Value of the basal temperature measurement method

The female body is a relatively stable system, despite the fact that there are many different physiological processes occurring in it every second, causing fluctuations in blood, urine, body temperature, etc. Such changes are insignificant, so small deviations from the average value are considered normal, and moderate and large - pathology. For example, a normal body temperature of 36.6-36.8 degrees is considered normal, 36.9 is a borderline value, and 37 in most cases indicates a developing pathological process. But this is not always the case, because the body temperature is affected by many factors: stress, physical activity, quality of night rest, the presence of chronic pathologies, pregnancy, etc. Basal temperature in pregnancy is higher than 37 degrees, and this is not considered pathology. On the contrary, such a change in temperature indicators is a joyful event, indicating to some the birth of a new life, and to others - the right moment for conception. [1]

What is basal temperature?

The word base in Russian means the basis for something, the indicator from which the counting of changes, time, processes begins. When it comes to something specific, such as temperature, the base or basal temperature can be considered the one that most accurately reflects the state of the body at the moment.

This is the temperature at complete rest, when it is not yet noticeably affected by factors capable of making changes. Such factors include:

• physical activity (when a person starts to move actively, metabolic processes accelerate, body temperature rises slightly),
• excited psycho-emotional state (with severe stress and overexcitement, there is an increase in temperature, in some cases even up to 37.5-38 degrees Celsius).
• sleep deprivation (in one-time sleep deprivation may be weakness and a slight decrease in temperature, and in chronic - fever and chills caused by general fatigue of the body, reducing its defenses, resistance to infection), etc.

If you measure body temperature immediately after waking up, without leaving the confines of bed, it will be a few tenths of a degree lower than what we see when a person is actively engaged in a hectic rhythm of life. Changes in temperature indicators are largely due to the level of physical activity, the state of the psyche and immunity, the degree of fatigue, so during the day the indicators can fluctuate. And this does not allow you to assess the true state of the body.

Basal temperature is the temperature that is noted when a person wakes up before activity begins. It is measured in bed, without getting on your feet, taking a thermometer from the bedside table. An important etiologic factor is normal rest on the eve of temperature measurement (at least 6-7 hours).

Despite equal measurement conditions, even basal temperature readings may vary during different periods. Thus, the basal temperature during ovulation and pregnancy is slightly higher than in other periods of a woman's life. But it should be understood that inflated body temperature values can also be the result of inflammatory diseases, the active stage of which is always accompanied by hyperthermia of varying degrees. [2]

Measuring basal temperature

Since the basal temperature most accurately reflects the processes occurring in the body, it is understandable that such a feature of the basal temperature could not go unnoticed by doctors. The technique of its measurement proved to be useful both for assessing the general condition of the organism and for diagnosing pathologies of its various structures and systems (immune, endocrine, reproductive, etc.).

The fact that the basal temperature can change even in the absence of symptoms of disease, interested endocrinologists and gynecologists. The fact that the body temperature can undergo certain changes under the influence of certain hormones. This explains its increase on the eve of ovulation and at conception.

The hyperthermic effect has been noticed for progesterone. This hormone is the basis for the method of measuring basal temperature during pregnancy and its planning, developed in the middle of the last century by the English scientist Marshall, although the effect of female sex hormones on body temperature (estrogen slightly reduces it, and progesterone - increases it) was known since the end of the XIX century.

Progesterone is a biologically active substance produced in the body of women and men. But in the latter, it is produced in small quantities and has less activity (its action and estrogen is damped by the male hormone testosterone), sufficient to maintain the functional norm of the male body.

For women, progesterone is of great value, because it is thanks to it that it is possible to preserve pregnancy and maintain demographics in general. That is why it is called the pregnancy hormone. But this does not mean that progesterone is produced only in pregnant women.

A woman's body is arranged in such a way that it is she who is responsible for the continuation of the species. The functioning of the female reproductive system is based on this and is subordinated to this task.

Ideally, the menstrual cycle in women can be divided into 2 phases. The first phase involves the maturation of one (rarely two or more) follicles, while the second phase involves ovulation and postovulatory development of the egg. After maturation of the follicle in the brain is signaled, and the pituitary gland releases into the blood luteinizing hormone, facilitating the exit of the egg ready for fertilization from the surrounding follicle. Therefore, the first phase is called the follicular phase and the second phase is called the luteal phase.

