Chart Your Basal Body Temperature

Keeping track of your monthly cycle via BBT is crucial to beginning infertility treatment or anytime you need to detect your ovulation.

Here's how:

  1. Purchase a basal body temp (BBT) thermometer.
  2. Obtain a BBT chart from your doctor, or download one from online.
  3. Before bedtime, place BBT chart, a notepad and pen on bedside table or floor.
  4. At bedtime, prepare your thermometer: if mercury, shake down below 98 degrees.
  5. Place thermometer within arm's reach on bedside table or floor.
  6. Upon waking in the morning, immediately reach for thermometer before doing anything else.
  7. Insert thermometer into mouth, under tongue.
  8. If mercury thermometer, leave in mouth for 5 minutes.
  9. If digital thermometer, leave in mouth until indicator (usually a beep) signals you.
  10. After 5 minutes or the signal sounds, take thermometer out of mouth and look at the reading under good light.
  11. Jot down date and temp reading on notepad.
  12. Scribble a pen dot on the graphline where the date and temperature meet.
  13. After you have more than one temp graphed, connect the dots with a line.

Tips:

  1. Use the type of thermometer that is easiest for you to read first thing in morning.
  2. Do not do anything else before placing thermometer in your mouth. If possible, don't move any body part other than your reaching arm.
  3. Jot down temperature reading immediately; do not depend on your memory.