What even is BBT?
Well to put it simply, Basal Body Temperature tracking is simply taking your temperature daily as soon as you wake up, before getting out of bed, and recording it on a graph.
But WHY would you want to bother with that?
Let's back up a bit...Did you know there's a link between the menstrual cycle & your body temperature? Yep, as your hormones change, so does your resting body temperature and it can actually tell us a lot about the health of your cycle, fertility and most importantly in the context of PCOS, whether you are ovulating monthly or not!
So let's dive into how hormones affect temperature:
- During your bleed, in your Follicular phase, (approximately cycle day 1 to 12/14 in a 28 day cycle) your resting body temperature, or known as BBT, is consistently low.
-Then just hours before ovulation it will drop slightly lower before rising sharply once ovulation occurs!
-BBT will remain elevated throughout the remainder of your Luteal phase (approximately days 24 to 28 in a 28 day cycle).
-Last but not least, your BBT will then noticeably drop 24 to 48 hours before your bleed starts.
As I'm sure you can see, this is useful information to track especially on your healing journey of PCOS simply because the very hallmark of PCOS is an absence of ovulation leading to infertility. So as you make lifestyle changes to heal your body, whether you are consistently ovulating or not is one of the most important benchmarks to be tracking! If you're ovulating regularly, you're on your way to overcoming PCOS :-)
So how do you track BBT?
Tracking BBT is actually not as difficult as it seems. All you need is a regular thermometer (although there are some special thermometers and wearable devices too if you're feeling fancy) and a cycle tracking app that supports BBT tracking functionalities!
Personally I have used the Flo app to track BBT. [Edit: It seems that the BBT feature isn't consistently available across devices, so just check and see if it's still available at the time you're reading this.] I've also used apps like Ovia & Tempdrop to track BBT completely free.
My Personal Reccomendation: If you want an incredible option for not only tracking your cycle but also an FDA approved NON-Hormonal birth control/fertility assisting app (depending on which setting you choose), you definitely want to check out Natural Cycles!
This is what I personally use. It's not free, but in my opinion it's totally worthwhile for the superior algorythm and very easy-to-interpret graphs. If you're ovulating, Natural Cycles is gonna detect it. If you aren't, they're gonna tell you!
This is your best friend especially if you're either trying to avoid pregnancy or if you're trying to conceive. I've got you a 20% off promo on Natural Cycles!
Once you have your tools: a thermometer & a tracking app, all you need to do is keep that thermometer by your bed and as soon as you wake up in the morning (ideally at the same time every day), take your temperature before getting up out of bed and then log it in the app.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you forgot and got out of bed before taking your temp or you are not feeling well, it's best not to log temperature on those days as it can falsely elevate temperature leading to confusing results.
How to read the results over time?
Ah, I'm glad you asked! That really is the most important part, isn't it! Let's take a look at the graph below which shows a clear ovulation temperature difference.
As you can see, throughout the first half of the cycle temperature stays relatively consistent and low. Then suddenly it rises sharply and continues to rise until it remains stable high through to the last day of the cycle, before dropping just before the bleed. This is an example of a healthy, ovulatory cycle!
What if there's no clear, sustained rise in temp? - Well, if your graph is showing temperature consistently low or jumping drastically around the chart, chances are you probably had an anovulatory cycle, which means no egg was released from the ovaries mid-cycle making it impossible to conceive that month. This, again, is a classic with PCOS, but it doesn't have to stay that way! Tracking your BBT for a number of months will give you not only a deeper connection to your cycle, but you will learn your body's patterns and with this tool, you'll know exactly when the lifestyle changes you're making, start working!
Not sure what lifestyle changes you're meant to be making to overcome PCOS or looking for guidance? - Head to our Coaching page in the top menu bar & let us help you reach your wellness goals!
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