Once during the menstrual cycle (at the beginning of its second phase), the ovum leaves the follicle and the corpus luteum is formed in its place (due to a special substance lutein, which determines the color of the formed gland). The corpus luteum is essentially an internal secretion organ that exists for a limited time and is designed to preserve possible pregnancy in the postovulatory period.

It is the corpus luteum that is responsible for the synthesis of progesterone in the postovulatory period, regardless of whether or not conception occurs during this period. During the first week after ovulation, progesterone is secreted in significant amounts in both pregnant and non-pregnant women. But when conception occurs, it continues to be secreted in the future, because it is an important condition for the preservation of pregnancy. [3]

Where is the basal temperature measured?

Progesterone is a special female hormone that has a specific property of literally "heating up the situation". It is not about nervous breakdowns, but about the warming up of body tissues when the hormone enters the vagina and bloodstream. As a biologically active substance, progesterone has a stimulating effect on the thermoregulation center in the brain, which adjusts the temperature to the requirements of conception and carrying a pregnancy.

Some women believe that measuring the basal temperature to determine the time of ovulation when planning pregnancy should be strictly in the vagina, because that is where progesterone is synthesized. Perhaps such a measurement is of great value, but not in terms of diagnosing pregnancy, but for the detection of gynecological diseases that cause a local increase in temperature of the genitals. Basal temperature, which changes during ovulation and pregnancy, is actually the general temperature for the whole body at rest, because the blood circulates throughout the body.

It cannot be said that in the place of hormone secretion, i.e. In the internal female organs, the temperature of tissues changes much more strongly, so it should be measured only in the vagina. Since progesterone, like other hormones, exerts its effect indirectly, i.e. Through the blood, it is she who carries this biologically active substance throughout the body, reaching the center of thermoregulation of the brain. The circulatory system in the human body is the same for all organs. Thus, other parts of the body are also subjected to heating, so the temperature measured in the mouth or rectum, at ovulation and after conception after a short period of time will also be higher.

Another thing is that the sex hormone first of all causes an increase in temperature in the area of its secretion (local), signaling to the thermoregulation center that it is here that the necessary conditions should be created. But later it causes temperature changes in nearby tissues, and the process spreads further, so fluctuations in basal temperature can be noticed even in the oral cavity.

In other words, the indicator of a joyful event or its maximum possibility is an increased temperature in the vagina, rectum or mouth, where it is customary to measure the basal temperature. The temperature under the arms is not considered so indicative and does not give accurate information about the state of the reproductive system after the release of the egg from the follicle. After all, it is not about the disease, and the temperature changes insignificantly. In addition, the skin is influenced by the external environment, so the temperature under the arms is usually lower than that noted on the mucous membranes in places where it is usually measured: mouth, rectum, vagina.

The temperature of internal organs and mucous membranes is always higher than that which is fixed on the surface of the body (skin), although the difference in the norm remains small (only half a degree). And at the same time it is more stable, because in this case external influences are minimized. It becomes clear why regular measurements of basal temperature in the oral cavity, vagina or rectum are considered more informative.

There is a not unfounded opinion that it is most appropriate to measure basal temperature in the rectum. Why should the temperature be measured rectally, if all the processes associated with the development of the ovum and its ovulation occur in the ovaries and vagina of the woman? The authors explain their position by the fact that basal temperature is essentially the temperature of heating of the resting body's blood, the cyclical changes of which are most noticeable in the rectum adjacent to the female internal reproductive organs.

The sex hormone progesterone, depending on the level of its secretion by the internal secretion glands, increases the blood supply to the ovaries and uterus, which share blood vessels. Temperature fluctuations are immediately transmitted to the rectum, which is in direct contact with the walls of the uterus. The intestine heats up when the temperature of the uterus rises, so it is among the first to feel changes in basal temperature.

It would seem that the vagina is also connected with the uterus and ovaries by common arteries, but temperature fluctuations are most noticeable in the depths of this structure in contact with its walls, while the measurement of basal temperature is usually carried out without inserting the thermometer into the vagina. So it turns out that the rectum is the first to recognize and react to temperature changes in the reproductive organs located beyond the reach of the thermometer.

