For most women there are only about 30 days in a year when there is a reasonable chance of conceiving. For a successful pregnancy to eventuate, a whole chain of events need to come together precisely in the woman’s body, in her partners body, and in their relationship on one of those days. Being able to accurately identify these relatively rare opportunities raises the odds of success considerably, and allows you to take control of your fertility. Watching external clues of the body provides us with a method to do exactly that.

The basal body temperature chart records the temperature of the body on waking. It is done at this time to measure the temperature at a time when the body is deeply rested and the body’s metabolism and temperature is at its baseline. A woman’s basal body temperature rises after she has ovulated and begins to produce progesterone.

A major element of Traditional Chinese Medicine is discerning what is going on inside the body from observing external symptoms and factors. As such, the change in basal body temperature observed during the menstrual cycle and the production of mucus by the cervix just before ovulation are important markers for determining an accurate Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis in relation to fertility.

This chart suggests, but does not definitively assess, the viability or occurrence of ovulation and the adequacy of progesterone production by the length, pattern and consequences of luteal (pre-ovulation) and follicular (post-ovulation) phase temperature patterns. Any additional information resulting from blood tests, ultrasound, hormone panels, sperm tests or ovarian function tests, all add to the specificity and therefore the efficacy of any diagnosis and treatment.