basal temp on bcps

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2004
basal temp on bcps
5
Wed, 03-03-2004 - 8:32am
ok, i apologize in advance for the long post.

i'm into my second month on bcps. i've decided to start taking my basal temperature in the morning to make sure that my temps stay "flat" as they say and that my pill is doing its job. here's my problem - my temperature is all over the place, all the time! i started taking it the week i was on the non-active pills and by the end of the week, it was very low which i took to be normal (since i had my period). but once i started taking the hormones again, this past Sunday, it started to climb, then dip, then climb. i've also taken my temp at different points during the day (at night) and it's much, much lower than it is in the morning. this doesn't seem right. what gives? here are a few of my concerns about the accuracy of my morning temps.

1. i sleep under a heavy down comforter. i know that electric blankets can often affect body temp - i wonder if the same holds true for down comforters? i often wake up pretty warm :)

2. will the hormones i ingest (i take them about dinnertime) affect my base temperature? i would think that they would but am not sure.

3. i rarely sleep through the entire night without getting up. i usually get up around 4 am to go to the bathroom and then officially get up for work around 6:30/7. would this really make that big of a difference with my temperature? i don't know how women realistically chart this!

does anybody have any insight to this process? does it even really work when you're on bcps? or is it really only beneficial to chart the week that you're on the non-active pills?

thanks :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Wed, 03-03-2004 - 11:56am
Hi kms,

What you need is consistency. The same amount of bedclothes, the same time of day etc. There will be some slight fluctuations in your BBT even under the most consistent circumstances. For example, alcohol will increase your temp. You need a minimum of 3 hours of sleep and to take your temp immediately upon waking, before you begin moving around. When you are on hormonal contraceptives what you are looking for is to have no significant shift above a cover-line the level of which will depend on your own body. A really good book that gives all the details of temping is Toni Weschler’s Taking Charge of Your Fertility. You can check it out from your local library. Judie tempted for several weeks when she started NuvaRing so she can give you her experiences. Does this help?

Good luck

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2004
Wed, 03-03-2004 - 12:00pm
Thanks, Jill. It does help.

I guess I'm just confused by the inconsistencies with my temps that I've taken later in the day. It seems odd to me that my temps would drop almost a whole degree from morning until night. I'm worried that my pill isn't working to suppress ovulation (even though I've stayed completely on schedule).

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Wed, 03-03-2004 - 8:22pm
The level of hormones in your body changes during the day, which could be changing your temps as well. When you take the pill, the hormone levels surge within an hour or so, then gradually decrease. They are relatively low right before you take your next pill. What time do you take your pill?
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Wed, 03-03-2004 - 10:01pm
Don't be worried. As Jill said, you really need to be taking your temp at the SAME TIME every morning, with at LEAST 3 solid hours of sleep. If you're not doing this, your temps won't be the same. I'm sure your pill is suppressing ovulation, and if you start temping right, i'm sure your temps will be "flatter."

Definitely buy TCOYF - it explains all this really clearly and it gives you lots of other good information everyone woman should know about her body.

Good luck!

Caitlin

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2004
Thu, 03-04-2004 - 10:15am
hi there!

thanks for the info. I take my pill at about 7 every night, with dinner. so i guess i'm smack in the middle of my "pill cycle" when i wake up. i'm going to continue to take my temps just to see what i can find but i'm also looking at other signs of ovulation - like CM and cervical changes. so far, so good. i just get nervous sometimes! anyway, i did order "taking charge of your fertility" so maybe that'll help too!

kristina