GKU Guide to BBT/Temping

[notagoddess]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not? Yes. I temp because I like to know what's going on. I also temp so that I don't have to have EOD sex for the whole month.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why? I use a Nexcare that I got off Amazon. I temp orally.

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation? I can always tell that I ovulated. Sometimes it's hard to pinpoint the exact day, where it could be off by a day or two. Ultimately, it's not a problem. 

4) List your tips for temping. My sleep tends to be restless and interrupted. I don't get 3 hours of solid sleep prior to temping and I don't temp at the same time every day. I take my temperature when I can. Even with my erratic temps, I'm still able to see a shift. My advice would be not to stress about getting perfect data, because more often than not, you can still see a pattern.

5) Questions/concerns? I had a triphasic chart with my previous BFP. How likely is this pattern to hold for future pregnancies?

[Rama]

Sept 23, 2015 15:38:17 GMT -5 notagoddess said:

5) Questions/concerns? I had a triphasic chart with my previous BFP. How likely is this pattern to hold for future pregnancies?

Each pregnancy is different.  It might, it might not.

[notagoddess]

Sept 23, 2015 15:30:57 GMT -5 akraus2015 said:

1) Do you temp? Why/why not? Sure do! The more information, the better. I like knowing that I ovulated. It's like a tiny little accomplishment every month!

Yes!!

[requiressnacks]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not?

Yes I temp daily. I love having ALL THE DATA. I've also had plenty of positive OPK's with no confirmed temp shift. I find temping to be the only accurate way to indicate ovulation and I love it. I literally squeal with delight when I get crosshairs on Fertility Friend based on my temps.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why?

I use a Mabis and I temp orally. It was the best 5 bucks I've ever spent on Amazon.

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation?

Temping abso-fucking-lutely confirms my ovulation. As I said above, I have had positive digital OPKs and no temp shift.

4) List your tips for temping.

I try to temp around the same time everyday but I don't freak out on weekends if I don't wake up early. I've also deduced, through a lot of trial and error, that wine is the only alcohol that really impacts my temps. I can have a few vodka cocktails and it makes no difference, but 3 glasses of wine and my temp is sky high! (this is an anecdote only)

5) Questions/concerns?

Don't listen to your OB/RE when they tell you that temping/BBT is antiquated. Mine did that and it annoyed me. I've continued to temp on clomid and it worked out just fine for me.

[achromia]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not?
I do! Like so many others, I appreciate knowing that/when I ovulated. It has also probably saved me a boatload of money because my temps generally start dropping a few days before CD1, and then I don't bother to POAS. I have had one box of eight tests since I started TTC in July 2014, and there are still half of them in there.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why?
I have a ReliOn BBT that I got at WalMart, which I use to temp orally. That seems easiest to me and I've never had any problem identifying O day.

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation?
Yes. I can pretty much always see a shift. I appreciate this even more now that we're seeing an RE, because when she asked about our timing since we started trying I could confidently tell her that we've had excellent timing.

4) List your tips for temping.
Don't obsess or second-guess every individual temp. Take notes if you think you've got extenuating circumstances on a particular day, but put in the temp the BBT gave you and move on. Time will show if/when a biphasic pattern emerges. Try to remember to take the BBT with you on vacation if you are near O! (Not that I have had a problem with this... repeatedly...)

5) Questions/concerns?
Eh. I've been temping for 22 cycles and am fresh out of questions.

[mosdub]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not? Not currently because I'm TTA, but I did last cycle to see if my body was regulating itself and ovulating. I temped before for TTC purposes. I also really liked seeing connections between cycles and noticing trends.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why? I use a CVS bbt. I use it orally. So far it has worked for me! I can see temp shifts fine.

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation? Most of the time yes.

4) List your tips for temping. What works for me is temping at the same time every morning (5:30am) or within 15 minutes of that in either direction.

[akraus2015]

Rama, your tips/advice are really good!

notagoddess, what is a triphasic chart? (and how do you say triphasic?)

[jwinct]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not? Yes, because I like understanding how my body is working and knowing exactly when I ovulated.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why? I have a Target brand BBT. It seems to be working okay because I was able to pinpoint ovulation with it. Vaginally. I was told that it can be more reliable, especially if you're a crappy sleeper, which I am.

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation? Yes, I know exactly when I ovulate by temping/charting.

4) List your tips for temping. Try to take your temp around the same time every morning. Try not to move around too much before taking your temp - don't even talk. Know that drinking alcohol the night before can make your temp skyrocket (I have had to discard some temps because of this).

5) Questions/concerns?

[housecarder]

Sept 23, 2015 16:00:32 GMT -5 akraus2015 said:

Rama, your tips/advice are really good!

notagoddess, what is a triphasic chart? (and how do you say triphasic?)

