BBT charting help

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

I've been TTC without success for five months after miscarriage and per advice of many moms on this forum, I've decided to start charting my temps. I've had restless sleep (in anticipation of waking up to take my temp!) but other than that, everything has been the same.

My first temps were in the mid-97's and today's was 98.3! I took it again twice and got 98.0. Have any of you had temps this high pre-ovulation? (I know I didn't just ovulate -- I'm on cycle day 7). Every sample chart I see have pre-ovulatory temps under 98. Just wanting to make sure I'm doing anything wrong.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I've gotten such high temps on somewhat rare occasions: when my sleep was extremely restless/bad, when I was sick (didn't even have to be an actual fever, just something off in my body).

I initially started charting for birth control rather than conception, and I found that it actually took several months before my charts really made sense.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes you get an aberrant temp. You are looking for the trend. If your temp stays elevated that suggests that you've ovulated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes you get an aberrant temp. You are looking for the trend. If your temp stays elevated that suggests that you've ovulated.

Agree with all the PPs.
In addition, are you consistently taking your temp. at the same wake up time? Your post reads like you're taking your BBT 2x in the morning? (Maybe I'm just mis-reading your post).

Also, you'll see the 97.X temps be around ovulation time. Then the thermal shift. The days post menstration (the dry days) can have various temps.

[Anonymous]

I set my alarm an hour earlier than I would get up to temp, so I did it at the same time every day. Also, are you being sure to temp immediately upon waking and before doing anything like getting out of bed, or even sitting up?

[Anonymous]

OP here:

I'm temping the same time every morning - 6:30. Although, I have been waking up earlier (I think it's just knowing I have to get up to temp) and so I'm probably in and out of sleep from 5:30 on. Does that affect my BBT? I'm not doing anything before taking my temp. It was 98 again so something perhaps I just run hot?

I checked my temperature twice yesterday, because I thought maybe I did it wrong (with such a high temperature, I figured something wasn't right).

To 00:17 -- By setting your alarm an hour early, are you waking up out of a deep sleep? Is that a more accurate way to temp?

Thanks so much!

[Anonymous]

00:17 here - yes, I am waking up out of a dead sleep. I'm lucky because I can go back to sleep easily. I bought the cheap CVS brand basal body thermometer ($9) and it has a memory and keeps your temp until you use it next, so I can temp, turn off the thermometer and go back to sleep. Then later when I wake up, I get the stored temp and record it. If temping is stressing you out this much, you might be better off not temping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: If temping is stressing you out this much, you might be better off not temping.

Soo true -- thanks for the sanity check...I'll try to check when I wake from dead sleep for a few days. If it doesn't work, I may just have to bag the whole thing!

-- OP

[Anonymous]

00:17 again - I recently stopped temping because I was obsessed with my numbers and was constantly trying to read into them. I feel much better not temping, it's a big relief to not do it. I think temping made me feel like there was something I could still control, and that by doing it I would keep a handle on the situation, but it's really not something I can do anything about except try to relax and listen to my RE.

If you aren't under anyone's care and are still trying the old fashioned way, charting can be very helpful, but only if it gives you a pattern. If you are stressed and that's causing you to have no pattern, then there's no point in temping. You can still chart mucus patterns, intercourse, etc... At best, temping tells you when/if you ovulated and you can try to use that info to determine when your average ovulation day is each cycle and time intercourse around that, or you could not temp and just stick to an every other day regimen so you are sure to cover the likely spread and see if that works.