Regardless of the purpose for which you decide to start monitoring the work of the reproductive system of your body, you will definitely have to start building temperature curves, learn to read and analyze them.
If you correctly build a schedule for
measuring basal temperature, then after a few months, on the basis of the values displayed in it, you will already be able to evaluate the work of your body, you will know if you have ovulation and when is the most favorable period for
fertilizing an egg. This knowledge should help both when planning pregnancy, and to prevent unwanted conception.
Deciphering the basal temperature graph has its own characteristics and in order to learn how to accurately determine the date of ovulation and the estimated time of the onset of menstruation, you need some time, but for this you need to familiarize yourself with the general rules for constructing such graphs and analyzing them.
If you know all the nuances of measurement, then it's time to figure out how the indicators obtained must be analyzed. So, with a normal ovulatory cycle in the first phase, the temperature should be lower than in the second, during the ovulation there is a sharp jump up, and by the beginning of menstruation it again falls. If, on the days of the alleged menstruation, you see that basal temperature is rising , pregnancy is likely to have already begun.
According to the rules established by WHO, the ovulation line on the graph must be drawn when, as a result of the last 3 measurements, indicators are higher than the previous 6. So, the middle line is drawn above the highest value of 6, and the next 3 indicators should be 0.1 - 0.2 C above this line. At first, it may seem that deciphering the basal temperature graph and determining ovulation is a rather complicated process, but usually at the first glance at the graph everything becomes clear. If you were able to draw a middle line and an ovulation line, then further work with the resulting curve should not cause difficulties.
Normally, the difference between the average values of the first and second phases should be more than 0.4 C, and the length of the period after ovulation should be about 12-16 days, otherwise this may indicate hormonal problems. It is also desirable that after the release of the egg the temperature throughout the entire second phase is kept at about 37 ° C and falls only at the beginning of critical days. If these conditions are not observed on your schedule, then a proper interpretation of the basal temperature chart can show that you have certain problems, even if ovulation, judging by the obtained indicators, also passes.
If you just started taking measurements and the first cycle turned out to be anovulatory, you should not worry, but it is better to continue measurements. One or two cycles a year without the release of an egg is quite normal, but if it has not been available for several months in a row, then this requires the obligatory consultation of a doctor. In this case, the decoding of the basal temperature graph should be combined with other studies: hormone tests, ultrasound, manual palpation of the pelvic organs.