Basal Body Temp & Labor

[happydoulamama]

Hi all,

A long time ago, I read in Taking Charge of Your Fertility (I believe) that BBT lowers several days before labor. So I started taking my temps again last week and they were my normal high of 97.4. Well, today I woke up and it was 96.6! So now I'm looking for info on this again and can't find it (returned tcoyf to the library and can't find any info on the web). I don't know if a low BBT could possibly predict labor within a couple of days or a couple of weeks or how accurate it might be at all (I know that some pet breeders use this method to predict puppies and kittens so that they can be around for the event if needed- so it must apply to all mammals!). I believe it happens because progesterone levels drop, letting the body know it no longer needs to support the pregnancy and it's time to get going.

Anyone else done this, doing this, or have any info on this?

Excited!
Rachelle

[LizaBear]

I've got the book, but don't recall reading anything about the temp dropping before labour. I'll go look and see though, and report back if it's in there.

[KrystalC]

Hmm... that's news to me. Let us know what you find out, Liza!

If it worked I'd try it if my dog hadn't eaten my BBT thermometer during my second half of my luteal phase right before I found out I was pregnant.

[Pandora114]

well I know in dogs their BBT drops roughly 24hrs before labour.....

[KrystalC]

Pandora!! I was beginning to wonder about you since I don't think I saw you post yesterday.

[Saramomofmany]

:

[Pandora114]

Still kicking around

Still pregnant.

*pokes belly*

GET OUT

I would do the BBT thing but well my themometer's battery is dead and I can't figure out how to replace it.

*sigh*

Stupid prodomal labour.

[KrystalC]

[Pandora114]

I need hotwings...

a beer

and then a Tim Hortons large double double to sober up after...

[my_baby_love]

I just looked through my copy of TCOYF, and I didn't see anything like that. But I also simply looked through the index and maybe I wasn't looking for the right key words. If someone else finds something different, I would love to know if temp can indicate labor being just around the corner.

[happydoulamama]

Unfortunately, when I read this in what I believe was the tcoyf book, I remember the information included in a sentence or a paragraph- it certainly wouldn't have made it into the index. I think it was in the area talking about bbt and how the hormones work with the temps...but it's been almost a year and I can't remember!

Let me know if anyone else does start charting these! It'll be fun to look back and see if BBT predicted it.

[sbm1001]

I don't recall reading that but it's a cool theory! I'd be interested to know if it works or not.

Shannon

[She2dancer]

Wow...really cool if it is true...unfortunately I left me Basal thermometer in the states, but I may go pick one up...

The author of TCOYF has a great website and forum...I am going to check it out to see if I can get any more info on this....

[She2dancer]

Okay, slightly inconclusive, but this is what I found:

http://forums.ovusoft.com/tm.asp?m=888313&p=3&tmode=1

http://forums.ovusoft.com/tm.asp?m=6744811&p=1&tmode=1

[happydoulamama]

Well, as I posted on the birth professionals board, my temp jumped .4 this morning...went UP not DOWN! Now that I read the threads posted by she2dancer (thanks!!) I see that this sounds pretty common to have ups and downs before labor. I'll continue to chart and let you all know what happens with my experiment!

Rachelle (97.4 baseline, 96.6 yesterday, 97.0 today)