Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Trying To Get Pregnant. Have Started Recording BBT. How Much Temperature Shoudl Elevate For Ovulation?
Question: Hi,
I am trying to get pregnant and I have tried for two cycle. I started to record my BBT and for the previous cycle I found that it dropped at 35.9 c right before period and was on 36.70 on my Ovulation.
for the last cycle my temperature raised on day 14 of the cycle to 36.70 and the day after dropped to 36.4c. from then it stayed at 36.5 to 36.7 for the entire cycle and I thought that I am pregnant since I had nausea and I had brown spotting 2 days ahead of my period.
Sadly I have found that it was my period and not Implantation Bleeding.
Sorry for the long explantion but I need to know how much the temperature should elevate for Ovulation?
Is it possible that I had elevated temperature in the middle of cycle but did not ovulate at all?
Is it possible your temperature does not drop before your period and does not go up when you are pregnant?
I am so disappointed with the whole process of charting since it is 3 months that I am charting everyday to get some idea about the whole ovulation timing and pregnancy, so if this method is not accurate all the time I just wasted my time for 90 days!!
I would appreciate if you can help me.
I am trying to get pregnant and I have tried for two cycle. I started to record my BBT and for the previous cycle I found that it dropped at 35.9 c right before period and was on 36.70 on my Ovulation.
for the last cycle my temperature raised on day 14 of the cycle to 36.70 and the day after dropped to 36.4c. from then it stayed at 36.5 to 36.7 for the entire cycle and I thought that I am pregnant since I had nausea and I had brown spotting 2 days ahead of my period.
Sadly I have found that it was my period and not Implantation Bleeding.
Sorry for the long explantion but I need to know how much the temperature should elevate for Ovulation?
Is it possible that I had elevated temperature in the middle of cycle but did not ovulate at all?
Is it possible your temperature does not drop before your period and does not go up when you are pregnant?
I am so disappointed with the whole process of charting since it is 3 months that I am charting everyday to get some idea about the whole ovulation timing and pregnancy, so if this method is not accurate all the time I just wasted my time for 90 days!!
I would appreciate if you can help me.
Hello,
thanks for the query
The BBT is a very delicate but sensitive and practical to in determining a possible date for ovulation. However, knowledge about it is sometimes given or understood in the wrong way.
To effectively have a good BBT, daily temperatures have to be taken at the same time first thing when you get and keep in mind that your temperature can rise up to one-tenth of a degree for every 30 minutes taken later than normal and fall one-tenth of a degree for every 30 minutes taken earlier than normal. If your temperature wasn't taken at the normal time, you will need to adjust it using this rule.
You also have to know that if you consumed alcohol the previous night or did not have a good sleep, you could have fluctuation in your BBT.
That set, increase in body temperature is as a result of increase levels of hormones notably progesterone and the increase occurs about 24 to 48 hours after ovulation. This implies that, the day of increase of temperature does not correspond to the ovulation day rather it appears a day or two after ovulation. This is the problem most women usually face. The female egg can last for a maximum of 24hours after it is released. This implies that women who take the day of increase in temperature to be their ovulation date rather have minimal chance of falling pregnant because by then, the egg must have degenerated and the coming sperms have no egg to fertilize.
The increase in temperature is about 0.2 to 0.4 degrees and this occurs after ovulation. In the absence of ovulation, such increase will not be felt. If pregnancy occurs, there is continuous production of hormones and the temperature remains elevated.
Abnormalities in the variation of temperature such as you did mention in cases where the temperature does not go up due to pregnancy or drop in prior to new cycle are most often associated to poor techniques of temperature measurements.
Difficulty in conceiving could be due to a variety of causes including;
- poor sexual exposure
-obesity
-stress
-ovarian dysfunctions
-hormonal dysfunctions
-abnormalities related to the man
etc.
What i will advice you do is to have more sexual exposure not on the day of the increase in temperature but starting from 4 days before that day, avoid stress, reduce weight if you have over weight and be a little patient because even when all is okay, only about 70 per cent of women become pregnant after 1 year of effective intercourse.
Hope this answers your query. If you have further query, i will be glad to help.
Best regards
thanks for the query
The BBT is a very delicate but sensitive and practical to in determining a possible date for ovulation. However, knowledge about it is sometimes given or understood in the wrong way.
To effectively have a good BBT, daily temperatures have to be taken at the same time first thing when you get and keep in mind that your temperature can rise up to one-tenth of a degree for every 30 minutes taken later than normal and fall one-tenth of a degree for every 30 minutes taken earlier than normal. If your temperature wasn't taken at the normal time, you will need to adjust it using this rule.
