Whether you are trying to achieve or avoid pregnancy, knowing how to track your menstrual cycles can help you. Knowing how to identify where you are in your menstrual cycle can help you to pinpoint the best times to become pregnant. It can also clear up confusion about premenstrual symptoms and help you to plan for the day that you will get your period.
Step 1
Purchase a basal body thermometer, if you do not already have one. A basal body thermometer, or BBT, is more sensitive than a regular thermometer. They are most readily available in digital form. There is a link in the Resources section below to purchase a BBT. They are also available at discount and drugstores.
Step 2
Take your temperature on the first day of your period. You will need to take your temperature orally, when you wake up. Take your temperature before sitting up, getting out of bed, drinking anything, or talking to anyone.
Step 3
Record your temperature on your fertility chart. If a fertility chart did not come with your BBT, you can make one out of graph paper. See the link in the Resources section for a sample chart that you can copy. Another option is to use Fertility Friend (also in the Resources section) to record your temperature each day.
Step 4
Check and record your cervical fluid when you go to the bathroom, starting the first day that your period is over. You will notice that it is either copious or scant. As you approach ovulation, your cervical fluid will get wetter and more like raw egg whites. After ovulation, it will become much less stretchy and drier.
Step 5
Notice the pattern of temperatures on your chart as you go through your cycle. Your temperature will be low by the time your period ends, somewhere between 96.9 and 97.5 for most women. After you ovulate, your temperature will rise from one half to a full degree, to somewhere between 97.5 and 98.9 F degrees for most women.
Step 6
Read "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" for more in-depth information. There is a link to this book in Resources below. Another option is to take your charts to your doctor for interpretation. If you choose to see your doctor for help, chart two or three months first so that he can see what is normal for you.
Tips and Warnings
- If you are trying to achieve pregnancy, your most fertile days are the three to five days before ovulation, as well as the day of ovulation. When you see cervical fluid that resembles egg whites, you should have intercourse every day or every other day. If you are trying to avoid pregnancy, avoid having unprotected sex during your fertile times. It may take several months for you to determine when you are fertile and when you are infertile. Always use backup protection if you are uncertain as to whether you are fertile. If you have been using this method to achieve pregnancy for more than six months, or if you have charted for three months and have not ovulated, see your OBGYN. Bring your charts with you so he can see whether there is an underlying issue.
Things You'll Need
- Basal body thermometer
- "Taking Charge of Your Fertility," by Toni Weschler
- Fertility chart or graph paper
References
- Book: "Taking Charge of Your Fertility;" Toni Weschler, MD; 2006
