Temping & Electric blankets????

[Darily]

Hi everyone,

I have just started temping, and need some advice on my VERY eratic temps!

The last 6 days have been 36.8, 36.9, 36.8, 37.1, 36.8, 37.2 which are quite large fluctuations from day to day I thought. I am at CD15, due to O on CD21/22.

I have been using the Braun Thermoscan thermometre that you put into your ear, so assuming that might be the problem, I've gone out today and bought a special BBT therm to see if that helps.

I was wondering however, I have my electric blanket on at night and though that might impact the readings I'm taking at 7am each morning.

Does anyone have any information on whether it is OK to use an electric blanket when charting, and more importantly around Ov time when TTC?

[Nicambhar]

I think that your problem might lie in the therm in the ear. I am sure that I read somewhere that it has to be in the mouth or vaginal temps. Try to get a digital 2 place thermometer.
I don't think that the blanket will have an effect on the temps if you have it at a resonable level. One of the ladies in my TTC thread has used an electric blanket and never mentioned a problem with her temps.

[principessa76]

I agree with Nicambhar that you need to be taking your temp orally with a digital basal thermometer. Ear thermometers are not reliable enough. Regarding the electric blanket I think you should be careful. I've read somewhere (can't remember where now) that it can affect your temp. I left mine on all night once and found in the morning that my temp was elevated approx 0.2 degrees above where it normally is. Since then I've been setting the timer for it to turn off after 2 hours and I've not had another problem - I'm sure everyone is different though. Maybe sort the thermometer out first and then if you still have problems deal with the electric blanket. Good luck

[MrsB26]

Darily, i am a cold frog and i always temp whilst using my electric blanket, the secret is to have it on the same temp every day so it stays consistant. Obviously if you sleep with it on high all night long your temps are going to be soaring!! i also agree with changing your thermometer to a bbt one. Good luck

[Shanti]

hope i'm not crashing the thread here but just wondering, i sometimes sleep with our electric blanket up on max temp! LOL pretty warm... is that bad if you are in early pregnancy and dont know you are pregnant?? (im not pregnant yet but just wondering incase i do fall pregnant)....
also can it affect mens sperm i wonder?!? LOL

[MrsB26]

Renstar i would think that any amount of over heating your body to unatural temps for long periods of time would do some damage. I think they recommend that you dont use your electric blanket when you are pg. All things in moderation i would assume

[Indadhanu]

Now I'm confused - my FS said the very best way to get an accurate temperature was from one of those ear thermometers, the next best way was vaginally, and then orally as a last resort...

i agree with MrsB26, I sleep on a heated waterbed, and am about to start temping, and it doesn't matter, just as long as the temperature of the bed stays the same throughout the cycle.

[Shanti]

gosh i fell asleep last night with the blanket on no#10!! (10 being the highest!) i woke up sweating this morning i feel so bad... luckily i'm not pregnant!! i dont think i'll use it at all when i am pregnant cos i go to bed and forget to turn it down!!!!!!
i must have fried my eggs last night!!

[Darily]

Hi everyone,

Renstar, that is another thing I was worried about too. If we are lucky this month (I'm due to O today , will sleeping with the blanket on (usually on my tummy too) possibly cause any problems so early on in the pregnancy?

I have started warming the bed up before I jump in, so that way I'm never lying on it when it's on. Can never be too careful I say!

Also, on another note you guys may be able to help me with. I'm on CD18 with EWCM, slight temp dip this morning and some twinges which I think are O pain, so I'm thinking I will O either tonight or tomorrow morning. Strange thing is, I used a OPK test yesterday which showed up a faint line, so I assumed it would be darker today, however when I tested around 2pm today . . . nothing. No line at all!

I thought maybe I have O'd already, but the EWCM just started this morning, so I'm TOTALLY confused.

Any ideas????

[stillhoping]

Hi there,

My naturopath told me to only use my electric blanket if absolutely necessary and never sleep on it while it is on. I was having trouble conceiving at the time and took the blanket off totally and we wont use it again. Something about the radiation/electircal currents etc on your organs. I wasn't going to chance anything at that stage. This is just her opinion though. Each to their own. Probably shouldn't sleep with it on though

[Shanti]

thanks stillhoping - yeah from now on i am turning it off 10mins before we go to bed. i just did now!!! :P I cant believe last night i fell asleep with it so high!!! eeek are my eggs okay?!?!? LOL
Darily - good luck, sounds hopeful! May aswell BD like crazy anyway just in case!!!

[Darily]

Thanks Renstar, I'm taking your advice and BDing A LOT at the moment. That should keep me warm as toast!

Good luck to you also. Sounds like you have a wonderful year ahead of you, with your wedding in September. So, you're waiting until after the wedding to TTC? I admire you getting all of this important info early so you can be ready to go as soon as the time is right.

I actually charted my cycle for over 12 months before we actuall started TTC, as my husband has a kidney transplant in November last year, and we had to wait because of the drugs he was on post-op. It's amazing how much you can learn about your body if you pay attention hey!

I hope you have a wonderful wedding and your TTC journey is fun . . . . and short!

[satya]

You shouldn't use an electric blanket when temping - it will alter your temp and therefore make it unrealiable.

I would never use an electric blanket when pregnant as they emit EMF's which are thought by some experts to cause m/c.

I googled this subject recently and found one reference to it that stated that you can get from 3 times the background exposure that you get from other electrical appliances in your home up to as much as what is found coming out of high voltage transmission lines coming out of an electric blanket. The research was done at Yale.

The study found that women who used electric blankets were 1.74 times more likely to have a m/c than those who do not. The study also said that electric blanket use around the time of conception also increased the risk. I also found a lot of other references that concurred with this study. Other studies suggest they can also cause neural tube defects in babies.

I say it's not worth the risk. I suggest using a hot water bottle.