What’s The Difference Between A Normal Thermometer And A Basal Thermometer?
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When you need to track your body temperature over the course of your menstrual cycle either when trying to conceive or trying not to, a regular thermometer is not sufficiently adequate to record the subtle fluctuations. To take your BBT – Basal Body Temperature – you need a thermometer with greater accuracy and a greater range of parameters.
Unlike regular thermometers, basal ones are not available in the old-style mercury form. Glass/mercury thermometers simply do not offer the accuracy required to record body temperatures for fertility reasons. Digital basal thermometers store the previous reading in a memory and allow you to recall it the next time you are using it, so if you were unable to record the reading when you took it, you can record it the next day. Digital ones also beep once the peak temperature is recorded.
Basal thermometers work more rapidly than fever thermometers. They usually take around 30-60 seconds to take a reading.
The correct method for taking your basal temperature is to do so before even getting out of bed in the morning. Keep your thermometer handy by your bedside, or in your purse if you travel a lot and keep your purse near the bed. Endeavor to take your temperature at the same time each day for most accurate results.
Remember that the elevation that you will be recording in your body temperature is an indication that ovulation has just occurred. It is not a reliable predictor of fertility, but rather it’s a way of tracking the progress of your cycle so that you can watch a pattern develop and be better able to anticipate your day of ovulation after a few months.
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