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Basal Body Temperature

Should You "Temp" for Fertility Signs?

By Krissi Danielsson

Although other methods exist for evaluating infertility causes, ovulation charts can help a physician know where to start looking, which was true for Lambert. "I had a regular period and had no other indication that my cycle was not functioning properly," she says. "Even my doctor was surprised to find out that my thyroid was slowing down."

Ovulation tracking can be useful even for women with no reason to suspect infertility, says Dr. Marcus Jurema of the Women and Infants' Hospital of Rhode Island. Dr. Jurema recommends charting for women just starting to try for a baby, since charting pinpoints the fertile window. "Once they have determined their ovulatory window, they may stop, [but] charting may reassure some women that ovulation is taking place every month, and they may continue to chart if so desired," he says.

However, Dr. Jurema says charting may not be helpful for all women. "Women with unpredictable cycles are usually anovulatory or ovulate rarely and may be wasting time and effort with BBT," he says. For example, a woman with abnormal periods may not see significant benefit from charting, since it could be weeks without a temperature rise. Trying to watch for the classic temperature rise could just add extra stress in such a situation.

Extra stress was exactly what Hazel Larkin of Dublin, Ireland, experienced. "I never had a regular cycle," she says. "In any given year, I might have from five to nine periods." Larkin charted her temperature for two years before giving it up as a "bad joke" and resorting to other metods.

Want to see more?

• The Right Timing with Conception: Learn to Track Your Body's Fertile Signs to Help You Conceive
• Temping Tips: 8 Ways to Get the Most Accurate Basal Body Temperature
• Fertile Signs: Scientific and Subtle Ways to Know You're Ready to Conceive
• Join the discussion on our Family.com community!

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