livingthesacrament.com - Living The Sacrament: A Catholic NFP Community

If you use a sympto-thermal method (STM) of Natural Family Planning, it's likely you include the temperature sign in most if not all of your charts. Some women find that it takes a relatively significant change from their daily routine to give them an out of range temp, while others find their bodies to be much more fickle, having difficulty securing reliable temps if even the slightest variation occurs. Of course most of us probably fall somewhere in the middle.  For all of us tempers, here are our Top 10 - Tips for Temping!

1. What time is it? - Try to set your alarm for the same time everyday to temp and do your best to temp within 30-45 minutes of that time. If at all possible have this "temp time" be at or before 7:30am. I have my alarm set on my phone so even on the weekends I hear it, pop the thermometer in my mouth, and record the temp on my charting app either right then, or when I wake up for the day. Ideally all BBT therms should be digital and have the ability to save the last taken temp.

1. Just START charting!  Once you know the basics of how to chart your fertility signs just start doing it!  Even if you don't know if you are doing it correctly to begin with just chart as completely as possible and look to your instructor for guidance.  Over time you will be able to compare each day/month and descriptions will get more and more accurate.  You just need to start!

2. Forget what you've been told - The whole 28 day cycle with ovulation on cycle day 14 routine is just a general concept.  Don't worry too much about what your chart should look like.  As you chart you will learn what your "normal" is and even though it may continue to be confusing at times you will become more and more secure in your abilities to chart accurately!  And if there is something abnormal going on chances are good your instructor will help you discover those red flags and seek help from a trained physician.