The importance of keeping a fertility BBT chart is of significant value to the female fertility cycle. For the beginner fertility charting can allow you discover your most fertile days as well as to seek help much sooner if infertility (such as not ovulating) is suspected.

Most healthcare providers will want to see at least three months of fertility charts before initiating fertility tests.

If you chart your fertility signs you can determine many different potential issues with your fertility cycle. Many of these minor infertility issues can be corrected with simple over-the-counter remedies while others are more serious and require the attention of a physician.

These are a few that can be discovered on a fertility BBT chart:

• Anovulation - the absence of ovulation during a cycle. You will see this on the chart when you have no drastic temperature shift and yet your menstrual period shows.
   
• Cervical polyps or cysts that are found by checking the position of your cervix. These are normally harmless, lasting only a couple of days, however if they stay longer you should contact your physician.
   
• Low estrogen can be discovered if your pre-ovulation temperatures aren't low enough. Estrogen makes the basal body temperature drop, and if estrogen is low, the pre-ovulation temperatures will reflect this. Also will be reflected in the absence of good fertile quality (egg white like) cervical fluid at around ovulation.
   
• Low progesterone can be discovered if your post ovulation temperatures are on the low side - the temperatures stay around the coverline or below the coverline.
   
• Luteal phase defect can be discovered if the number of days from ovulation to menstruation (first day of bleeding) is less than 10. This too can be indicative of low progesterone, which is the number one cause of a luteal phase defect. There are several good remedies for correcting this such as using a natural progesterone cream during the post ovulation time and taking vitamin B6 all cycle. Clomid is often prescribed to help correct luteal phase defects too.
   
• Poor quality cervical fluid can be discovered if you are charting your cervical fluid. Being aware of when in your cycle you should see the different types of cervical fluid helps to determine if there's a problem. Again, there are many good over-the-counter remedies for curing this. Drink a lot of water for one, taking an over-the counter cough medicine (guaifenesin) helps to thin out all the mucus in the body.
   
• Thyroid dysfunction might be determined by either too low or too high temperatures during the first week of your cycle. Too low readings may be indicative of hypo-thyroid and too high readings may be indicative of hyper-thyroid. A physician will have to verify this with a simple blood test.