I say it tri-phase-ic. It's where you have a secondary rise in temp after implantation (which may or may not include an implantation dip)

[kayladawn91]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not? Yes.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why? I have the BBT from Walmart. I ordered a Mabis off of Amazon for next cycle but it looks the same as my Walmart one? I temp orally because it's just easier to me. I've thought about switching to vaginally temping to see if I get less crazy charts, but I just haven't.

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation? Most of the time! Secondary signs definitely help though. I'm having a kind of crazy chart right now though. But temping and charting definitely helps.

4) List your tips for temping. It may take awhile to get into the habit of temping every day, but it's worth it if you're like me and want to know when to expect AF. It really tells you so much about your cycle.

5) Questions/Concerns: Can I ask a FF question here? Does anyone use anything other than Advanced detector mode? Is it really the "best" to use?

[requiressnacks]

Sept 23, 2015 16:14:55 GMT -5 kayladawn91 said:

5) Questions/Concerns: Can I ask a FF question here? Does anyone use anything other than Advanced detector mode? Is it really the "best" to use?

I always keep my Fertility Friend on "Advanced" because it takes into account all fertility signs and is what FF recommends.  You can read more about the different interpretation methods here: www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/Fertility-Friend-Interpretation-Methods.html

or for the lazies..

SPOILER: Click to show

The Advanced Detector is our recommended detector and the default for all charts. We recommend that you keep your chart on this setting. This detector takes all your fertility signs into account. It uses the computing power of our servers to actually scan for patterns of ovulation on your charts based on the many patterns that we have encountered through our years of experience. Once it has determined your most likely ovulation day based on all your fertility signs, it then determines a coverline (the horizontal line across your chart) with a reasonable value to show you your biphasic (ovulation) pattern. Our advanced detector simultaneously takes into account all signs and data you enter to determine the best interpretation.


The Research Detector is our cutting edge research detector. This detector includes all new patterns and improvements as we find them. With time and testing, we roll new findings into the advanced detector when appropriate. Since this detector is continuously under construction, it can be unstable. You should use it only if you wish to check for enhancements that are not yet rolled into the advanced detector.


The Fertility Awareness Detector is based on the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) as it is widely published (ovulation is detected after 3 temperatures above the previous 6) with some enhancements. This detector is best suited to those with regular chart patterns who are already familiar with this method.



The OPK/Monitor Detector relies solely on your Ovulation Predictor Kit (OPK) or fertility monitor data to determine ovulation. An OPK gives information only about the presence of Luteinizing Hormone (LH). Although in most cases a positive OPK will indicate imminent ovulation it is not always totally accurate. Similarly the fertility monitor gives you information about your estrogen levels and LH levels. Although more detailed than the OPK it still lacks the confirmation that ovulation actually occured. This detector is designed for women who are not recording their temperature but still would like to have a good estimate of their ovulation day.

[thelittleredm]

1. Do you temp? Why/why not?
Yes! I like that it usually takes the guess work out of when I O and it gives me a better indication of when AF wants to show up. I took a bit of a break this past cycle by not temping during the TWW and I'm not sure how I feel about that. It was nice not to worry about peeing an hour before my alarm but I would've felt better with my longer LP to know that my temps were dropping instead of staying in the "what if" phase.

2. What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp and why?
I just tossed my CVS BBT and purchased the ReliOn again. I am never buying another BBT without a temp recall function -.- I temp orally but I do see a significant difference in temps if I don't temp in the exact same spot every time so I may switch to vaginal. But temping orally is just so convenient. Idk.

3. Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation?
Absolutely!

4. I strongly recommend figuring out if how much sleep you get or when you temp matters most for your temping. For me, what time I temp is more important than the amount of sleep I get. Once I figured that out, I stopped worrying so much about if I got enough sleep to have a reliable reading. Also, if you temp orally, recognize that your temp can change a lot of you're not consistently putting the thermometer in the same place. I focus on where the thermometer is held between my teeth to remember where to stick it in the morning before turning it on.

5. None here.

[mill23]

I temp throughout my whole cycle, because I love data and even though I've been doing it for over a year, I still find it so interesting that I can see what my body is doing. I only learned about BBT in the last couple of years (thanks TCOYF!) and it seriously blows my mind. I wish I had known it sooner. Why don't they teach us this stuff??

I use a Life brand BBT which is ok, but favours temps a bit lately. I temp orally. I like that it stores the reading because I cannot always be trusted when I'm half awake so I can double check it later. I wish it was backlit though, if I replace it that is what I'll look for.

Temping/charting definitely helps me pinpoint O. The cycles I haven't got crosshairs have been due to travel or missed temps.

