Has anyone any experience using their temperature to gauge when the are ovulating?

[loveletter56]

I read about a service called Natural Cycles where they send you a thermometer and every morning you take your temp and input the data into their app.

 

After a while it will tell you days it is safe to have unprotected sex and on the flip side the best days to have sex if you are trying for a baby.

 

I know this has been around before natural cycles came along, so have any of you got any experience with this type of method?

 

I like the sound of it as it could be a huge health benefit for females as it can get them off of the pill.

[somanymistakes]

Only if they're willing to not have sex at all for about 10 days of every month.

 

Thing is, even if it works, knowing when you're ovulating is a lot more useful for getting pregnant than for avoiding it. Because sperm can stay alive for quite a while. You can't just have sex safely until the egg happens and then stop, you have to stop well in advance.

 

Basal thermometers and cycle-tracking have been available for a long, long time. You don't need an app to do it. But it's really only helpful for people who have extremely regular cycles and are willing to skip sex for large periods of time. For those people it's about 85% protection against getting pregnant.

[RecentChange]

Yeah I wouldn't use this as a sole means of birth control.

 

I use a tracker app..... In conjunction with spermicide, and or pull out, and or condoms.

 

The tracker is more for "oh hey, I get my period tomorrow, we can have some worry free fun".

 

I am extremely regular, and the only days we "chance it" are right before my period. Even the supposedly infertile days right after my period make me nervous as the poster above pointed out sperm can live in the body for a week.

[d0nnivain]

It's helpful for getting pregnant, assuming you are a healthy young woman of child bearing age. It's unreliable as a method of birth control.

 

You don't have to send away for it. They sell basal thermometers in every drug store.

[No_Go]

Yes it is a great method but you just have to know your body well. I've done the following experiment many times: map my ovulation using symptoms and confirm it with ovulation test. However - I never rely on temperature only. Basal temperature (you do NOT need a special tool, any digital termometer will do) + cervical mucus + cervical firmness + cervical position + libido changes: these 5 in conjunction never lie. But again, I can't overestimate the NEED to know your body. I think I started monitoring these symptoms at age of 16-17 or so, like 10 years before having partnered sex.

 

Btw I slipped into using birth control for few years to be more 'safe'. Result: bilateral pulmonary embolism (i.e. 30% chance of dropping dead before making it to the hospital... I survived relatively unharmed but still...) That much for the safety of estrogen based birth control methods...

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

Yep, did it for a long time. It's pretty fascinating once you get into it, learning about your body.

[loveletter56]

Wow, thanks for all the replies!

 

I guess there is a bit more to it than just seeing what your temp is doing.

 

I think it's definitely something me and my wife are prepared to do. We are not worried about the days we have to use a protection, it will just be nice to go without a condom once in a while.

[Birdies]

It's a great way to figure out how to get pregnant - it's not so reliable to figure out how NOT to get pregnant. So be prepared for that as a possible consequence.

 

I suggest you guys get and read the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It's the bible on this subject. The whole thing is a little complicated and obviously there are high stakes, so you will want to be well-informed.

[RecentChange]

Wow, thanks for all the replies!

 

I guess there is a bit more to it than just seeing what your temp is doing.

 

I think it's definitely something me and my wife are prepared to do. We are not worried about the days we have to use a protection, it will just be nice to go without a condom once in a while.

 

Honestly, unless you want to have a child, or your wife to get an abortion, I would only go without protection the day or two before her period IF she is very regular.

 

I tracked my cycles for 9 months before I could accurately gauge them (I vary from 27-30 days).

 

The first time we went for it (3 days before the "scheduled" 28 days) I ended up 3 days late.

 

That was 6 days of STRESS.

 

If she isn't already tracking she should start asap. I like a simple app called "my calendar" for tracking.

[No_Go]

Calendar only is just not enough. But add measuring temperature + testing your cervix (mucus, firmness etc) *daily * and you have a very decent prediction of your safe days.

 

 

Honestly, unless you want to have a child, or your wife to get an abortion, I would only go without protection the day or two before her period IF she is very regular.

 

I tracked my cycles for 9 months before I could accurately gauge them (I vary from 27-30 days).

 

The first time we went for it (3 days before the "scheduled" 28 days) I ended up 3 days late.

 

That was 6 days of STRESS.

 

If she isn't already tracking she should start asap. I like a simple app called "my calendar" for tracking.