 | Did you miss taking your temperature this morning, or wake up later than usual, or have a rough night? Don’t worry, this happens and using fertility awareness as contraception gives you ways to handle it. In an ideal world you will take your temperature at the same time each day, give or take 30 minutes, after at least three hours sleep. |
It can be satisfying to have a complete set of data, and to have a routine that makes your temperature taking effortless.
A routine that means you feel virtuous for pressing the snooze button on your alarm.
And a good night’s sleep is a glorious thing.
But back in the real world, stuff happens.
Temperatures are missed, we get ill, we travel, we have rough nights, or fun nights.
Luckily an early, late or missed temperature is not a massive deal.
An early or late temperature can be adjusted so long as it's taken after 5am.
Missed temperatures at the beginning and end of your cycle are nice to have, and a handy way to keep your routine in place, but not essential.
You do need to take your temperature from about day five of your cycle and until you have had six lower temperatures followed by three higher temperatures.
This shift from lower to higher temperatures, combined with your double check, helps you know when the "definitely infertile" days at the end of your cycle have begun, or if they've been delayed.
Your double check is usually fluid changes (not as tricky as you might think), ovulation tests, or even cervix checks (not for everyone, but can be brilliant).
Used alongside temperature your double check improves the effectiveness of fertility awareness.
Do also try to improve your sleep. Long-term insomnia or disrupted sleep is no fun.
Leave your phone in the kitchen at night, buy an alarm clock and check out NHS sleep advice.
If your sleep is very disrupted, perhaps because of a baby or small child, you could consider a wearable thermometer like Tempdrop. Other wearables are available but this is your best option for now.
Tempdrop is expensive but might be worth it. Keep an eye out for their deals, or use the Read Your Body discount code.
If all that doesn’t work, and you don't mind lower effectiveness, you could switch to an approach to fertility awareness that simply relies on fluid and cycle day.
This will mean more buffer "might be fertile" days, and more than 11 days using condoms or other precautions, but maybe that suits you both.
That said, of course fertility awareness is not right for everyone. Check if it's for you here.
A routine that means you feel virtuous for pressing the snooze button on your alarm.
And a good night’s sleep is a glorious thing.
But back in the real world, stuff happens.
Temperatures are missed, we get ill, we travel, we have rough nights, or fun nights.
Luckily an early, late or missed temperature is not a massive deal.
An early or late temperature can be adjusted so long as it's taken after 5am.
Missed temperatures at the beginning and end of your cycle are nice to have, and a handy way to keep your routine in place, but not essential.
You do need to take your temperature from about day five of your cycle and until you have had six lower temperatures followed by three higher temperatures.
This shift from lower to higher temperatures, combined with your double check, helps you know when the "definitely infertile" days at the end of your cycle have begun, or if they've been delayed.
Your double check is usually fluid changes (not as tricky as you might think), ovulation tests, or even cervix checks (not for everyone, but can be brilliant).
Used alongside temperature your double check improves the effectiveness of fertility awareness.
Do also try to improve your sleep. Long-term insomnia or disrupted sleep is no fun.
Leave your phone in the kitchen at night, buy an alarm clock and check out NHS sleep advice.
If your sleep is very disrupted, perhaps because of a baby or small child, you could consider a wearable thermometer like Tempdrop. Other wearables are available but this is your best option for now.
Tempdrop is expensive but might be worth it. Keep an eye out for their deals, or use the Read Your Body discount code.
If all that doesn’t work, and you don't mind lower effectiveness, you could switch to an approach to fertility awareness that simply relies on fluid and cycle day.
This will mean more buffer "might be fertile" days, and more than 11 days using condoms or other precautions, but maybe that suits you both.
That said, of course fertility awareness is not right for everyone. Check if it's for you here.