I was using a reg. thermometer taking my temp, instead of basal, would that hurt?

Question

we are trying for baby #2, and i didn't know there was a difference in different thermometers. did it throw off my temps using a reg. thermometer? i did go buy a basal one today, but i didn't know if i needed to start over in my chart

Answer 1

If you look at the Basal therm. it has more lines (spaced further apart) and gives you a more exact temp reading.  This is very important when trying to determine ovulation because the change in temp. can be very small and easy to miss.  It's so little and so hard that you need to take your temp at the same time and should take it before you get out of bed.  I never attempted to do it because it was impossible for me to be that careful.  I just shelled out the money for OPK's because I didn't want to take a chance I'd miss ovulation if I overslept, was ill, forgot before I got out of bed to pee...  Besides my temp has never been stable.  

So no it doesn't throw off your temps, it just doesn't give them to the 10th of a degree.  Baby Dust.  Patti

Answer 2

NO - DON'T start using the BBT one until the start of your next cycle, if you change thermometer now it will definitely throw your chart off and not be accurate, BBT ones are more precise in temps generally as they pick up the temp to 2 decimal places, ie: regular one - 36.6 is the temp read. but a bbt one might say 36.69, so it's a huge difference in the pattern of a chart. Finish your current cycle with the regular one, but as soon as next cycle starts (if not pg already of course) then use the BBT from then on.