Pregnancy & Baby Index: Real moms guide: Trying to Conceive: TTC and ear thermometers

TTC and ear thermometers

Go to: Previous story

"Ear Thermometers? Should they be trusted? It's what I've been taking my temp with for charting every morning because it's quick. I didn't have it right next to me this morning, so I used a digital oral thermometer. When I found the ear one I just took it with that too for kicks and the temps were so different. The ear one said 98.4 and the oral one said 97.1. I did find a completely different digital oral thermometer and took my temp with it just to see if it would say something different and it read the same as the other oral therm. What do you all think? I haven't put anything in my chart yet. I don't even know if all of the temps that I have put in the past are right now." - Beth

"From my experience, ear thermometers aren't very accurate. I've spent a small fortune on them too because I like how fast they are. Even digital thermometers aren't great basal body thermometers, but that's what I have been using because I can't find a basal body thermometer one anywhere around here. I'll probably buy one online if I don't get pregnant this cycle." - Colleen

"I would stay with what you have been using. If you want to change, I would change after this cylce. I won't change in the middle, that could really throw things off." - Jen

"I don't think an ear thermometer is going to be accurate enough for charting purposes. Heck - even a digital fever thermometer isn't recommended. If you are going to chart, I would purchase a Basal Body Temperature (BBT) thermometer. You can find them at Target, WalMart, pharmacies, etc. and are less than $10. They are normally with the thermometers or with the birth control (condoms, etc) section. They measure down to the 10th degree of accuracy and that is what you need for tracking your charts." - Julie

"I don't like using the ear thermometer on my daughter because I've been told it isn't reliable. I'd say stick with the BBTherm." - Susan