I frequently ask my clients to take and record their basal body temperatures as it tells us so much about your fertility. However I am frequently presented with comments such as:
I already know when I’m ovulating, because I’m using an ovulation predictor kit.
I tried doing that, but it’s really hard for me to remember to take my temperatures so I stopped.
I don’t want to take my temperature every day.
I find people are more likely to take their basal body temperatures if they know WHY it’s important for their fertility. So here’s the short and sweet version of what I can tell from your basal body temperatures (BBTs):
- Are you ovulating, and if so, when.
- Is ovulation lining up with other signs like fertile cervical mucus?
- Are you making enough of your hormones, such as estrogen, FSH, and progesterone?
- Is your liver metabolizing hormones effectively?
- Are you stressed?
Believe it or not, we can gather this information from your BBT’s. I always describe the process of taking your temperatures as something we can do to:
- Help us gather more data to make sure we have a complete picture of what’s going on with your body
- Help us make sure we don’t overshoot our goals
For example, I may have a patient that insists that she’s not stressed and that everything is really good. Then she starts taking her temperatures and they’re up and down, and all over the place. This indicates to me that her liver system is stressed and she’s not metabolizing her hormones properly. So even though she isn’t feeling the psychological aspects of the stress, her body is feeling them. Helping to correct this problem can help regulate ovulation, the overall cycle, even eradicate pain and PMS symptoms!
When working with me, I just want to see an average of your temperatures, so don’t worry if you miss a day here and there. It’s really not a big deal. And I always tell clients “it’s your job to take your temperature, and my job to dissect them to see what information your body is giving us”. So don’t worry what they look like, but please consider taking them. It creates more self awareness about your body and it may help you make progress faster towards your fertility goals. And after all, my job is to help you make progress as quickly as possible to improve your chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy.
I hope you found this article helpful, and if you did, please share it with others. If you want more information on this topic check out my YouTube video titled What Your Basal Body Temperatures Say About Your Fertility here.
Until next time, keep dreaming,
Misty M. Reed, Fertility Consultant & Coach
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