One of the first things you’re told to do when you start working on fertility issues is to track your BBT (basal body temperature). Several years ago I started taking mine and immediately I had an issue. The handy little chart the doctor gave me? It didn’t go low enough. With the numbers starting at 97.0 and my temps ranging from 96.3-96.5, I was thoroughly confused.
Eventually I realized that my low BBT was a common aliment amongst those struggling with infertility. But what could I do about it?
For seven years I tried numerous “treatments,” including, taking thyroid boosting herbs and supplements (like kelp), exercise, and natural progesterone.
After years of work, I was able to raise my BBT to 96.7-96.9. Better, of course, but still not stellar. However, by this time I was thoroughly sick of looking at unchanging temperatures and left my thermometer to gather dust in my bedside drawer.
Several months ago I went to a seminar about health and wellness. It was excellent and afterward I spoke with the speaker for a brief period of time. I mentioned some of the issues I have with losing weight and he made a suggestion. While I had been told that eating a “good healthy breakfast” would help me lose weight, he suggested pushing my first meal back until later in the morning.
“Our bodies need adequate time to digest our food,” he told me, “and if your body struggles with the normal routine of things, making sure that you have a 13-15 hour ‘fast’ in every 24 hour period can make a huge difference.”
The idea was simple: make sure there are around 14 hours between your last meal in the evening and your first meal in the morning.
It’s not hard to implement and completely flexible. (If, for example, you have late dinner the night before, just push your breakfast back until 10 or 11 the next day.)
It sounded like the easiest diet in the world, so I immediately started. Around this time I decided to begin taking my BBT again. Imagine my complete surprise when my temperatures almost immediately zoomed up! Since I made this one simple switch, making sure there is always a 14 hour break from dinner to breakfast, my BBT has held steady at 97.3-97.5 with an ovulating temp at 98.0-98.3.
When I researched online, I found it has already been documented that this simple change does raise your BBT, but for some reason I had overlooked it.
I feel like I have been handed a lifeline, one that frees me from swallowing handfuls of kelp capsules and remembering which days to apply progesterone.
Do you have a low BBT? What are the tricks and thoughts you’ve learned in the process of trying to raise your temps?
For more on raising your BBT:
Naturally Warmed Up, How to Raise Your Basal Body Temperature
Natasha
Dreaming of babies: the realities of infertility
Read your article on a link from Common Sence Homesteading..
By any chance did you have a similar happy result with the weight issues you mentioned?
I’ve been losing weight as well, we’ll see if it stays off! 🙂
Wow! I struggle with low temps just like that. It took us a year and a half to finally conceive. I’m going to have to try this after we have our baby. May I ask who the speaker was who gave you this awesome information?
Interesting, but I’ve been doing thyroid work and one of the tips I’ve been given is to eat before bed to avoid hypoglycemia in the middle of the night – what do you think about that?
I think it depends on the root cause of thyroid issues. 🙂 Unfortunately there are no cookie cutter therapies and each person will have to do what works for them and many times that’s found through trial and error. Like Natasha, I found that going at least 12 hours without eating was beneficial, but I wasn’t also having issues with my blood sugar. If someone does…they may need to eat differently or at different times.
Thanks for the advice!! Will definitely try this – also have low temps and my thyroid test came back normal so 14-17 hour fast it is!
Thanks for sharing this simple solution! I’ve been struggling to get pregnant for no apparent reason. It has taken me 7 mo, 2 mo, and 10 mo respectively to get pregnant and we are on month 8 now. I noticed my temps came up when I started seeing a naturopath for thyroid help. Currently, I’m fine on progesterone. Have you heard of Young Living’s Progressence oil? It claims to not need cycling. I’m also using their Endo flex for my thyroid. My thyroid keeps crashing after the emotional trauma of unexpectedly losing our six-week old son to an undiagnosed congenital abnormality. My doc says they thyroid is really tied into one’s emotional state.
I’m so sorry for the loss of your son! I agree with your doc though, the body is very much in tune with emotional trauma, and the endocrine system is probably affected most as it’s tied to the adrenals, the organ that deals with stress.(whether the stress is emotional, physical, or dietary) I haven’t used those. specific essential oils blends, but I do know that essential oils can be helpful with both emotional and physical issues.
I’m working on not eating what I call second dinner before bed, but I was wondering if having a cup of herbal tea or something similar before bed counts as eating?
I already fast like that and my temps are 96.7-96.8 pre-o and 97
2 (rarely go above that, never hit 97.9 or above before). I don’t know what to do. I was 21 when I got pregnant with our daughter after 8 months of trying. We conceived her after using soy isoflavones (I now know not to use those due to soy). I also have a short luteal phase and have never seen EWCM. We are on month 2 of ttc #2and my temps are lower now post-o than they were ttc the first time. I know it’s going to take a while because of my bbt and cm issue.