Things that have helped me:
- always remember that FF can (and does often for me) move your CHs even though they may be solid! Don't stop HIO once you see them because you never know. I've had it move up to three days.
- figure out if booze or lack of sleep severely impact your temps. Lately I can't drink during WTO because it shoots my temps up super high, but a constant wake up time doesn't matter for my temps.

[Evelyn3]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not?
At first, I did. And it was reliable at helping me pinpoint day of ovulation.
Now, I do not, or just sporadically
My cycles are extremely regular (and yes I know they are until they aren't) and I felt the temp drop at the end of each cycle was just frustrating more than helpful.
And I sleep very deeply and would often fall asleep while taking it, etc.
After so many months with ovulation being the same day give or take 1 day, I figured it was more trouble than it was worth.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why?
I use just a no name brand one ordered online.
I do not like that it is Celsius, and would have preferred a Fahrenheit one.
I temp orally - it always seemed accurate so I stayed with it

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation?
Yes

4) List your tips for temping.
I would say try not to stress over it
And if you feel you are stressed by it do not feel like you have to continue it.
It is quite neat to see the changes throughout a cycle, and I would imagine for long or irregular cycles it can very much be helpful. I would suggest trying to stick to the same time each day.
It does seem to make varying differences and can make you wonder for no reason.
For some people it doesn't change much depending on time, but you need to experiment a bit to see if that is the case or not for you

[britta]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not?
Yes I do. To confirm O, of course.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why?
I don't have an actual BBT. I'm using a Safety First standard digital thermometer and I temp orally. So far I'm still able to see a temperature shift which, along with secondary signs, has confirmed O for me every cycle.

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation?
Yes. A thousand times yes.

4) List your tips for temping.
I'm new to this so I don't have many. I would def recommend using FF to track temps/secondary signs/etc. Play around with it and figure out what works for you. Getting solid sleep prior to temping is more important for me than temping at the same time every day. I also second keeping your thermometer next to the bed.

5) Questions/concerns?
I don't think so!

[icaughtfire]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not?
I do. I like knowing that I've O'd. Then I know whether we actually hit my FW and it keeps the crazies at bay. Nausea? Yeah, you're 4DPO Fire..its not pregnancy related. I took a break from temping one month while TTC & just felt anxious the whole month not knowing what was happening.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why?
I use CVS brand, vaginally because I'm a mouth breather. My only complaint is its not back-lit.

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation?
Yes. There have been cycles here and there where I felt FF was off by a day or so, but that was usually due to user error (temping later, heavy drinking the night before.).

4) List your tips for temping.
Put your temp/secondary signs/whatever in, close the app & move on. Don't analyze your chart, don't search for answers. One wacky temp won't ruin everything. The prettiest charts can be BFN charts..don't invest much stock into how beautiful your chart is.

[rablissful]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not? Yup! #peerpressure

Just kidding. Kind of. I love having the data. I didn't think it would work because my insomnia is an asshole, but I can still see a clear shift even though my charts can be pretty fugly.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why? Who the eff temps rectally? I didn't think that was even an option.

Aaaaanyways, I temp vaginally because I use a mouth guard and don't want to have to deal with that hassle in the morning. I have a mabis. I like it.

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation? Yes. It generally lined up with cm. I've only used opks for one cycle and never got a true positive, but it did line up with my darkest opk.

4) List your tips for temping. Don't stress about it. If you wake up late, you wake up late. Ditto for early. Just take your temp. Remember you're looking for overall trends and one blip is not going to ruin it. (Unless you're like me and don't sleep on a critical night and ff refuses to give you CHs)

Don't stare at your chart. I promise it will not magically tell you something new.

Beautiful charts don't automatically mean bfps. Fugly charts don't automatically mean you're out.

[kayladawn91]

Thanks requiressnacks!

[gabride2010]

1. Do you temp? Yes I do! I have a history of very long and/or irregular cycles, and I wanted to know what was going on with my body. I'm very glad I started charting so I have proof of my anovulatory cycle!

2. What kind of BBT do you use? I have a Mabis that I bought off Amazon, and I temp orally (I don't mouth breathe, and I don't believe my temps are rocky).

3. Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation? I have no idea. I am about to finish my first cycle temping, which was anovulatory (I'm on CD 62 and taking Provera).

4. Tips for temping. I don't have any. I'm hoping to get tips from everyone else (I haven't read the thread yet).

5. Questions/concerns? I had to change my battery 3-4 weeks in to using my Mabis (it didn't die, but the numbers didn't show up very dark, and the beep was slower and a lower pitch). I thought that was extremely early and strange. Has anyone else had their BBT battery do that?

