What is basal body temperature?
Basal body temperature (BBT) is the body temperature of a person in the basal state. It is usually the oral temperature measured immediately after 6 to 8 hours of sleep without any disturbance, such as rising, moving, eating, etc. It can be measured after 6 to 8 hours of sleep for night shift workers. It can respond to some extent to ovarian function and is a good method for women to self-check endocrine function and guide planned pregnancy and contraception. This method is simple and easy to perform, but requires persistence.
Why does the body temperature change?
After the follicle is discharged, its surrounding part will form the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone. Progesterone excites the thermoregulatory center, causing the basal body temperature to rise by 0.3 to 0.5℃ after ovulation.
How to take basal body temperature?
To obtain an accurate basal body temperature, the following should be performed correctly.
1, prepare a mercury thermometer and master the meter reading method.
2.Every night before going to bed, the mercury column will be thrown to below 35 ℃, alcohol cotton ball sterilization and placed in the reach of the bed.
3, every morning after waking up, immediately measure the sublingual body temperature for 5 minutes. Try to fix the measurement at 5-7 a.m., generally no more than half an hour difference before and after is better. Turning over, getting up, urinating and defecating, smoking, eating, talking, etc. are strictly prohibited before taking temperature measurement.
How do I read my basal body temperature?
A low temperature in the first half of the normal reproductive cycle and an increased temperature in the second half is called a biphasic temperature, which represents the formation of the corpus luteum but does not indicate ovulation. If the temperature remains relatively low, this is called a monophasic temperature and indicates the absence of luteal formation. In professional terminology we usually refer to the period of lower temperature as the follicular phase and the period of higher temperature as the luteal phase.
Remember a few important data sets.
Body temperature generally fluctuates around 36.5°C during the follicular phase.
the increase in temperature during the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase should be around 0.3 to 0.5°C
the change from the hypothermic phase to the hyperthermic phase should be completed within 2 days
ovulation is possible within 4 to 5 days before and after the rise in body temperature, not necessarily on the day of the lowest body temperature
The luteal phase should last 12 to 16 days.
Several common abnormal basal temperatures.
A persistent monophasic phase with no rise in temperature indicates no ovulation.
A high temperature phase lasting less than 12 days or a temperature rise of less than 0.3 to 0.5°C is luteal insufficiency.
Hypothermic phase with temperature persisting around 36.7℃ indicates low ovarian function.
If the temperature rises slowly and takes 4 to 5 days to reach its peak, it is possible that the follicle has not been expelled, which is medically known as follicular luteinization, that is, the follicle has not ruptured and the egg has not been expelled into the abdominal cavity, but directly converted into the corpus luteum. This phenomenon occurs in 7% of normal women and increases in up to 75% of patients with endometriosis.
If the high temperature phase lasts more than 16 days, there are two possibilities: one is pregnancy, and women who have a pregnancy requirement should be careful not to abuse drugs at this time, and should seek medical attention in time, if the temperature does not drop for more than 20 days, then the chances of pregnancy are greater; the second is the manifestation of follicular luteinization.