And yet, regardless of the choice of the place of measurement of temperature indicators, a woman planning pregnancy, will have to adhere to certain requirements:

• The temperature should be measured regularly throughout the menstrual cycle. This is the only way to notice small changes in temperature during ovulation and conception. If the measurements are carried out on an ad hoc basis, then a convenient moment for sexual intercourse with the maximum possibility of conceiving a new life, you can simply miss. The fact is that the highest probability of becoming a mom is the day of ovulation. Ovulation occurs in the middle of the menstrual cycle, and this middle is calculated based on the number of days in the cycle, and can shift in different women, especially those whose cycle is not characterized by special regularity. Basal temperature, or rather its measurement, will help to determine the day of ovulation most accurately.

But it should be understood that conception can occur on other days close to the day of ovulation, if a woman has not one but two oocytes (in both ovaries), which remain viable for 1-2 days and are most favorable to sperm during the first 12 hours. Eggs may mature simultaneously or up to 7 days apart, i.e. There will be not one but two ovulations.

One of the reasons for the later (less often early) date of conception can also be considered the vitality of spermatozoa (inside the female body they can remain active for a week, when the probability of getting pregnant remains even if there is no lovemaking during these days). This shows the errors that are possible if you use not the temperature method, but the calendar method of determining the best day for conception and pregnancy diagnosis.

• Measuring the basal temperature when planning pregnancy is better supported by appropriate records. Using the results of daily measurements, it is easy to make a graph, according to which women with a regular menstrual cycle can calculate the optimal days for conception in the future, even without measuring the temperature. Such a graph will be useful for diagnosis of the processes occurring in the body of a woman: if the basal temperature after ovulation does not gradually decrease for 2 or more weeks, then it is time to visit a women's consultation. It is likely that pregnancy has occurred.

The corpus luteum, formed after the egg leaves the follicle, functions for several months after conception (it is especially active until 6-7 weeks of pregnancy, but with the appearance of the placenta begins to lose its role). All this time it secretes progesterone (the maximum activity of the corpus luteum is noted on the 6-7 day after ovulation) and thus supports not only pregnancy, but also an increased body temperature in the future mother.

If conception does not occur, the activity of the corpus luteum decreases within a week, and the production of progesterone fades rapidly (usually after 21 days of the cycle), which is accompanied by a drop in temperature to normal values in non-pregnant women.

• An important condition for the adequacy and value of measurements is not only their regularity, but also their consistency: the same thermometer, approximately the same time of measurement (ideally morning hours), the same place (mouth, vagina or rectum), because the temperature differs in different parts of the body.
• The basal temperature should be measured from day 1 of the cycle (the first day of menstruation), even before getting out of bed, so it is desirable to have a thermometer at hand after waking up in the morning. Visiting the toilet, hygienic procedures, eating should be postponed for later, because any activity of the body affects the temperature (more active blood circulation and heat exchange between the tissues of the body).

This should be done daily, trying to avoid significant time differences (plus or minus half an hour). If for some reason a woman overslept the time of morning measurement, it should be noted in the graph or diary, because this result will not be accurate enough for dynamic analysis. It is believed that during 1 hour of morning sleep basal temperature can rise by 0.1 degrees, ie, sleeping an extra couple of hours, you can get a basal temperature of 0.2 degrees higher.

• Only those results are indicative when the body has had at least 6 hours of normal rest beforehand. It is desirable that the last 3 hours of sleep are not interrupted by trips to the kitchen or toilet.

If a woman has to work at night, temperature measurement should be done after the body has rested for 3-4 hours (there is no point in measuring the temperature early in the morning). But it should be said at once that shift work schedules negatively affect the hormonal balance and the possibility of conceiving a child.

During adolescence and young adulthood, night shifts and lack of a normal night's sleep can lead to impaired pelvic development and problems with conception in the future. The growth of the pelvic bones and therefore the normal development of the pelvis and its organs is promoted by the pituitary hormone somatotropin, a growth hormone produced at night.

During puberty, the production of this hormone is most active, and afterwards it decreases markedly. Underdevelopment of the pelvis at puberty is almost impossible to compensate for in the future, and as a result, problems with conception, pregnancy and childbirth.