You also have to know that if you consumed alcohol the previous night or did not have a good sleep, you could have fluctuation in your BBT.
That set, increase in body temperature is as a result of increase levels of hormones notably progesterone and the increase occurs about 24 to 48 hours after ovulation. This implies that, the day of increase of temperature does not correspond to the ovulation day rather it appears a day or two after ovulation. This is the problem most women usually face. The female egg can last for a maximum of 24hours after it is released. This implies that women who take the day of increase in temperature to be their ovulation date rather have minimal chance of falling pregnant because by then, the egg must have degenerated and the coming sperms have no egg to fertilize.
The increase in temperature is about 0.2 to 0.4 degrees and this occurs after ovulation. In the absence of ovulation, such increase will not be felt. If pregnancy occurs, there is continuous production of hormones and the temperature remains elevated.
Abnormalities in the variation of temperature such as you did mention in cases where the temperature does not go up due to pregnancy or drop in prior to new cycle are most often associated to poor techniques of temperature measurements.
Difficulty in conceiving could be due to a variety of causes including;
- poor sexual exposure
-obesity
-stress
-ovarian dysfunctions
-hormonal dysfunctions
-abnormalities related to the man
etc.
What i will advice you do is to have more sexual exposure not on the day of the increase in temperature but starting from 4 days before that day, avoid stress, reduce weight if you have over weight and be a little patient because even when all is okay, only about 70 per cent of women become pregnant after 1 year of effective intercourse.
Hope this answers your query. If you have further query, i will be glad to help.
Best regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you so much for the quick answer.
Actually I take my temperature first things in the morning while I am still at bed with a digital Thermometer. You mentioned that the increase should be 0.2-0.4 degrees in body temperature, so If considering that my normal body temperature is 36.5-36.6 so it means that I have not had any ovulation in this cycle???
Is it possible to check if you ovulate at all with any test etc?
What will be the risk of taking medication to ovulate sooner??
I have a few cyst on my right ovarry and have a polycystic like uterus. but my Gynecologist told me that I do not need to be worry about since I do not XXXXXXX all the criteria for a polycystic uteras since I get my period at the correct time each month. I am wondering if it would be ok for me to get some sort of medication for that purpose to speed up the process.
Sincerely,
XXXXX
Actually I take my temperature first things in the morning while I am still at bed with a digital Thermometer. You mentioned that the increase should be 0.2-0.4 degrees in body temperature, so If considering that my normal body temperature is 36.5-36.6 so it means that I have not had any ovulation in this cycle???
Is it possible to check if you ovulate at all with any test etc?
What will be the risk of taking medication to ovulate sooner??
I have a few cyst on my right ovarry and have a polycystic like uterus. but my Gynecologist told me that I do not need to be worry about since I do not XXXXXXX all the criteria for a polycystic uteras since I get my period at the correct time each month. I am wondering if it would be ok for me to get some sort of medication for that purpose to speed up the process.
Sincerely,
XXXXX
Hello,
thanks once more for the query
To be able to conclude that ovulation does not occur, errors in temperature measurements have to be excluded and further investigations on hormonal levels carried out. When the temperature is well taken, absence of an increase is in a favor of no ovulation.
Absent ovulation is a common feature in polycystic ovarian syndrome which also associates overweight or obesity, hirsutism, irregular menses etc. True a polycystic appearance of the ovary does not imply polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Ovulation kits are available that detect level of a given hormone called Luteinising hormone. Luteinising hormone is responsible for ovulation. Ovulation kits are available in normal drug stores.
There are drugs that could stimulate ovulation by enhancing the development of follicles in the ovary. An example is clomifene which is relatively safe for use. However, fertility management is done in a a progressive manner, and i will advise you stick with your gynecologist.
Hope this answers your query. If you do not have further query, you could close the discussion and rate the answers.
Best regards
thanks once more for the query
To be able to conclude that ovulation does not occur, errors in temperature measurements have to be excluded and further investigations on hormonal levels carried out. When the temperature is well taken, absence of an increase is in a favor of no ovulation.
Absent ovulation is a common feature in polycystic ovarian syndrome which also associates overweight or obesity, hirsutism, irregular menses etc. True a polycystic appearance of the ovary does not imply polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Ovulation kits are available that detect level of a given hormone called Luteinising hormone. Luteinising hormone is responsible for ovulation. Ovulation kits are available in normal drug stores.
There are drugs that could stimulate ovulation by enhancing the development of follicles in the ovary. An example is clomifene which is relatively safe for use. However, fertility management is done in a a progressive manner, and i will advise you stick with your gynecologist.
Hope this answers your query. If you do not have further query, you could close the discussion and rate the answers.
Best regards
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
