Mercury-Free Basal Thermometers:
A Safe and Accurate Alternative for Fertility Charting

In the past few years, a number of innovative preconception and fertility products have hit the shelves of pharmacies and online fertility stores. Just to name a few, the ovulation microscope, fertility supplements like FertilAid, and even sperm-friendly lubricants have altered the fertility landscape, making trying to conceive a baby much, much easier.

A new product to add to that list of recent TTC innovations is the Fairhaven Health Mercury-Free Glass Basal Thermometer. An environmentally-friendly alternative, this new Mercury-Free Glass Basal has safety conscious moms-to-be smiling.

Millions of women use basal thermometers daily to predict when they are fertile. Now, they no longer need to worry about their glass thermometers breaking - or the hazards of mercury in the home. This is especially true during pregnancy when you want to avoid any toxins or health hazards. Mercury and pregnancy do not mix. In fact, mercury does not mix with anything - and is very difficult to remove once it enters the home when a mercury thermometer breaks. It's regarded as a household hazardous waste and should be treated as such.

Concerns about mercury have been in the news quite a bit recently. High levels of mercury in the environment and in food (particularly fish like tuna) have made headlines - as have legislative efforts to reduce mercury and mercury-containing products. Many states are pulling standard mercury thermometers from the shelf due to concerns regarding toxicity and family safely. The solution?

A Mercury-Free Glass Basal Thermometer

As an alternative to mercury thermometers, the Fairhaven Health Glass Basal Thermometer is highly accurate and family-friendly. Containing an environmentally-safe liquid alloy, the Fairhaven Health thermometer is completely non-toxic; in the event it breaks, it can simply be cleaned up with warm, soapy water. Better yet, the non-mercury glass basal thermometer is ultra-accurate, exceeding standards for accuracy.

Using non-toxic alloy instead of mercury, the no-mercury glass basal thermometer is capable of measuring the slightest temperature increases. The Fairhaven Health basal thermometer exceeds ASTM standards with an accuracy of +/- 0.1 F.

What's a basal thermometer?
A basal thermometer is a highly sensitive thermometer that tracks your body’s resting (or basal) temperature and measures precise changes of 1/10th of a degree in temperature. By charting your basal temperature daily, you'll know when you ovulate during your cycle and be able to predict when you are most fertile.

Ovulation - the most fertile time during your menstrual cycle - is the moment a mature egg is released from the ovary. Once released, the egg has a life span of about 24 hours. Conception is most likely to take place at this time - so precise ovulation prediction is key. "Peak fertility" is considered to be the day before and the day of ovulation. As the egg can survive about 24 hours, conception must take place within this window. Your “fertile period” begins about 4 to 5 days preceding ovulation due to the fact that sperm can survive in your body for several days.

How do I use the mercury-free glass basal to fertility chart?
The first day of your menstrual flow is DAY 1 on your fertility chart. Begin keeping track of your temperature on the first day of your menstrual period (first day you see red blood). Record your basal temperature every morning throughout your cycle (as well as other fertility signs listed on the chart). During the first two weeks or so of a woman's cycle, her body temperature is lower. When you ovulate, a noticeable rise in body temperature takes place. A minimum temperature rise of 0.4 to 0.6 F can be measured - and this change will typically last through the duration of the menstrual cycle. If you know when this "thermal shift" is going to happen in your cycle, you can predict ovulation and the best time to time intercourse.

Disposing of your old mercury basal thermometer:
Mercury basal thermometers are no longer available in most states in the US - or will be removed from shelves shortly. If you elect to remove your current mercury thermometers from you house, please observe the following hazardous waste instructions. Do not toss your mercury thermometer into the garbage. You can take your thermometer to a household hazardous waste facility or look for local "exchange programs" in which old school glass mercury thermometers are being exchanged for new digital thermometers.