Basal Body Temperature
Basal Body Temperature (BBT) is the body's base temperature upon waking. In order to accurately document the BBT, your temperature should be taken before talking, drinking, or getting up and moving around.
The most accurate reading will be if your temperature is taken the same time every morning, and with at least three hours of continuous sleep.
BBT can:
The "HOW TO's for BBT:
Taking the basal body temperature
- Purchase a BBT thermometer, not a regular fever thermometer. These can be found in the family planning section of any pharmacy or department store
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- Take your temperature daily, before anything else. Keeping thermometer under pillow can be helpful
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- Choose one temping method and stick with it (oral or vaginal; glass or digital)
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- Be Consistent – try to temp at the same time daily
with at least 3 hours (more is better) of uninterrupted sleep.
(note – If sleeping in late, subtract .1 degree from waking temperature for each half hour, but only up to .3) |
Charting the basal body temperature
- Record your temperature on symptothermal chart daily. Place dot at appropriate temperature and cycle day. Day 1 = 1st day of menstrual flow.
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- Connect dots
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- Note illnesses, travel, poor sleep or anything unusual that might affect temperature.
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- Don't include bad temperatures on graph. Skip temp and draw line from last one to next one with affected temps excluded.
(temperatures that qualify to be excluded are waking temps after poor sleep, illness or anything that puts temperature out of normal range)
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- Draw coverline. This is a horizontal line that differentiates between the lows and highs during the cycle. (before ovulation and after ovulation)
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- Coverline:
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- Locate temperature rise of at least .2 degrees higher than previous six temperatures.
- Highlight last six temperatures.
- Find highest of six temperatures.
- Coverline is 1/10th of a degree above the highest of the six temperatures.
- Make sure to discount high temperatures during period
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Chart Examples:
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This is an example of a nonpregnancy chart. The woman charting this cycle was trying to conceive, and intercourse is marked as an X on the BD line (often referred to as baby dance!)
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This is an example of a pregnancy chart. The woman charting this cycle was trying to conceive, and intercourse is marked as an X on the BD line. This woman was successful in achieving pregnancy! |
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This is an example of an annovulatory chart where the temperatures are like a jagged mountain and never have a pattern of lows and highs. Women will normally experience this once or twice a year but some women with other conditions, suffer with annovulatory cycles until they get medical assistance to ovulate. Notice there is no coverline or ovulation line(in red).
Charting temperatures helps predict cycle length. By using this method, you can pinpoint approximately when period is due based on the day of ovulation.
The number of days from temperature rise to menstrual period is pretty consistent (within one or two days) in an individual woman.
The number of days before the temp rise occurs (ovulation) can be totally unpredictable.
Many people believe that ovulation occurs on cycle day 14, but this is a false assumption. Many factors determine when ovulation occurs, including stress, travel, illness, etc.
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Guide to reading Symptothermal charts below
| Symbol |
Title |
Description |
| CM |
Cervical Mucus |
M = Menses * = Spotting - = Dry S = Sticky
C = Creamy W = Watery E = Eggwhite |
| OT |
Ovulation Test Kits
Fertility Monitors |
+ = Positive - = negative
L = Low H = High |
| BD |
Intercourse |
Also symbolizes "baby dance" for
trying to conceive |
| CP |
Cervical Position |
L = Low M = Medium H = High
S = Soft M=Medium F = Firm |
| Meds |
Includes various fertility medicines |
C = Clomid
P = Progesterone |
If you have any questions, please Email Me.
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It is not my intention to provide specific medical advice but rather to provide users with information to better understand their body signs. Specific medical advice will not be provided, I recommend if there are health issues, you seek the care of your primary physician.
Copyright © 2005 Tricia Greenwell Page last updated August 11, 2005
