Natural family planning is one way of anticipating and preparing for conception and pregnancy. One method, basal body temperature charting helps a woman predict when she will ovulate, optimizing the chance of fertilization. The body is typically at it's lowest temperature over the course of a month, during ovulation.
The ability to chart this natural progression allows many women to predict ovulation and conceive more readily, in a natural manner. http://www.babycenter.com/chart-basal-body-temperature-and-cervical-mucus If you are trying to conceive by plotting your menstrual cycle, learning how to chart your basal body temperature can help you predict your most fertile days during your menstrual cycle.
How to Chart Your Basal Body Temperature
Dr. Michael C. Lu of the UCLA Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and author of Get Ready to Get Pregnant discusses how to chart your basal body temperature. He recommends a tracking system, supplies needed, the methods needed to accurately take the temperature and how to chart the temperature. He also recommends charting cervical mucus changes.
Step 1: Select a Thermometer
Basal charting requires the use of an especially precise digital or basal thermometer as temperatures may vary only slightly from day to day. The intent is to identify the 24 hour period within the menstrual cycle, when the body temperature is lowest. This is done by using a reliable thermometer at an exact time daily, preferably first thing in the morning before rising. This low body temperature period indicates that ovulation has already occurred.http://www.epigee.org/guide/nfpchart.html
Step 2: Charting Daily Temperature
The reason charting is necessary is because it identifies the variations in temperature which lead to ovulation. With observation, the slight changes in body temperature, signifying the body's preparation for ovulation, can be forecast in order to help increase the likelihood of conception.http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/bbt/bbtfaq.html
Find a charting system that works for you. An online option is fertilityfriend.com. You will also need your pen, paper and thermometer beside your bed at night. After sleeping for at least 4 hours, take your temperature orally or vaginally before you sit up, get up or walk. You should take your temperature on a consistent basis at the same time each day for increased accuracy. Plug your temperature results into your charting system for review and monitoring.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_nNe0ntURc
Step 3: Ovulation and Cervical Mucus
Aside from body temperature changes, another change which the body undergoes in preparation for ovulation is the discharge of cervical mucus. The consistency of the mucus is clear, unlike the discharge which occurs earlier in the month, which is chalky. Cervical mucus can reinforce the basal body temperature data to help improves your ability to naturally predict ovulation.http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/preconception/bbt.htm
More Mahalo Pregnancy How-To Pages
You may be interested in these Mahalo How to pages related to pregnancy:
- How to Increase Female Fertility
- How to Increase Male Fertility
- How to Calculate Due Date
- How to Chart Your Basal Body Temperature
- How to Eat Healthy During Pregnancy
- How to Know When You Are Ovulating
- How to Know When You're Pregnant
- How to Make Sex Productive to Get Pregnant
- How to Monitor Your Fertility Cycle
- How to Find a Fertility Specialist
- How to Stay Fit During Pregnancy
- How to Choose a Fertility Doctor
- What Are Pregnancy Trimesters
- How Much Weight is Gained During Pregnancy
How to Eat Healthy During Pregnancy
The author of "Get Ready to Get Pregnant: Your Complete Prepregnancy Guide to Making a Smart and Healthy Baby," Dr. Michael Lu, MD MPH, of UCLA, gives his take on how a woman should eat before and during pregnancy.
How to Make Sex Productive to Get Pregnant
This video features an obstetrician named Michael Lu, and here he offers some advice regarding sex and pregnancy. He claims that the egg is only available for fertilization for a 24 hour window, and thus the key is to have sex at this time. This is why he recommends learning when you are ovulating so that you can have sex.
How Much Weight is Gained During Pregnancy
Dr. Michael C. Lu, author of Get Ready to Get Pregnant and a professor and director at the the UCLA Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology discusses weight gain and pregnancy. He reviews the general recommended weight gain guidelines as well as pre-pregnancy tips for minimizing excessive weight gain. He recommends a balance of diet and exercise as well as minimizing stress to help balance pregnancy weight gain.
Disclaimer
The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact a doctor before using the information presented here.
References
Fast Facts
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Take your temperature at the same time daily
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Measure temperature first thing in the morning before rising
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Get at least 4 hours of sleep per night
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Chart for several month in order to establish patterns and predict ovulation
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Check the cervical mucus to confirm the body's preparation for ovulation