[butlerfan]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not? Yes, then I know if we've hit the window, if/when I've O'd, when to test, etc

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why? Mabis-brand from Walmart. Orally

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation? Yes

4) List your tips for temping. For me I have to the same time for accuracy. Put on nightstand by bed.

5) Questions/concerns?

[ellabee]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not? Yes. I like to analyze all the data.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why? Mabis, orally.

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation? Yes

4) List your tips for temping. Leaving my thermometer right where I can reach it on my bedside table.

5) Questions/concerns? Anyone find that your temps still rise after the thermometer beeps? Seems like if I leave it in for an additional 20ish seconds, my temps always come out .1-.3 degrees higher than if I take it out immediately after the beep. Not sure if my thermometer is just on the fritz. It's only two months old...

[Deleted]

Just checking in. Any rectal tempers yet?

[GOmamab15]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not? Yes, wish I'd started sooner. I love knowing things.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why? Mabis, orally(sorry to disappoint.)

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation? Yes it has for me, but just I started temping a couple months ago.

4) List your tips for temping.Just do it. I regret it when I sleep in and then get a bunk temp.
Also, the tip I got on here a week or so ago, to not try to pierce my tongue by shoving it so far in my mouth it hurts, that was good advice.

[acorn99]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not?
Yes, I am on my 4th cycle of temping, along with OPKs.


2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why?
I have a Mabis that I use to temp orally. I figured start with the most simple option and work up from there if I was not getting accurate readings.


3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation?
So far, so good. The first time I got CHs I just about threw myself a party. 


4) List your tips for temping.
I am a restless sleeper and I find that the temping does sometimes fuck with me because of that. I will wake, tell myself I have to temp, look at the clock and realize it is still the middle of the night and then I have a hard time going back to sleep. The longer I have been doing it, they better I have gotten at going back to sleep. 


5) Questions/concerns? Nerp. 

[goldenlove3]

Sept 23, 2015 19:35:31 GMT -5 gabride2010 said:

5. Questions/concerns? I had to change my battery 3-4 weeks in to using my Mabis (it didn't die, but the numbers didn't show up very dark, and the beep was slower and a lower pitch). I thought that was extremely early and strange. Has anyone else had their BBT battery do that?

My CVS BBT will be 2 years in January on the original batteries. Granted, I've taken months off but 3-4 weeks doesn't sound normal at all. Maybe it just had bad batteries in it. As long as it's working fine now, I don't think there would be an issue though.

[sleepymonkey]

gabride2010, I bought a Mabis off Amazon a few months ago and it came to me with what seemed like dying batteries. I returned it and ordered a new one. If it has been less than a month, I would contact Amazon to return it. They shouldn't die that quickly.

[mrss44]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not? Yes. I waneed to know when exactly I was ovulating.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why? Mabis. Vaginally. Because I sleep with my mouth open.

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation? Yes. In my 12 cycles of charting, I got CHs every month after Cycle 1.

4) List your tips for temping. Do not retake your temp. Just do it once and be done.

[LadyNymeria]

1) Do you temp? Why/why not? Yes. I like knowing exactly when I ovulated. Even before we were TTC I was temping because if you know when you ovulated you know when to expect your period and I don't enjoy being surprised by a period.

2) What kind of BBT do you use? How do you temp (orally, vaginally, rectally) and why? I have a Reli-On from Walmart. Seems to work just fine and it was only $8 or so. I temp orally because that's what I started with and it works well for me.

3) Does temping/charting reliably help you identify ovulation? Yes, very much so.

4) List your tips for temping.
- Already mentioned, but temp once and use it. I've done the multiple temps thing once or twice and it just makes things confusing.
- Do not buy the Up & Up BBT from Target. It favors temps and for me it was really annoying to get the same exact temp (to the 0.00 decimal place) 5 days in a row. I was still able to identify my temp shift, but I personally hated the repeat temps and it just make me question whether or not the BBT was all that accurate.

[Deleted]

Sept 24, 2015 7:48:41 GMT -5 sleepymonkey said:

gabride2010, I bought a Mabis off Amazon a few months ago and it came to me with what seemed like dying batteries. I returned it and ordered a new one. If it has been less than a month, I would contact Amazon to return it. They shouldn't die that quickly.

I had the same exact thing happen. It lasted less than a week. I got a refund within a few days.

[pismoduo]

Sept 23, 2015 16:14:55 GMT -5 kayladawn91 said:

<snip>

5) Questions/Concerns: Can I ask a FF question here? Does anyone use anything other than Advanced detector mode? Is it really the "best" to use?

I switched to FAM one cycle when I had some missing temps right around O. Otherwise, I stick to Advanced.