Your waking temperature plays a major role in the Fertility Awareness Method, particularly in determining when ovulation has already occurred. There are a number of options that impact how TCOYF uses your temperature data in its analysis and they are adjusted from within this tab.Temperature Scale and Analysis OptionsThis setting specifies which temperature scale your basal thermometer uses. This setting also determines the range of acceptable temperature entries. Any attempt to enter a temperature outside of the acceptable range will result in an error.
* Celsius - If your basal thermometer has a Celsius/Centigrade scale, choose this option. The acceptable temperature range under a Celsius setting is 32.20° - 41.10°.* Fahrenheit - If your basal thermometer has a Fahrenheit scale, choose this option. The acceptable temperature range under this setting is 90° - 106°.
Use the Rule of Thumb to eliminate up to two unusually high temperatures when setting the coverline:The book Taking Charge of Your Fertility describes the Rule of Thumb as "a guideline in which aberrant waking temperatures are discounted, particularly when calculating the coverline." Occasionally you may experience a temperature that is higher than expected and if discounted, allows a coverline and subsequent thermal shift to be calculated. Checking this box allows TCOYF to implement this rule.Allow inclusion of disturbed temperatures in thermal shift:Temperatures that have been disturbed by insufficient sleep, sickness, fever, etc. are normally discounted when calculating the coverline. If such a temperature were to occur during the thermal shift pattern above the coverline, FAM rules dictate that it be ignored and that you wait another day to get another undisturbed temperature. Checking this option will allow you to use the disturbed temperature when calculating the thermal shift, so it has the effect of letting you calculate for the post-ovulation infertile phase one day earlier than would be permitted under standard FAM rules. Allow indentification of triphasic temperature patterns:A triphasic temperature shift is a pattern of temperatures that generally rise 7 to 12 days after ovulation and might be indicative of implantation of a fertilized egg into the endometrium (uterine lining). If this option is checked, TCOYF will evaluate your post-ovulatory temperature patterns to determine if a triphasic temperature pattern exists. TCOYF will alert you to such patterns within the "Fertility Analysis" text of the Fertility Advisor.
Waking Time and Adjustment OptionsNormal Waking Time:The Fertility Awareness Method requires that your basal temperature be taken at a consistent time each day, preferably upon first rising in the morning before engaging in any activity, eating, drinking, brushing your teeth, smoking, etc. You should enter the normal time you would expect to rise and take your temperature in the box provided.