“Temperature risin’…your body’s callin’…” *shoutout to Tory Lanez*
A woman’s temperature can determine a lot about her cycle. Whether she is ovulating at all, whether the second phase of her cycle is long enough for the egg to implant in her uterus, and whether she conceived during that cycle. There are 3 different phases of a woman’s cycle.
Cycle Phases
The first phase is the Follicular/Estrogenic Phase. Here is where the pituitary gland of the brain releases a hormone to stimulate the production of follicles on the surface of an ovary. This phase, typically, lasts 13-14 days. One of the follicles produced will mature into an egg.
The second phase is the Luteal/Progestational Phase. This phase should last at least 10 days, but typically lasts anywhere from 12-16 days.
Ovulation is a tricky phase. It, typically, occurs between phases 1 and 2, however, there are circumstances where it may occur after phase 2. This phase is when the egg is released from an ovary and moves along a fallopian tube towards the uterus. We will go more in depth about ovulation in next week’s blog post.
According to the book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility, the menstruation period is the start of a whole new cycle.
Body Temps
Preovulatory temperatures are suppressed by estrogen. Postovulatory temperatures are increased by progesterone. These are the hormones produced during the follicular phase and the luteal phase. When temperatures begin to rise, there are 12-16 days until menstruation starts. 18 consecutive high temperatures after ovulation almost always indicate a pregnancy. Once you notice high temperatures consecutively, it may be in your best interest to take a pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests detect human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). This is a pregnancy hormone produced once a fertilized egg is burrowed into the lining of the uterus. This sends a signal to the corpus luteum to stay alive and continue to produce progesterone. After a few months, placenta will take over and provide needed nutrients. A false pregnancy test could mean it was taken too soon before the HCG levels became high enough to be detected in urine.
*Information gathered from Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, MPH*
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