep. This might be an easier option for you.

Recording the Temperature

  1. Day 1 on your chart is the first day of menstruation (the first day that bleeding is occurring when you wake up)

  2. My preferred method is to enter the temperatures into an app. It will automatically chart the cycle. The algorithm used to predict your fertile days is good, but not perfect.

  3. Email the chart to me before your appointment.

  4. If you’d prefer to use pen and paper, find your cycle day (CD) on your chart, and find the temperature measurement on the chart. Find where these two columns/rows intersect. Place a dot in the centre of this box. If you like you can join the dots by ruling straight lines between them. BBT Chart PDF

FAQs

  1. If you forget a temperature, leave that box blank and rule a line between the day before and the day after.

  2. If your temperature falls outside the range given on the paper chart, write the exact temperature in the column.

  3. Record menstrual bleeding, ovulation mucous, intercourse, PMS symptoms, and days taking herbal supplements.

  4. Bring your chart to each visit or email them before you come!

  5. If you are using an app FERTILITY FRIEND has previously been my preferred app because the charts can be emailed to me before your appointment.

    Please don’t worry if the chart is not perfect. We are looking for patterns, and opportunities for improvement in all ‘5 phases of the cycle’, rather than only focusing on when ovulation is occurring.

Ceda Jarick
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