Why we chart BBT

In your cycle pre-ovulation (bleed and follicular phase) estrogen is the dominant hormone. Once you ovulate, your body slows down on the estrogen and produces more progesterone. Progesterone increases your body’s temperature which is why we can confirm (but not predict) ovulation using BBT!

FUN FACT – When pregnant your body’s temperature stays high or increases more since you continue to have a lot of progesterone. When charting you will know if you are pregnant before a pregnancy test could tell you since you will likely see a second temperature shift up.

Why chart Cervical Mucus

When charting, it is extremely important to have a minimum of one estrogenic sign to use to confirm ovulation & that sign is a woman’s Cervical Mucus.

Cervical Mucus is how sperm stay alive in the woman’s body. If you do not have CM then sperm do not stay alive. This is because CM makes the vagina less acidic, provides nutrients, and allows sperm to rest and relax for a few days. When CM is present, sperm can stay alive for up to 5 days. So if you have unprotected sex a few days before ovulation, you could still become pregnant.

Women do not produce fertile CM the entire time of their cycle, only leading up to and during ovulation. 

Why chart using LH tests

LH tests are a great way to get a second biomarker to confirm ovulation while you are learning and gaining confidence to track CM (or aren’t producing CM yet).

The Luteinizing Hormone peaks when the egg is released from its follicle and you are ovulating. LH tests test how much of the hormone you have and based off of that you know whether you are currently ovulating.

LH is sort of the opposite to BBT as it tells you when you are about to ovulate vs. BBT confirming ovulation. 

PRO’s

• • Easy to track (just pee on a stick)

CON’s

• • Have to pay for tests