It’s the Two Week Wait. You wake up, grab your thermometer, and hope for a high number. Let’s decode what a positive chart looks like versus a negative one.
After ovulation, progesterone heats your body, pushing your temperature up slightly. This “Thermal Shift” is key to spotting early pregnancy on your chart.
If you’re not pregnant, progesterone drops sharply before your period. This “Cliff Dive” is a clear sign your cycle is ending without pregnancy.
Conception keeps progesterone flowing, so temperatures stay high and steady past your expected period. This sustained rise is a hopeful early sign.
If your temperature stays elevated for 18 days after ovulation and you feel well, it’s 99% likely you’re pregnant—often even before a test confirms it.
Early pregnancy temps usually range between 97.6°F and 98.6°F, and charts tend to look smoother due to steady hormone levels.
A temperature dip 7 days past ovulation may be implantation, but it’s not guaranteed. It appears in some pregnancy and non-pregnancy charts alike.
Triphasic charts show three temperature levels—a rare but strong pregnancy sign when the embryo implants, marking a second temperature jump.
High temperatures with a negative pregnancy test could mean late implantation, hormonal cysts, or chemical pregnancy. Stay calm and monitor your health.
Alcohol and lack of sleep can cause false temperature spikes. Don’t let lifestyle hiccups fool you into thinking you’re pregnant.
Use a basal thermometer that reads two decimals. That tiny 0.2-degree shift can make all the difference in spotting early pregnancy accurately.
A single day's temp means little, but a rising trend over 18 days tells the story. Watch your chart, trust the pattern, and confirm with a test.