You’re probably here because you want to improve your hormone health, reduce period pain, and relieve PMS symptoms. Your menstrual cycle is a window into your overall health and you can learn so much about your own body by tracking it in full. This includes:
- your period,
- pre-ovulatory (follicular phase),
- ovulation, and
- the time after ovulation (luteal phase)
How to track it?
Tracking your menstrual cycle is more than just noting the dates of your period. It’s also tracking your primary biomarkers - your basal body temperature (BBT) and cervical mucus (we’ll cover BBT only in this article). You can also choose to add in secondary signs such as PMS symptoms, cervix height, OPK or LH tests, etc.
BBT is the measure of your body's resting temperature. It can tell you a whole lot about your cycle and hormone health because depending on which hormone is dominant (estrogen or progesterone), your resting temperature will change. Isn't that cool?
In the follicular phase of the cycle (the time before ovulation) your BBT will be lower. Then, during your luteal phase (time after ovulation) your BBT rises and remains in a higher ranger until you get your period (or get pregnant, depending on your fertility goal). Tracking this information helps you confirm if and when you ovulate.
To track your BBT you will need:
- To track your cycle on paper or in an app that has BBT tracking. The Tempdrop app will allow you to do just this!
- A basal body thermometer, such as a Tempdrop. (A basal body thermometer is not the same as a fever thermometer! It is more sensitive and goes up to 2 decimal places, or the hundredth place).
- Track your BBT daily and, if using an oral thermometer, take it at the same time every day before getting out of bed, after at least three hours of sleep. With Tempdrop, which is a wearable thermometer, you’re able to skip this step and you won’t need to wake up to take your temperature. Just turn it on before you go to bed.
- Watch for a sustained shift of at least 0.2C/0.4F above the previous six temperatures that stays high for at least three days. There are more nuances to this, which we encourage you to seek help from an instructor or other resource if you are finding this part confusing! Tempdrop also has a free guide to help you start learning Fertility Awareness.
Tracking BBT can tell you a lot about your overall health, it can tell you:
- If and when you ovulate (ovulation has huge health benefits).
- When your period will arrive (and be able to plan for it).
- When it’s no longer possible to get pregnant in your cycle.
- How long the time from ovulation to your next period (luteal phase) is - this information can help you understand if you have sufficient progesterone.
- If you have hormonal imbalances.
- How your thyroid health is.
It can also help you to monitor the impact of health changes that you make, for example using FunkIt Nurture or Radiate blend. Over a longer period of time you will be able to observe your cycle changes, and this can indicate that treatments or lifestyle changes are working.
Charting your BBT, cervical mucus and other fertility symptoms can be incredibly insightful and empower you to advocate for your health and take control of your fertility journey.
Want to learn more about how to track your cycle or give it a try? Check out https://www.tempdrop.com/