Why do BBT temperature charting?
You may have heard of temperature charting.
Did you know it tells you soooo much more than if/when youre ovulating?
The Importance of Charting for Fertility & Women’s Health
Basal body temperature (BBT) refers to your resting body temperature. BBT charting involves recording your resting body temperature daily upon waking. It is commonly known that BBT charting is an effective and easy way to help pinpoint your fertile window.
What you may be unaware of is how much information a BBT chart reveals to a Fertility/Women’s Health Acupuncturist, hence, why it is such a valuable tool in our clinic.
Keeping a BBT chart will help determine if, when, and how smoothly ovulation is occurring. It can also track temperature irregularities to diagnose and correct any imbalances.
Why BBT charting is important for YOU
It is easy and affordable to do at home. All you need is a two decimal digital thermometer.
It helps confirm ovulation together with other signs such as cervical mucus, increased libido and changes in your cervix height. Knowing when you ovulate is key for both fertility & hormonal health
Charting is more reliable than ovulation test strips. If you have polycystic ovaries/syndrome (PCO/PCOS) there will be multiple surges of luteinising hormone (LH) in your cycle and possibly no ovulation.
It helps you connect with the wisdom of your menstrual phases of your cycle. Knowing when to slow down & nuture yourself more vs smash out things!
After charting for a couple of months, it’s infinitely more accurate than period apps in predicting when period is coming!
**If using BBT charting for contraception, you’ll need to get a thermometer with an inbuilt computer in it. Temp Drop, Lady Comp & Daisy are all great
Why BBT charting is important for a Fertility Acupuncturist
(even if you’re doing IVF!)
To confirm ovulation. As a period can occur without ovulating, charting will accurately confirm ovulation with a temperature rise that should last a minimum of three days post-ovulation.
We rely on charting when working on regulating a woman's menstrual cycle such as painful periods, long/short/irregular cycles, heavy periods, post pill/IUD cycles and more. It tells us whats going on in your body in between periods. These info update means we can keep tailoring your treatments to best help support your body!
Charting guides:Acupuncture treatment
Herbal & supplement prescriptions
Dietary & Lifestyle advice
Blood test requests
Unusually high or low temperatures may give clues to and warrant further investigations such as: thyroid imbalances, low iron levels leading towards anaemia, hormonal imbalances, endometriosis and PCO or PCOS.
Erratic temperatures may indicate stress, sleep disturbances, alcohol intake, illness such as a fever or changes in diet.
A SHORT luteal phase, where temperatures are shorter than eleven days, may indicate luteal phase defect.
A LONG luteal phase chart may indicate pregnancy.
How to do BBT charting
You will need a two decimal digital thermometer.
Keep your thermometer by your bedside and soon enough it will become a habit.
You will need a minimum of four hours sleep. Shift workers (nurses, midwives etc) can also successfully record their BBT, however temperatures may be slightly higher.
Record your temperature with your digital thermometer upon waking (before getting up, rolling around, getting a drink of water, talking, going to the toilet) to ensure accuracy. Put it under the base of your tongue, on the side, next to your molar teeth, until the thermometer beeps (about 30 seconds).
Note your temperature of your cycle and create a graph. We recommend the free Fertility Friend app. Here is a paper chart which you may prefer.
How we can help you
At Embrace Acupuncture we have the knowledge to assist you at all stages of your hormonal health & fertility journey.
We have spent countless hours of postgraduate education in Fertility and Women's health BBT charting with 'The Fertile Life Method' with Kirsten Wolf, 'The Treatment of infertility with Chinese medicine' with Jane Lyttleton, and 'The Fertile Soul' with Dr Randine Lewis author of The Infertility Cure: The Ancient Chinese Programme for Getting Pregnant just to name a few.
Like some support for your menstrual health or fertility?
NOTE: In conjunction with your Acupuncturist please seek medical advice for proper diagnosis.