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Step 1
Purchase a basal thermometer. These can be found at any pharmacy or discount stores, like Wal-Mart and Target. Sometimes they are located in the medical section along with regular thermometers, but sometimes they are hidden in the pregnancy test aisle.
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Step 2
Store the thermometer next to your bed for easy access. Place it on a nightstand or under your pillow (store it in its case when doing so) because you cannot get out of bed to retrieve it in the morning.
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Step 3
Get at least five consecutive hours of sleep before taking your temperature. If you wake up early in the morning to let the dog out, and then wake up a few hours later to take your temperature, the reading won't be accurate.
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Step 4
Take your temperature first thing in the morning, before getting out of bed or even speaking. You want this to be as accurate as possible.
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Step 5
Stay on schedule. If you are charting your temps, take them at the same time every morning to avoid misleading fluctuations.
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Step 6
Use a website to help chart. Two popular charting websites are Fertility Friend, which requires a subscription, but offers a variety of educational support tools and Taking Charge of Your Fertility, which is a free service, but requires a CD-ROM which comes with the accompanying book. Most basal thermometers come with a chart that can be photocopied and filled in by hand.
