taking temperature

[Guest guest]

I have tried an old fashioned mercury thermometer and then bought one

of the fancy new digital ones. It seems if I take my temperature

multiple times consecutively (e.g. take the temperature, wait 30sec-2

minutes, then take it again, etc) I get very different results. Is

this normal, or is there something wrong with the thermometers. I

tried it with my partner, who has similar differences. For example,

the other day my temperature taking results were the following:

note: I was measuring from the front of my mouth, which the

thermometer's literature says has a normal reading of 97.7.

9:30am my readings: 97.4, 97.3 after getting up, before thyroid

(partner: 97.9 both times)

11:30am 96.4, 96.2, 96.5 (partner 97.1 (but talked a little), 97.8)

2:00pm 96.9

3:26pm 97.3,97.0,97.6 note: this was after swimming (partner:97.8,

98.9 - seems like big range - a full degree change between consecutive

readings!)

11.:00pm 96.5, 96.4 (partner:96.6)

I would expect that 2 readings taken one right after the other would

have the same results. I am wrong? is this how thermometers work? or

should I buy a new one?

thanks,

sorry for long post,

Darin