Basal/ vaginal temperature

Vaginal temp for monitoring BBT appears to have gained popularity in recent years. When I first learned about the principle of BBT monitoring for both birth control & fertility I think the majority were still done rectally as the preferred method. Back then most women would have experienced rectal temps as children, & some hospitals used rectals for all their patients as a matter of policy (though that had become fairly rare by then), & most hospitals still required them for peds patients, CCU patients, etc. So the idea of doing a rectal on oneself wasn't strange or scary. The first woman who told me about having done BBTs explained that she had done hers rectally because, she said, "a doctor isn't going to tell you to do it in the mouth." Some general nursing textbooks published in the mid 80s still declared the method to be rectal--with oral as a possibility.

Today, of course, things are different. Some younger people actually believe that rectal thermometers for people are the stuff of urban legend. But some women & fertility experts aren't completely satisfied with oral temp. Hence vaginal. That method does seem to have the advantage of not requiring lubrication prior to insertion.

This was our first dive into the whole rectal/vaginal temperature thing. We used it to monitor fertility and for the first time my wife was excited about having a thermometer in her rear end. The best memory was the day I had to catch a plane out of town at 7am and so I woke her at 4am--thermometers in hand. Half awake and without a word, she obediently rolled on her stomach and buried her head in the pillow. I was hard the whole way to the airport...

In a play situation its very erotic.

In a play setting I find it extremly sexy

I have had a urethral temp taken before, and ended up having an urethra orgasm and oh holy hell did that feel good.. It was very intense. If you haven't had one, you might want to try for one! Amazing!!

I love it in play

My wife gets her bbt taken rectally every morning at 5:55 am

During a play exam my doctor took my vaginal temp but used a clothes pin to hold the instrument in place. Do others do this?

To beat a dead horse the vagina is about a inch away from the rectum so the temps are totally the same. The temp rectally is about a degree higher than oral temps and is about 99.6 degrees. This can vary greatly between individuals so the only way basal temps are useful is to plot them over time. Urethral temps? Yikes! Not my idea of a good time.

I just bought a 12" and a 6" thermometer, and I would love to incorporate them into a play exam, however there are no realistic scenarios involving vaginal temps....

Dr Stiffler vaginal temp are monitored for fertility issues so I sure you could incorporate them in a play exam dealing with having a patient in to see you who is experiencing fertility issues. Just a though......

I thought of the fertility scenario before, but I've never heard a real story of a woman getting a vaginal or rectal temp at one.

Most medical textbooks require a reading from the oral, anal and vaginal (female patients) for a complete temperature reading. Gotta be sure, right?

Pbody8: I have no idea which medical textbooks you've been reading but for an accurate temperature you just need a rectal temp.

As for vaginal temps, yes they can be done but I'm telling you that, outside of a play exam, it's unnecessary. Both rectal and vaginal temps require more moving into position whereas oral is very quick and doesn't require much movement to get "in position."

Basal thermometers are sensitive to 1/100th of a degree, as that's all we're talking in temp differences here, and site doesn't matter as long as: Taken immediately upon waking and taken in the same site.

As for normal temps: The standard normal for Oral is 98.6. Rectal/Vaginal is +1. Axillary is -1.

My wife and I did the basal temperature thing in the late 1980's when we were trying to conceive. The literature that came with the basal thermometer said it could be used orally, rectally, or vaginally. Neither of us was particularly interested in the vaginal route. We always took rectal temperatures when we were sick ( still do) so we just continued our normal practice. Since the basal temperature has to be taken immediately on waking, and since I had to leave about 6AM to get to work, we just left the thermometer shaken down and resting on the night stand. As soon as the alarm went off, I would take the thermometer, dip it in the Vaseline, lower my wife's panties, and stick the thermometer in for five minutes. That way, she wouldn't have to move around and do it herself and maybe cause an inaccurate reading. From other posts here, it sounds like the vaginal route is replacing the rectal route for those who are using bbt for conception or contraception. It seems to me that, for play purposes or for real, either one would work. BTW, bbt didn't work for us. We wound up having to use an egg donor.

I have no idea what the temp should be, but I use it in play to increase the intimacy.

Sometimes I take the vaginal temperature of my patients to compare it with the rectal and oral temperature.

Why take a vaginal temp when the rectum is two inches away? The bbt is exactly the same. Even oral temps for bbt are okay because the successive temp is how the fluctuations are what makes this slightly useful. Take a vaginal temp if you like but it's not necessary.

The vaginal and urethral temps are only used by players who want to stick things in there.

Thanks DrJanetDelveccio, I've always wondered what the "normal" ranges would be.

As for normal temps: The standard normal for Oral is 98.6. Rectal/Vaginal is +1. Axillary is -1.

This (vaginal temperature taking) is fascinating.

I had never heard of anyone having their temperature taken in the vagina. I am going to have to try this myself sometime very soon.

Live and learn, right? 😉

C.

Here does before of birth baby

Is there any reason that, in a female, if a high-precision temperature is needed and a rectal one is used for that purpose (it's supposed to be more reliable), one could not use a vaginal one?

Pecan we routinely use catheters with a temperature port to measure core temperature of both our male and female patients. I dont think anyone in clinical practice would ever consider using a vaginal temperature to accurate monitor a patient's temperature. I my 22 years of clinical practice, I have never seen it done. I have taken oral, nasal, axilla, rectal, tympanic and via a temperature catheter.

Never tried a vaginal temp.. only in the bum

I can't think of any medical reason for a vaginal temperature. In a home environment, rectal temperature is as close to core temperature as possible. In the hospital, rectal, bladder and, in the OR, tracheal temp is used.

Even for use in conception, the actual temperature isn't as important as the change in temperature from day to day measured by the same method each time.

I've never had my temperature taken vaginaly. And I don't really care if it is a real thing. The idea of waking up and immediately having a thermometer put in me sounds fantastic. In a play exam, I want my temperature taken rectally and vaginally multiple times.

I have often included vaginal temp taking in play exams. It can be interesting to note the changes in body temp throughout an exam or various treatments across different parts of the body. Depending on the nature of the scene it can also be very erotic or embarrassing to the patient.

I think it would be pretty erotic to add taking of the patients vaginal temp to a play exams repertoire. I'd totally love for it to be part of my next play exam! ?

While it's not something that is normally done, it's always fun to incorporate some different aspects of play.

Temperature taken from: Mouth & Rectum & Urethra.