• The depth of insertion of the thermometer and the time of temperature measurement are important for the accuracy of the measurement. The device should be inserted at least 4 cm into the mouth, rectum and vagina, but it does not make sense to immerse it "headfirst" either. The measurement time should not be less than 5-7 minutes, when the readings of the device will stabilize and will no longer change.
• It is uncomfortable to measure basal temperature in the vagina during menstruation, but only results that correspond to a specific measurement site throughout the cycle are of value. That is, if the temperature is measured in the mouth during your period and in the vagina afterwards, there is a certain risk of error.

Based on these considerations, it can be assumed that when planning pregnancy basal temperature measurement is better to be carried out in the rectum, which is in close proximity to the internal reproductive organs of the woman (if there are contraindications to such measurements or other subjective reasons, you can measure the temperature, holding a thermometer in the mouth).

When pregnant and not menstruating, basal temperature is best measured in the vagina. This is a fairly effective and safe method of monitoring the pregnancy, which can signal the risk of pregnancy failure, local inflammatory processes, usually associated with bacterial infection (the temperature in the mouth and rectum may remain unchanged), or no cause for alarm. Such measurements will not bring harm to the fetus, because the thermometer does not need to be inserted deeply (the main thing is to monitor the sterility of the measuring device, so as not to bring into the genital tract infection), but will allow the mother to timely suspect violations and prevent them by contacting a doctor in time. [4]

Who needs to measure their basal temperature and why?

Regular measurement of resting body temperature provides a clear picture of the overall health of the person and of the individual organs and systems, and in particular of the reproductive system. From the point of view of gynecology, it is of great value for monitoring the condition and functioning of the ovaries. It is the work of the ovaries that primarily determines a woman's ability to reproduce, because they form follicles with maturing eggs inside - female sex cells, which, in agreement with one of the sperm (male sex cell) give rise to a new organism.

Often, women whose health does not seem to be alarming, but nevertheless they are unable to conceive a child (conception does not occur at all or low levels of female sex hormones cause early miscarriages) go to a gynecologist. Usually after 1-2 years of unsuccessful attempts such women go for help to the doctor, who can not diagnose and prescribe treatment without knowing the cause of violations. Often such causes are hormonal in nature, which will be indicated by the results of measuring the basal temperature.

Appeal to the doctor and the use of temperature method of diagnosing infertility will be useful in long-term unsuccessful attempts to conceive a child (helps to identify who exactly the man or woman is unable to conceive, as well as to determine the cause of this in women), regular miscarriages, suspected hormonal disorders in women.

In these situations, the doctor himself can offer such a simple and effective method of diagnosis, which in addition helps to identify diseases of the genital (when measuring the temperature in the vagina easily identified inflammatory processes) and endocrine system (given that the sex glands themselves are stimulated by the pituitary and adrenal glands with the participation of the thyroid gland). In the latter case, it is necessary to consult not only a gynecologist, but also an endocrinologist, because the failure can occur in any link of the endocrine chain, which will affect the synthesis of sex hormones, and in particular progesterone.

It is clear that professional diagnosis of disorders is not limited to measuring the basal temperature, making a graph and interpreting it. The doctor has no right to make a final diagnosis without laboratory tests and a full examination of the woman, including hormone analysis. After all, temperature fluctuations are not always caused by ovulation and conception, it can also be a symptom of a disease that has not yet announced itself.

Despite the fact that the method of measuring basal temperature belongs to the methods of medical diagnostics, its use does not require special equipment and control by a doctor. To measure temperature values and make a simple graph on them, connecting the points corresponding to the numerical temperature values, is quite easy for any woman. Gynecologists themselves often recommend that women use the method when planning pregnancy to determine the optimal day of the female sexual cycle for conception.

But even if having a baby is not the most important goal at this time, basal temperature can help to detect some abnormalities in the ovaries, which can be an obstacle to pregnancy in the future. For example, failure to mature the egg or lack of ovulation in the normal development of the egg, when it does not leave the ovary and does not form a corpus luteum, which produces progesterone. In such conditions, it is impossible to conceive a child and a woman should consult a doctor in advance to identify the reasons for the failure to mature the egg and appropriate treatment.

If everything is normal and ovulation is occurring, measurements will help:

• avoid unwanted pregnancies by identifying the days when you should pay special attention to contraception or abstain from coitus,
• will provide some information about the functioning of the endocrine system and the sex glands in particular,
• will help identify underlying pathologies,
• will allow you to determine when your next menstrual period will begin,
• will give the opportunity to determine the possible causes of delayed menstruation, the appearance of unusual discharge (such occur during implantation of the egg on the 3-7 day after conception, not only in gynecological diseases).

