Body Basal Temperature works by taking your resting body temperature (this is why they ask you to do it first thing in the morning when you wake up). The body's temperature fluctuates due to the hormones going around it during various times in the month. The one that usually causes a temperature rise in women is progesterone.
From menstruation up until just before you ovulate, your body's temperature is lower and fairly steady (unless you have had an interrupted night's sleep, illness etc). Just after ovulation, your temperature will rise suddenly and noticeably. It will stay high until just before your period is due and then it will fall again. If you are pregnant, your temperature will remain high and may keep rising.
Temping is a good way to find out when you usually ovulate in a month, so you can try to concieve at the right time. It is especially good when used with OPKs - they are ovulation predictor kits. Basically, they are sticks that you pee on (like pregnancy tests), but they measure your LH (lutinising hormone) rise. Just before you ovulate (about 12 - 36 hours before) you detect an LH rise in your body - so bding ('baby dancing' as they call it on ttc forums!) around this time gives a good chance of sperm meeting egg at the right time.
Good luck! I hope you get your BFP soon!
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