Basal body thermometer is a cheap device that enables you to track your fertility. You don’t have to do anything messy or tedious like checking cervical mucus or handling charts.
What is a basal thermometer?
A basal thermometer is a digital, bigger scale thermometer. It has a higher speed, accuracy, and stores the temperature readings until next time. You can quickly read the temperature because of the large scale.
Some thermometers can store the entire months reading to help you with basal body temperature charting. You can sit at once and get back all your readings to chart.
Despite that basal thermometer show the temperature to 100th fraction, it renders you no advantage.
A rise of 0.5 to 1 degree is enough to detect ovulation, and so you only read up to a 1/10th fraction of reading.
What does a basal thermometer do?
Any basal temperature thermometer speedily records your body temperature with accuracy. Your basal body temperature rises during ovulation.
There are ovulation test kits in the market that can detect ovulation. A basal thermometer reduces labor for collecting the urine sample to detect ovulation.
Features of a basal body thermometer
A basal thermometer has a beep sound giving you the extra few minutes of sleep early morning. But remember that basal fertility thermometers are very quick. There are many other advantages of the basal thermometer.
Advantages of a Basal thermometer
1) Speed
A regular thermometer takes about 5 minutes to reach up to the level of reading. A basal thermometer, on the other hand, will take only a few seconds.
2) Ease of use
You don’t have to squint your eyes and avoid parallax. Basal thermometers are bigger than other regular digital thermometers.
3) Flexibility to choose an area for recording BBT
A basal body temperature thermometer is equally effective whether you use orally or vaginally. You can choose any area to record your BBT. Make sure that you continue to record the temperature from the same area for one month.
4) Accuracy
Though unnecessary, the basal thermometer read the temperature up to hundredth fraction. But when a measuring device has a lower least count, the accuracy of higher readings is better.
5) Beep sound
Most basal thermometers have a beep sound that you hear as an indication to read the temperature. It will help you if you decide to check your cervical mucus while the temperature reading comes.
6) Memory of previous reading
Some of the fertility basal thermometers can record and store the previous reading till next use. Ideal practice is to write down or chart your BBT. But one can forget and then the entire cycle goes to waste. A backup is good!
7) Durable and unbreakable
They are made of plastic and function for years. You need to change the batteries after intervals. Whenever you feel that the readings are not what they should be, then check batteries of the basal thermometer.
8) No need to shake the Mercury
When you wake up, struggling with the mercury can be tiresome. Might sound overhyped but you can experience frustration shaking it. The basics of charting basal body temperature require you to be at ease and rest. The basal thermometer doesn’t need any preparation.
9) BBT charts and internal charting
You can get expensive basal thermometer which comes along with fertility charts. The best basal thermometer might have an internal processor to chart your BBT automatically.
Basal thermometer vs. regular thermometer
There are cons of basal thermometer such as inaccuracy when the batteries are weak. No doubt they are expensive costing double or triple of a basic thermometer.
How is a basal thermometer different?
A basal thermometer is fast and more accurate than a regular thermometer.
How to use a basal body thermometer?
Using a basal body temperature thermometer is easy. Despite having unique features, the method of recording BBT remains the same.
- Keep all things such as notepad, glasses ready next to you previous night
- Next morning after getting up without eating or drinking anything record your BBT. Where do you put the basal thermometer? You can place the fertility thermometer inside your mouth or vagina
- Record the reading on a paper
You need to consider the first day of period flow as day one. Continue taking the reading until the next period. You must note down any health issues along with the temperature. Fever, an emergency contraceptive, or antidepressants need to go in the record.
How to chart BBT and detect ovulation?
Until now we have only discussed how basal thermometer records your BBT.
What shows that you had ovulation?
Your basal body temperature is the body temperature when there is minimum activity.
Women have a basal body temperature around 96-97° F. When you ovulate the surging estrogen, and LH hormones cause a rise of 0.4-0.6° in BBT.
Basal thermometer for ovulation detects the rise of 0.5 or 1°, and that is when you are fertile.
Your fertility window is longer than the day of ovulation because sperms can stay inside your vagina.
Steps to chart BBT to detect ovulation by basal body thermometer
- Get a fertility chart from your gynecologist or the one that comes along with basal body thermometer
- Put a dot next to the temperature that you get upon every reading. Be careful while calculating the divisions to which the point has to go.
- If you are checking cervical mucus and BBT for charting then write keywords next to the dot. You can consider these keywords for different types of discharge. Periods (P), Egg white cervical mucus (E), Thick white discharge (T) and Dry (D).
- When the cycle is complete join the dates and observe the peaks
You will not have many peaks lest you’ve made mistakes. The peak showing a rise of 0.4 – 0.9° F indicates ovulation.
Once you are pro at it, then you will be able to see a peak with BBT rise and egg white cervical mucus.
When you time this fertility period, you need to have sex at least every alternate day during that time.
Best basal thermometer
You can read reviews online to figure out the best basal body thermometer. Many high-end brands charge a pocket buster 60$ for a basal thermometer.
It’s up to you whether you want to spend a hefty amount when you can get the same thing as basal thermometer CVS or basal thermometer Walgreens for just 20$.
Where do you get a basal thermometer?
Superstores have cheap basal temperature thermometer. You can get them at any pharmacy too. Your doctor might give you one if you are undergoing treatment for fertility issues.
Factors that affect the reading of basal body thermometer
Not sleeping enough or being on certain prescriptions alters BBT. Other causes such as illnesses and stress affect your basal body temperature. The reading can be erroneous because of short battery life.
Other reasons for incorrect BBT are not following the instructions. Sometimes even the slightest activity changes your BBT such as a getting frightened or angry.
Top 15 factors that affect BBT reading
- Consumption of alcohol in any form
- Traveling to different climatic regions having jet lag
- Breastfeeding
- Use of room heater, an electric blanket that elevates the surface temperature
- Infections which cause fever and those which do not
- State of shock or having nightmares
- Smoking or taking drugs (even prescriptions)
- Irregular period or menstrual cycle
- Fertility treatments or hormone supplements as injections or any form
- Birth control pills or any intra-uterine contraceptive implant
- Change of routine such as sleeping without air conditioning suddenly
- Physically worked up state or body aches
- Environment change or exposure to any pollutant
- Emotional stress, anxiety, depression
- Insomnia or short sleep duration which is less than 3 hours