Expectant mothers who strictly monitor their health and the course of pregnancy do not stop measuring even after conception. It is especially important to monitor changes in basal temperature during the first four weeks of pregnancy, when the likelihood of pregnancy failure is particularly high. The restructuring of the mother's body makes it more susceptible to any negative factors affecting it externally or internally. Fluctuations in basal temperature to one side or the other of the normal range may indicate an increased risk of spontaneous abortion.

Thus, in order to start measuring the basal temperature when planning pregnancy or for preventive purposes, it is not necessarily necessary to go to a gynecologist for such an appointment. It is much more important to consult a doctor if the graph shows deviations from the norm, which can be evidence of both physiological (pregnancy) and pathological processes. [5]

The pleasant and scary secrets of basal temperature

When a woman takes basal temperature measurements for the sake of interest and contraception, she is not concerned about the absence of pregnancy for a long time and other issues related to the continuation of labor, the results of measurements are unlikely to arouse strong emotions. In pregnancy planning, control or infertility diagnosis, women are more scrupulous about the methodology and react strongly to any deviations from the accepted norm.

If the basal temperature is measured for the purpose of conception and preservation of the child in pregnancy, the very fact that it jumps, can cause alarm. Sometimes it is unfounded, because we have already said that the normal temperature during the menstrual cycle should fluctuate, especially at the boundary of the phases after ovulation (a large jump in temperature within 0.4 degrees, although usually the difference does not exceed 0.1-0.2 degrees). Worse, if the graph throughout the days of the cycle remains monotonous and does not experience noticeable fluctuations. Although preovulatory temperature drop is not observed on the graph of about 20% of healthy women, it is clear that the temperature spike after ovulation will not be so noticeable.

But in some cases, basal temperature spikes within one of the phases can be evidence of certain pathologies. For example, knowing that in the first phase of the cycle the temperature is usually below 37 degrees, its jump above this indicator for 2-3 days or a long stay near the border of the norm can speak of inflammation of the appendages.

In the second phase of the cycle, temperature values are normal above 37.1 degrees. In this case, in the first 3 days after ovulation, they grow especially fast, then the rate of temperature increase decreases, on the 6-7th day at conception there is a decrease in temperature by 0.2-0.3 degrees (implantation depression), after which the temperature is smoothly rising again, while the corpus luteum is active, ie, almost to the end of the second phase. If 3 days after ovulation, the temperature continues to rise sharply, you can suspect an inflammatory process in the genital organs, pathology of the egg, estrogen deficiency, the effect of which on the temperature is opposite to progesterone.

Basal temperature after ovulation in pregnancy should remain above 37.1 degrees for at least the first month of pregnancy, but usually some deviation from the norm in the direction of increase is noted in the second and third months of pregnancy. Temperature within 37.1 -37.3 for 14 or more days after ovulation in the absence of regular menstruation is very likely to indicate a joyful event in the life of a woman and her family. Two-week pregnancy is already well defined by tests, which will help to assure the truth of the desired event.

But even if your period has come, it does not mean that pregnancy should be ruled out (some women have periods for several months of pregnancy). A shift in the timing of menstrual periods, unusual discharge, or a decrease in the duration of menstrual bleeding may indicate conception, but in such cases, pregnancy is usually considered problematic because of the threat of early pregnancy.

Basal temperature of 36.9 - 37 degrees in the first phase of the cycle when planning pregnancy indicates a lack of estrogen in the body. Even if the egg can mature in such conditions and coovulate, it is likely to be weak. But usually with a lack of female hormones eggs do not mature and a sharp rise in temperature in the second phase of the cycle is absent.

The same temperature in the second phase of the cycle indicates a borderline condition and confirms progesterone deficiency (and sometimes a deficiency of sex hormones in general), regardless of whether conception has occurred or not. In this case, it is necessary to introduce hormones from the outside, stimulation of hormonal activity, otherwise the chances of conception and normal pregnancy are low.

