Basal body thermometers are available in most drugstores and come with a chart to help you track your BBT over several months.
Keep your BBT thermometer next to your bed. Try to wake up and take your temperature around the same time each morning. Basal body temperature can be taken either orally, rectally, or vaginally. Whichever way you choose to take your temperature, continue with that method to ensure a consistent reading each day. Rectal and vaginal readings may offer more accurate readings. Write down your temperature each morning on a piece of graph paper or a BBT chart, which is a pre-made graph on which you can plot your temperature. You’ll need to track your BBT every day for several months in order to begin seeing a pattern.
Find when your regular spike in temperature occurs each month. Mark the two to three days prior to this temperature spike as likely ovulation days. This record can also be helpful to show your doctor if you suspect possible infertility issues. [5] X Research source
You may not be able to identify a pattern. If you can’t identify a pattern after several months, you may need to use other methods in conjunction with monitoring your BBT. Consider adding one of the other methods discussed in this article to your routine. Basal body temperature can be disrupted by changes in your circadian rhythms, which can be brought on by working night shifts, over- or under-sleeping, traveling, or drinking alcohol. Basal body temperature can also be disrupted by periods of increased stress, including holidays or periods of illness, as well as by certain medications and gynecological conditions.
Wipe with a clean piece of toilet paper and examine any mucus you find by picking up a bit with your finger. Record the type and consistency of discharge or note the lack of discharge.
During menstruation, your body will discharge menstrual blood, which consists of the shed uterine lining and unfertilized egg. During three to five days following menstruation, most women will have no discharge. Though not impossible, it’s highly unlikely that a woman will become pregnant during this stage. Following the dry period, you’ll begin to notice cloudy cervical mucus. This kind of cervical mucus forms a plug over the cervical canal that prevents bacteria from entering the uterus, and it’s also difficult for sperm to penetrate. A woman is unlikely to get pregnant during this period. [8] X Research source Following the stickier discharge, you’ll begin to see a white, beige, or yellow “creamy” discharge that’s similar in consistency to cream or lotion. During this stage a woman is more fertile, though not at peak fertility. You’ll then begin to notice thin, stretchy, watery mucus that resembles egg whites. It will be watery enough to be stretched several inches between your fingers. On or after the last day of this “egg white” cervical mucus stage, you’ll begin to ovulate. This “egg white” cervical mucus is very fertile and provides nourishment to sperm, making this the woman’s most fertile stage. Following this stage and ovulation, the discharge will return to its earlier cloudy, sticky consistency.
Continue recording for several months. Examine your chart and try to distinguish a pattern. Right before the end of the “egg white” cervical mucus stage is when you’re ovulating. Tracking cervical mucus along with basal body temperature (BBT) can help you more accurately pinpoint when you’re ovulating by allowing you to corroborate the two records. [10] X Research source
OPKs can help you pinpoint when you ovulate more precisely than tracking your basal body temperature or cervical mucus, particularly if you have an irregular cycle.
When you begin to see this discharge, begin using the OPK. Because a kit will only contain a limited number of testing strips, it’s important that you wait until this point before beginning. Otherwise, you may go through all of the strips before you actually begin ovulating.
Avoid being either under- or over-hydrated, as it may artificially raise or lower LH levels.
A line close to the color of the control line typically indicates elevated LH levels, meaning there’s a good chance you’re ovulating. A line lighter in color than the control line typically means you’re not yet ovulating. If you use OPKs several times without any positive results, consider seeing an infertility specialist for consultation to rule out infertility issues.
For that reason, OPKs are best used in conjunction with another ovulation-tracking method, like tracking basal body temperature or cervical mucus, so you have a better sense of when to begin taking the urine tests.
Because your BBT will experience a sustained rise two to three days after ovulation, tracking your BBT can help you estimate when in your cycle you’re ovulating. (See the method on Using Basal Body Temperature for more detailed instructions. ) It will take several months of daily tracking to establish a pattern of ovulation.
Each day, carefully track and record your cervical mucus (see the section on Checking Your Cervical Mucus for more) and any other menstrual symptoms you experience, like breast tenderness, cramping, mood swings, etc. [17] X Research source Worksheets for tracking your symptoms are available online to print or you can devise your own. It will take several months of daily tracking to distinguish a pattern.
Ideally, the data will coincide, allowing you to determine when you’re ovulating. If the data conflict, continue your daily tracking of each until a coinciding pattern appears.
Some couples use this method for natural contraception by avoiding sex during the woman’s fertile period (leading up to and during ovulation). Using this method for contraception, however, isn’t generally recommended, as it requires very careful, meticulous, and consistent record-keeping. Those who use this method for birth control still experience about a 10% chance of unplanned pregnancy. This method can also be problematic if you’re experiencing periods of high stress, travel, illness, or sleep disturbance, which will alter your body’s basal temperature, as will working nights or drinking alcohol.
Most women with regular periods have a 26-32 day cycle, though your cycle could be as short as 23 days, or as long as 35 days. A wide range of possible cycle-lengths are still normal. The first day is the beginning of one period; the last day is the beginning of the next period. Remember, though, that your period may vary slightly from month to month. You could be on a 28-day cycle for one or two months, and then shift slightly the next month. This is also normal.
Count the number of days between each cycle (include the first day when you count). Keep a running total of the number of days in each cycle. If you find that all of your cycles are shorter than 27 days, don’t use this method as it will give inaccurate results.
Write down the resulting number. Then locate day one of your current cycle on the calendar. Starting at day one of your current cycle, use the number you wrote down to count forward that number of days. Mark the resulting day with an X. The day you’ve marked with an X is your first fertile day (not your ovulation day).
Write down the resulting number. Locate day one of your current cycle on the calendar. Starting at day one of your current cycle, use the number you wrote down to count forward that number of days. Mark the resulting day with an X. The day you marked with an X is your last fertile day and should be your day of ovulation.
Because your monthly cycles may shift, it’s difficult to precisely time your ovulation with this method. This method is best used in conjunction with other ovulation-tracking methods for a more accurate result. This method will be quite difficult to use accurately if you experience irregular periods. This method can also be problematic if you’re experiencing periods of high stress, travel, illness, or sleep disturbance, which will alter your body’s basal temperature, as will working nights or drinking alcohol. Using this method for contraception requires very careful, meticulous, and consistent record-keeping in order to be successful. And even so, those who use this method for birth control still experience a 18% or higher chance of unplanned pregnancy. Thus, this method generally isn’t recommended as a form of birth control.
