The basal temperature method

The basal temperature method
Fonte: shutterstock

Basal temperature

Among the natural methods that can help conceive a child there is that of basal temperature, which allows you to identify the exact moment ofovulation. In fact, a little laborious, if applied correctly it is undoubtedly effective. To clarify any doubts on the subject is with us the doctor Michele Franchina, specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, professor at the University of Bologna.





In this article

What is the basal temperature

The basal temperature is the internal body temperature that is detected after a period of rest. This rest period must have lasted for at least six consecutive hours, during which time there were no demanding movements (for example, walking). The ideal time to measure it is in the morning when you wake up, before getting out of bed.



Read also: Ovulation Calculator

Because it varies throughout the month

To influence the performance of the basal temperature are the female hormones and, more precisely, estrogen and progesterone on which the activity of the ovaries and, consequently, the formation of the female oocyte strictly depends. Indicatively, from the 1st to the 5th day of menstruation both estrogen and progesterone are produced in low quantities compared to the other phases of the cycle, understood as the period between the beginning of a menstruation and the next.




From the end of menstruation until about the 14th day of the cycle (if it is 28 days, otherwise after or earlier, depending on its duration) progressive increase in estrogen which stimulate the endometrium to prepare to accommodate the eventual product of conception.

The peak of the level of estrogeni, which occurs just before ovulation, corresponds to a lowering of the basal temperature. The best time to have sexual intercourse aimed at conception is now. On the day of ovulation (which falls in the middle of the cycle), the production of progesterone becomes significant, to which the corpus luteum, a set of cells that forms in the ovary after the expulsion of the oocyte, also contributes. Progesterone causes the basal temperature to rise, which remains high if conception occurs precisely because this hormone continues to be produced in abundance. On the other hand, if there is no conception, the production of progesterone decreases significantly, as expressed by the lowering of the basal temperature.

How it fluctuates if everything is okay

In a healthy woman of childbearing age, the basal temperature is included in the days immediately following the onset of menstruation Apr and 36, 3 builds and 36, 9 builds. Near ovulation (usually 24 hours before) it abruptly drops by about half a degree compared to the previous day's temperature, then in about 48 hours it rises again until it reaches 37 - 37,3 degrees.

And that's how it stays for 14 days and, more precisely, until appearance of menstrual flow (which comes if the pregnancy has not started). A few hours before the onset of menstruation it lowers again until it reaches 36,3 - 36,5 degrees. If, on the other hand, the conception has taken place, the temperature remains high (minimum 37 degrees).

What happens if ovulation doesn't happen

Throughout the cycle the basal temperature remains constant, that is, without any fluctuation, if ovulation does not occur. A similar eventuality is common when the woman is not in an optimal physical condition.

For example, there is often no ovulation in the case of severe overweight or, on the contrary, excessive thinness. It should be borne in mind that it is only the temperature that remains unchanged if ovulation is missing, while the menstrual flow appears anyway (except for really serious cases, for example, of anorexia).

Read also: Symptoms of ovulation

How basal body temperature is used to conceive

You should take your temperature every morning as soon as you wake up, before getting out of bed, starting for the first time on the first day of menstruation. A normal thermometer is suitable for detection, which can be used indifferently rectally, orally or vaginally. The values ​​measured day after day must be written on a sheet in order to build a diagram of the thermal variations that occur during the monthly cycle.

The best day to have sexual intercourse for the purpose of conception is the one on which the basal temperature drops sharply. The next 48 are also in favor. Theoretically, even the three days before peak fertility are valuable in starting a pregnancy (see also box "The right time: ovulation"), but this method does not allow you to identify them with certainty. It is true, however, that after 3-5 months of compiling the graph it is possible to make predictions on the day of ovulation and therefore to behave accordingly.

To know

Il basal temperature method it is not advisable to avoid unwanted pregnancy, as it signals ovulation only when it occurs. Consequently, even in consideration of the fact that spermatozoa live at least 72 hours (but sometimes even longer), any day preceding the one in which the temperature is lowered (without the thermometer can somehow predict it) could be fruitful.

The right time: ovulation

Conception is the result of the encounter between a mature female egg and a sperm. The female egg develops in the ovaries within 10-16 days (approximately) following the date of onset of menstruation.

Conception takes place in the tubes which are the ducts that connect the ovaries to the uterus, within which the fertilized egg goes to nest. The fertilized egg completes the journey that divides it from the uterus in about seven days, during which it survives thanks to the other spermatozoa which, together with the fertilizing sperm, have reached the tubes (See box "Curious but true"). The period of maximum female fertility is approximately six days and includes:

  • the three days preceding the expulsion of the oocyte from the ovaries: spermatozoa in fact have a survival of at least 72 hours, so if sexual intercourse takes place three days before ovulation it is possible that fertilization will take place.

  • the 24 hours in which the egg enters the tubes (this is actual ovulation).

  • the 48 hours following ovulation, as the life of the female egg lasts about two days.

For a convention due to the fact that the average female cycle is 28 days, the day of ovulation is indicated as the 14st day of the cycle, calculated from the start of menstruation. In reality, ovulation always occurs about mid-cycle, so it is placed on the 14th only if the interval between one menstruation and the other (the cycle in fact) is 28 days. The post-ovulatory phase, on the other hand, has a constant duration of 14 days, which includes the period of time between ocvulation and the subsequent appearance of menstruation. To give an example, if the menstruation arrives on December 25th, it undoubtedly means that ovulation took place on December 11th.

It is true that

  • There can be more ovulations in a month.

  • It is possible (although rare) to conceive as a result of sexual intercourse during menstruation.

  • Breastfeeding does not prevent you from conceiving.

  • During breastfeeding, pregnancy can begin even if your period has not yet returned.

The younger you are, the easier it is

It is certain that the young age of the couple and, in particular, of the aspiring mother is an important variable for the purpose of conception within a year of attempts. It is estimated that before the age of 25 the probabilities for a woman are equal to 96 per cent; 86 percent from 25 to 34 years of age and that after 35 years of age they begin to decline rapidly and progressively.

Curious but true

Unlike what was once thought, it is not entirely true that a single spermatozoon is enough to become pregnant. Today it is known, in fact, that once conception has taken place, the survival of the fertilized cell (formed by a sperm and an oocyte) also depends on the other spermatozoa which, although not having played a fertilizing role, provide it with a precious nourishment on its way along the fallopian tubes to the uterus. This explains why millions of spermatozoa are contained in the seminal fluid emitted during ejaculation: only one is used to fertilize the female oocyte, those in excess to support it in the week immediately following fertilization.

Read also: Menstrual Cycle, get to know it

You may also be interested in:

  • The basal temperature
  • Ovulation calendar
  • Calculating ovulation,
  • Ovulation sticks,
  • Quiz: do you know your menstrual cycle ?,
  • The female reproductive system, reproductive anatomy.

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