The OPK will tell you when to expect ovulate before it happens, while BBT only tells you after it's over. The thermal shift occurs *after* ovulation in response to increased progesterone production. One your temperature goes up, it's too late to get pregnant. By using OPKs, you'll know before ovulation and can be sure to get your timing right.

Basal Body Temperature is the temperature that your body is at when you first wake up in the morning before doing anything. By listing your BBT on a chart you can see your pattern for fertility.

RAH - Basal body temperature charting is the single best way for a woman to keep track of her monthly cycle and its regularities or irregularities. With respect to fertility, BBT charting can tell you your typical cycle pattern (that you usually ovulate around Day 17, for example). Other ovulation signs, notably cervical fluid, are better *advance* indicators of ovulation in a given cycle; BBT can only tell you that you've ovulated after it's happened, when it's too late to conceive.

A Basal Body Temperature graph is a graphical representation of your temperature taken each day of your cycle. During ovulation, your basal body temperature will drop and then rapidly rise to normal levels. The graph will show you when your Basal Body Temperature fluctuates, so that you can use your past BBT readings to predict when ovulation will occur in future cycles.

It should be the very first thing you do every morning on waking, approximately at the same time, before getting up, and before talking, eating, drinking or smoking. You must have slept about 2 hours in order to obtain reliable results. It does not necessarily have to be continuous but you must have at least slept for 1 continuous hour before taking your temperature. You can go to the bathroom quickly before taking the waking temperature. .

Your BBT is taken first thing in the morning before getting out of bed, after a minimum of three consecutive hours of sleep. Your temperature should be taken at about the same time every morning, preferably within an hour or so. It is usually taken orally, but can be taken vaginally. By charting your BBT's you can determine if you've ovulated and how long your luteal phase is. Temperature ranges very tremendously but are typically between 96.5 - 97.5 before ovulation and 97.5 - 98.

In order to get an accurate BBT reading it is important that you take your temperature first thing upon awakening, about the same time of day, after at least three consecutive hours of sleep and before doing anything. This includes getting up to urinate, drinking water, making love, talking on the phone, etc. A disturbance also includes temperature observations that have been potentially invalidated by early or late rising, sickness, physical exertion and hangover.

Yes, you can record you BBT using a popup list under the title "Basal Body Temperature" in the top section of the Inspector.

OPK can tell you that you will probably ovulate in the days to come, giving you time to have intercourse prior to ovulation. Charting temps only tells you after you have ovulated. Sometimes you can have a surge and not ovulate. It's a good idea to chart so you can see the thermal shift and feel confident that you ovulated.

There are a couple of reasons why it would be a good idea. The first is so that you can see if your LH surge corresponds properly with your thermal shift. You should shift 1-3 days after your positive OPK, though sometimes it takes as long as five days for those with a slow shift. Another reason is to make sure your temperatures stay up for at least 10 days after ovulation.

The monitors, such as the Clearplan monitor, test estrogen and LH. They tell you when you are not fertile, fertile, and then peak fertility. Like OPKs, they may not be as reliable in women with PCOS, and there cost may be prohibitive to those just starting out. The Clearplan monitor usually can be found for about $180 with 20 test sticks. Replacement test strips cost a bit over $1 each. Order from Conception Technologies 1 (800) 995-8081 (reduced price) Price = $50.00 - $70.

We provide information on how to chart your 'bbt' and 'CM'. There is a site on the Internet that we can recommend, they take all of the hard work out of predicting ovulation and they offer this service for free (for a limited time)

In the morning, before getting out of bed and with as little movement as possible, place the thermometer under your armpit. Leave it in position for 10 minutes. If you do not have the time, 3 minutes in the mouth. Do not drink alcohol the night before you take your basal temperature. Do this for five consecutive days. Make a note of all the readings and then average them out. Use a mercury thermometer (digital thermometers are to be used orally only).

Yes. Essences are a wonderful complement to any type of health care including herbs and other supplements, homeopathy, acupuncture or acupressure, massage therapy and energy work, hypnotherapy, chiropractic, psychotherapy, and standard medical care. [Top]

The simulator renders as if you were at the center of the your body of choice (an unrealistic case but it does simplify things). For eclipses / occultations, there are likely to be significant differences depending where on the Earth (or wherever) you are standing. The simulator renders images as if you were only at the center of the viewing body. Also, light time is not included yet in the body positions, and this can have potentially noticeable effects for multibody or distant occultations.

Ovulation tests are designed to help facilitate pregnancy. They are not recommended for contraception. Information on this site is not meant to substitute for the advice of a physician or medical professional. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication.

No. Currently, insulin only comes in a liquid form. Experiments with pill forms have shown that our saliva and stomach acid damages the insulin and decreases its effectiveness. Diabetes pills help your body produce more insulin or use your own insulin more effectively, but they do not contain insulin.