Basal body temperature follow up further accounts for the condition of a woman about her reproductive health. As most women use this practice to predict the window of ovulation and fertility, an increase in basal body temperature can be indicative of much more than when a woman will have their next cycle. In this article, we will discuss what an increase in a woman’s basal body temperature indicates about her health and implications that it may carry.
1. What is Basal Body Temperature?
Basal body temperature is your resting body temperature, normally taken right after you wake up in the morning before you even get out of bed to do anything. Again, it varies from person to person and even changes with the onset of certain factors such as hormonal changes, which differ in every phase of a female’s menstrual cycle.
Average Normal BBT Range A woman’s basal body temperature is normally between 97°F to 98.6°F or between 36.1°C and 37°C.
Recording BBT: Most women record their BBT with a basal body thermometer and plot it each day to look for the trends that will occur with time.
2. What Basal Body Temperature Increase Means
An increase in basal body temperature normally takes place after ovulation, when the progesterone level is at its high point. This hormone is secreted by the body to prepare the uterine lining in preparation for a potential pregnancy. Here are what the increased BBT is interpreted to mean:
a. Ovulation
Time: Typically, BBT will increase about 0.5°F to 1°F (0.3°C to 0.6°C) post-ovulation and then remain at that elevated level until menstruation.
Fertility Awareness: The rising temperature can be taken to mean that a woman must have experienced ovulation, so putting her in the know when she is fertile. Hence, it’s easier for them to conceive.
b. Pregnancy
Extended Elevated Body Temperature: If BBT still maintains higher levels than normal for over two weeks, it is a sign of pregnancy. At the initial months of pregnancy, progesterone levels are still high enough to sustain the unborn baby .
Confirmation: Even when the level of BBT goes up, which would indicate pregnancy, the condition needs confirmation with a pregnancy test.
c. Imbalance of Hormonal Levels
Possible Problems: Any variation from normal BBT or irregular cycles may also present hormonal imbalance, such as PCOS or thyroid disorder.
Follow-Up: Patients presenting irregular patterns of BBT should be referred to a health care provider.
3. Sources of Interference to BBT
Some sources of interference interfere with the measurement of BBT. For example:
Sleep quality: A bad sleep schedule affects your metabolism, and this is going to influence the normal work of BBT.
Stress level: High stress level can lead to imbalance of some hormones affecting the normal function of the body’s BBT.
Disease: Fever, or infections can cause BBT to be temporarily elevated; hence, readings must be placed with context.
4. How to keep BBT monitoring
To track BBT effectively, consider these tips given below;
Consistent Timing: Take your temperature every morning around the same time of day, ideally before you get out of bed.
Use a Trustable Thermometer: A digital thermometer for BBT is likely to give you readings that are accurate.
Chart Your Results: It will help you understand trends that surface over time as well as separate patterns connected to your cycle by tabulating a detailed chart.
5. Conclusion: Importance of BBT Change Interpretation
A basal body temperature is that stimulus used by a woman to measure her condition of reproductive health. A few minutes of thought over what these changes might mean are able to direct women in deciding what an increasing BBT is a symptom of: the beginning of ovulation, or even pregnancy, or even hormonal fluctuations. For one, it suggests that the possible interpretation of the BBT graph can help a woman who would check it daily gauge and maintain her health.