How to Take Your Temperature to Get Pregnant
Learning how to predict ovulation is a way to improve your chances of getting pregnant. You can predict ovulation by measuring your body temperature. The hormone progesterone causes a slight increase in body temperature (0.4 to 0.8 degrees) immediately after ovulation. By using a special type of thermometer, you can measure your body temperature very precisely and begin to look for patterns in your cycle. Once you've figured out your personal pattern of ovulation, you'll be able to know when the conditions are most favorable for you to conceive.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Buy a basal body temperature thermometer. These thermometers usually run from five to ten dollars at your local pharmacy. You need to have one of these devices because they measure body temperature more accurately than a standard thermometer.
-
2
Print out a basal body chart or get one from your doctor. You can find a free copy to print at http://www.womenshealth.gov/Pregnancy/mom-to-be-tools/basal-temperature-chart.pdf.
-
-
3
Take your temperature on the first day of your period. Do this first thing in the morning if possible. You'll get the most accurate measurement if you do this while lying down before you get up to do anything.
-
4
Record your temperature from step 3 on the basal body temperature chart. Find "day 1" on the chart and fill in a dot where the corresponding temperature lies.
-
5
Continue to take your temperature every morning and chart it for an entire month.
-
6
Evaluate your data at the end of the month. You should be able to find a point where your body temperature rose by an average of 0.4 to 0.8 degrees and stayed elevated for the rest of the month.
-
7
Make a note of the three days preceding the date in which your temperature rose. These are the days when you most likely were ovulating.
-
8
Continue measuring your temperature and charting it for multiple months in order to most precisely predict your pattern of ovulation. Once you know which days you most likely are ovulating, you can plan to have sexual intercourse on these days.
-
1
