How to use Basal Body Temperature to Track Ovulation

To begin you will need to pick up a Basal thermometer, which can be easily found at most drug stores.

Then to track your ovulation you will "usually" want to wait to start taking your temp until your period arrives and you get your 1st day of good bright red flow.

Your BBT can only be taken first thing in the morning and needs to be routine, so if you wake up at 6am take it at 6am every morning, and not after your morning cup of joe or your morning pee, but immediately upon waking -- This is the only way to ensure an accurate chart and reading.

Often your Basal thermometer will come with tips and directions that will tell you how many days you should be taking your temperature and may explain in more detail (i.e. estrogen vs. progesterone) why it is important and exactly how it works to help you determine ovulation.

To get you on track so that you can actually begin to identify your ovulation period without testing you want to be sure to write down your temperature and highlight where it starts to show a slight 0.4 to 1.6 degree increase. This increase should not only last a day or two this should be steady for no less than 3 days or in some instances until the start of a new menstrual cycle.

Your chart should include the following:
Date of your last period
Date and time of the test
*Basal Body Temperature reading

After you have been in the routine of taking your temperature for a few months and charting it you should be able to review your chart and find a pattern. The pattern you are looking for is the number of days after your period before your BBT shows a regular increase.

Once you find that increase you should be able to identify a common pattern such as 11 days after your period or 14 days etc.

Now, taking this information you will now be able to narrow down your body's ovulation cycle. Your BBT rises approx. 2-3 days after you ovulate. Now, you can nail down your ovulation to around those 2-3 days.

Which now lets you know that you either want to really refrain from sex during that time to help prevent pregnancy or if you are trying to get pregnant you can now let your significant other know that during this time they are on call and need to be prepared.

Now, when reviewing your chart you may also notice right before your BBT increases that there is a slight decrease in your Basal body temp. this decrease (if noted) signifies ovulation period and can pretty much pin point your most fertile days.