Basal temperature of 36 degrees when planning pregnancy can be in the first phase of the menstrual cycle, especially against the background of general weakness of the body. In the second phase of the cycle such a low temperature is more likely to be nonsense and is possible only in acute progesterone deficiency. Most likely it is the absence of ovulation, without which conception is impossible.

A severe drop in basal temperature in a pregnant woman can be observed in a frozen pregnancy, which requires immediate surgical intervention. The cause of such a failure of pregnancy can be hormonal disorders, such as progesterone deficiency (as evidenced by low temperatures), its imbalance with estrogen, violations of the functionality of not only the ovaries, but also other organs of internal secretion (especially the thyroid gland, pituitary and adrenal glands), responsible for maintaining the hormonal background. Usually the temperature at this temperature does not go below 36.5 degrees, but these indicators are strictly individual. Any decrease in basal temperature in pregnancy below 37 degrees should be regarded as an alarming factor. At 36.8 to postpone going to the doctor is no longer possible.

In ectopic pregnancy, the basal temperature is usually within normal limits, if there are no hormonal disorders. Changes in temperature are caused by the production of progesterone, which is released after ovulation - a necessary condition for conception. If we talk about pregnancy, regardless of its localization, ovulation occurred in any case, and therefore there was a release of large amounts of progesterone into the blood. Thus, measuring the basal temperature in ectopic pregnancy has no diagnostic value.

Now let's talk about high temperature readings. 37.1 - 37.3 degrees - these are normal indicators of the second phase of the cycle. Borderline states are considered to be 37.4 -37.6 degrees. These are generally accepted norms, which may differ depending on the initial temperature in the first phase of the cycle.

If in the second phase of the cycle the temperature exceeds 37.6 degrees with high probability we can talk about the inflammatory process, although similar results can be and with estrogen deficiency. Basal temperature of 38 degrees in pregnancy (or in the second phase of the cycle without conception) is noted in infectious and inflammatory processes in the internal genital organs of a woman.

So, the rise and fall of basal temperature in pregnancy can have different causes. Excessive rise in temperature values is usually associated with inflammatory processes in the reproductive system, and in the first phase of the cycle it can also be evidence of estrogen deficiency. More unfavorable in terms of conception and pregnancy is considered a decrease in temperature values, especially in the second phase of the cycle, which is associated with progesterone deficiency, fetal conception, increased risk of spontaneous miscarriage in early pregnancy. [6]

Basal temperature in IVF pregnancy

It is not always possible for women to conceive naturally. For example, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is often the only way for women with anatomical defects and obstruction of the fallopian tubes to become the mother of their child.

This method is attractive because the future child receives hereditary information from both parents. It is just that the meeting of the mother's egg and the father's sperm takes place outside the mother's body. The egg is returned to the mother's body (implanted in the uterus) after conception, i.e. On the 2nd-5th day after conception. After conception, it is considered an embryo.

The problem is that mature follicles are retrieved before they rupture, i.e. Before the formation of the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone. Having placed the embryo in the uterus, it is impossible to solve the issue of preserving pregnancy without the introduction of the hormone that supports it (progesterone). After all, until the placenta is formed, there is no one to produce progesterone in sufficient quantities, and the adrenal hormones (analogs of the hormones secreted by the sex glands) are not active enough to maintain pregnancy.

In order to control the course of IVF pregnancy by basal temperature chart, it is necessary to start measuring it 2-3 months before implantation, except for the periods when hormonal stimulation of follicle maturation is carried out before their retrieval. This will help doctors to determine the norm of temperature and hormonal background of a woman, which will later make it possible to calculate the necessary dosage of progesterone.

In natural conception in the first postovulatory days, the temperature rises to 37.3 degrees Celsius. In IVF, in the first days after implantation, the temperature may reach 37.5 degrees Celsius (progesterone is supplemented by the body's reaction to the introduction of a foreign body). Ideally, progesterone restrains the aggressive immune response and the temperature subsequently stays within 37.2-37.4 degrees, as in the natural way of conception. When the embryo is embedded in the uterine wall, there may be a small short-term temperature spike, but then everything returns to normal.

If, however, the temperature continues to rise and then goes into a decline to below 37 degrees, this is most likely evidence of embryo rejection as a result of an overactive immune system. Although there may be other causes as well:

• Temperature sometimes rises or jumps both ways in ectopic pregnancies,
• Localized temperature increases also cause localized inflammatory processes,
• Hyperthermia is characteristic of common infectious diseases,
• Infectious complications cannot be excluded (they are possible at the time of egg retrieval or insertion into the uterus).

