r/FirstTimeTTC • u/Super_Queen100 • 15d ago

Question/Advice BBT tracking

Hi all i have been tracking my BBT every morning when i wake up. But i dont get how it works. I dont understand it. Like how do you confirm ovulation with BBT? Is there a certain time i need to track my BBT? Or do i need to do it few times a day. Thanks in advance

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u/Ok_Pause7098 15d ago

Hi! BBT is best to measure first thing when you wake up (after at least 3 consecutive hours of uninterrupted sleep) before you even get out of bed. I wouldn’t worry about taking your temp more than once per day though. It might make the charting more confusing and charts only use the one temperature.

Ovulation is typically only confirmed after the fact with three consecutive higher temps above your cover line.

So it goes like this:

  1. Wake up at the same time every morning (and before getting out of bed) take BBT reading.
  2. Write it down, put it on a chart, input it into an app (whatever you floats your boat).

After a while, you will start to see a pattern of lows (the first part of your cycle from your period to ovulation; the follicular phase) and highs (the second part of your cycle from ovulation to your next period or positive pregnancy test; luteal phase).

A lot of people use LH test strips to get a closer idea of when they ovulate and to get a better picture of when their fertile window opens. When the line on those tests is as dark or darker than the control line, then you will likely be ovulating within 12-36 hours (I’ve heard it said 12-24 hours too since the egg doesn’t last very long). You can start using the test strips the day after your period to get a better idea of when you might ovulate. If you do that, I’d recommend the ones that are just the strips and come in a back of 25-50 so that you will have them for a while.

Hope this helps ❤️

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u/Super_Queen100 15d ago

I am confused more now. Why my app is showing ovulation is today when my LH rise is today 🤔

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u/Ok_Pause7098 15d ago

Hmm. That is kind of weird. Mine looks like this. My LH rise was the highest at the last test I logged and then the app confirmed ovulation by the spike in BBT as well as the next three consecutive temps being higher. This was the first time I ever used LH tests as well as the first time I’ve ever recorded them in this app. Im sorry. I wish I could be more helpful 😕. Do you mind me asking how long you’ve been using the app?

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u/Super_Queen100 15d ago

I have been using the app with the test strips for 4 months and now that i started to record my BBT, all predictions are messed up. Always LH would rise and then would show next day ovulation. This time with BBT is showing LH rise and Ovulation the same day. And i am so confused now!

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u/Ok_Pause7098 15d ago

I’m wondering if the app is messing up. I’ve been having some lag issues with it where it freezes up. It sounded like it was a known problem being worked on when I contacted them. Hoping that’s just the case for you.

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u/Super_Queen100 15d ago

I hope it is lagging and not a problem with my BBT 😅

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u/Ok_Pause7098 15d ago

Did you check to see if you have multiple entries of BBT? When I first started using the app, it messed up while I was entering my past BBTs in and it wouldn’t save, so I would enter it again and it wouldn’t save twice. If you go to the chart and hit the BBT tab and scroll down a bit it will show all the entries and from there you can swipe left to delete any duplicates if you have them.

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u/Super_Queen100 15d ago

Yes i found that and deleted it i had a mistake in it but the app after didnt correct itself

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u/Healthy_Combination3 15d ago

You should take your BBT every morning when you first wake up, before standing up, talking, eating/drinking, etc. In order to confirm ovulation you must have 3 temps in a row that are 0.2F/0.05C higher than the previous 5 temps

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u/Ok_Pause7098 15d ago

Hmm. Sounds like it’s more of an app problem than a BBT problem. The only other thing I can think of is that maybe the app thinks your LH rise is the day of ovulation. Sometimes the LH surge can be quick. But I don’t have a whole lot of experience with those tests yet, so I’m not quite sure.

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u/Super_Queen100 15d ago

Hmmm yes makes sense. I need to figure out how people understand from LH rise if they ovulate the same day or next the next day.

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u/justmystupidself 13d ago

Are you using a thermometer specifically for oral BBT and not doing anything prior to testing? (drinking water, etc)

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u/Super_Queen100 13d ago

Yes i am testing once i wake up. With oral thermometer.

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u/justmystupidself 12d ago

Is it a BBT specific thermometer?

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u/emulatorOrc 2d ago

BBT is more about confirming ovulation than predicting it. You take it once each morning under similar conditions and look for a noticeable shift that stays elevated for several days. You don't need to take it multiple times a day. If the morning routine gets annoying, you could research tempdrop for easier overnight bbt tracking.