Any changes in basal temperature in pregnancy after IVF should be clearly monitored and analyzed during the 1st trimester of pregnancy. After placentation of the embryo, the placenta takes over the responsibility for maintaining the pregnancy and it is no longer meaningful to monitor the basal temperature, although pregnancy monitoring by specialists should remain regular.

A little about the accuracy and feasibility of the method

Many experts are skeptical about the method of measuring basal temperature, arguing that its graph alone is not a reliable diagnostic criterion. The thermometer readings can be influenced by various internal and external factors that devalue the graphical method. Such factors include: somatic diseases that can cause an increase in temperature, nocturnal and especially morning sexual intercourse, the use of medications and contraceptives (even once), contributing to changes in the hormonal background, stress factors that are the cause of irregular absence of ovulation, etc.

More informative chart of basal temperature in planning pregnancy and its occurrence in the early stages will be if the drawing will be accompanied by records of the woman's well-being and situations that can adjust the real indicators. If in the interval between successive measurements of temperature in a woman did not have sleep disorders, unusual discharge, painful sensations not related to menstruation, nervous shocks, sexual intercourse, stool disorders, no marks do not need to be made. But the medications taken should be mentioned, especially steroids, hormone-containing drugs, stimulants of sexual function.

By the way, hormonal contraceptives during the menstrual cycle, when the basal temperature is measured, should be abandoned altogether. After all, in this case the thermometer will show temperature changes corresponding to the action of contraceptives, i.e. There is an external influence that changes the course of processes inside the woman's body.

In a separate column it is worth noting such events as stool disorders (constipation and diarrhea), painful sensations (regardless of their localization), the presence of symptoms of the disease, days of menstruation and the nature of their course, alcohol consumption, sexual contacts, sleep disorders (frequent awakenings, insufficient duration, brokenness after awakening, taking sleeping pills).

Special attention should be paid to the discharge during the menstrual cycle, which is normal for adult women not only during periods. For a specialist will be very valuable information about the nature of discharge on different days of the cycle. At ovulation, they usually become more abundant, transparent, mucus-like, sometimes with streaks of blood. About the onset of ovulation can also indicate "poured" and slightly painful breasts, increased sexual desire, unusual bloating and a slight aching pain in the lower abdomen, sometimes flatulence. All of these are also worth mentioning in your notes.

Basal temperature in planning and control of pregnancy - an important indicator of the state of the female reproductive system. But it is not possible to rely only on it in making a diagnosis. Under the normal biphasic cycle is usually understood and biphasic temperature change. But at the same time, statistics show that a fifth of healthy women with a biphasic menstrual cycle is diagnosed with a multiphase change in basal temperature, ie, noticeable temperature fluctuations during one phase of the cycle, not only when they change. Ultrasound and laboratory tests do not confirm in them any pathologies and obstacles to conception, although the schedule looks unusual.

One more thing. In the syndrome of luteinization of the neovulnerated follicle ovulation does not occur, but again there is a biphasic change in temperature. True, in this case, the rate of temperature rise in the second phase of the cycle is unusually low. It is this fact is recognized by doctors as a diagnostic criterion.

Changes in basal temperature are influenced by many factors. Any active movement, such as climbing behind the thermometer, can reduce the value of the result, not to mention sexual activity, taking medication, lack of sleep, stress, alcohol consumption, etc., which in our lives are considered normal everyday situations. In addition, in order to get a reliable result for various disorders, it is necessary to use the method of measuring and comparing the basal temperature during not one, but several menstrual cycles. And in any case, this information should be supported by the results of ultrasound and hormone tests.

Basal temperature during pregnancy and at the stage of its planning cannot be considered the main diagnostic criterion for infertility, pregnancy failure and many other disorders that prevent a woman from becoming a mother. The results of measurements help the woman and the doctor only assume possible hormonal causes of malfunction of the reproductive system. Nevertheless, to determine the day of ovulation, dangerous periods when it is worth paying special attention to contraception, daily monitoring of pregnancy in the early stages for timely referral for help if necessary (a kind of insurance), this method is considered a worthy alternative.