Your Menstrual Cycle And Conception
“There are two phases to the menstrual cycle: the follicular phase occurs before ovulation, and the luteal phase occurs after ovulation,” says Lauren Sundheimer, M.D., MS, FACOG, an OB-GYN practicing in Orange County, California. Dr. Sundheimer explains that people who have 28-day cycles typically ovulate approximately 14 days after the first day of their period.
Though ovulation tends to occur 14 days prior to the next period, cycle length varies for from person to person and even cycle to cycle. This variation can make predicting ovulation especially tricky if you have irregular cycles since you don’t know when your next period will arrive.
The egg that’s released during ovulation survives for only 24 hours. Sperm, on the other hand, can survive three to five days in the uterus and fallopian tubes under the right circumstances, says Barbara Stegmann, M.D., a triple board-certified OB-GYN and women’s health clinical lead at Organon, a global health care company. So having PIV sex during ovulation or the days beforehand can result in pregnancy since the egg can meet with existing sperm in the reproductive tract.
How Natural Family Planning Works
Natural family planning involves identifying the signs and symptoms of fertility during your menstrual cycle so you can plan or avoid pregnancy.
If youre interested in learning natural family planning, make sure youre taught by a qualified fertility awareness teacher. Find a fertility awareness clinic in your local area.
There are 3 different fertility signals you can monitor and record for natural family planning. These are:
- the length of your menstrual cycle
- daily readings of your body temperature
- changes to your cervical secretions
Its best to record these measures together to give you a more accurate picture of when youre likely to be most fertile.
You can use fertility charts to record and track your measurements over the course of each menstrual cycle. You can download fertility charts from the Fertility Education and Training site, with information on how to use them.
You can also download smartphone apps to track this information.
Can You Get Pregnant On Your Period
Yes, but it’s unlikely. It’s possible to get pregnant during your period when:
- You have a very short menstrual cycle .
- You have long periods.
- You were bleeding around the time of ovulation and mistakenly thought it was a regular period. If you had unprotected sex at that time, you could conceive.
Here’s why you could get pregnant during your period:
Ovulation happens during the middle of your menstrual cycle anywhere between 7 and 19 days before your period starts. During ovulation, an egg reaches maturity in one of your two ovaries, the ovary releases the egg into your abdomen, and it gets sucked into the nearest fallopian tube, where it can survive for about 24 hours. Conception occurs when an egg and sperm meet in a fallopian tube.
A typical menstrual cycle is 28 days, which usually leaves a good few days between the end of your period and the start of ovulation. But some women have cycles as short as 22 days. If you have a short cycle or long periods, you could ovulate right after your period ends. And because sperm can survive in your reproductive tract for up to five days, if you have sex during your period, it’s possible that live sperm will be there when you ovulate, ready to fertilize the egg.
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Managing Fertility After Your Period
You don’t want to worry about getting pregnant before you’re ready. That’s why it’s essential to know your cycle and your body and use protection whenever there’s a chance you could get pregnant. Having a birth control plan in place is especially important when you’re actively trying to avoid pregnancy.
If you had unprotected PIV sex during your period and are concerned that you may be expecting, look out for early pregnancy symptoms like mild lower abdominal cramping, breast tenderness, and moodiness. Other common pregnancy symptoms will manifest closer to six or seven weeks of gestation, including nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.
How Can You Get Pregnant On Your Period
The chances of getting pregnant when youre on your period are low, but theyre not zero. So how could a pregnancy happen at the same time your body is deciding its not pregnant?
Lets break it down: At ovulation, your ovary releases an egg into your fallopian tube, where it can live for 24 hours awaiting fertilization before it travels to the uterus. Meanwhile, the uterus is building up a lining just in case it needs to host a growing embryo.
If egg meets sperm during ovulation and implants in that lining, bingo baby on board. If not, your body sheds both lining and egg .
Most womens menstrual cycles last about 24 to 28 days, from the first day of their period to the first day of the next period. Because the egg can survive for 24 hours after ovulation and sperm can live inside a woman for up to five days, a woman can get pregnant starting five days before ovulation and ending a day after.
Ovulation usually occurs 14 days before the first day of your next cycle which, if you have a 28-day cycle and a week-long period, leaves you a week between the last day of your period and the first day you ovulate.
But what if you have sex on the last day of your period and you ovulate a few days early? There could still be viable sperm inside you, and you could get pregnant.
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Conception That Occurs Close To Menstruation Or Low Progesterone Levels May Cause What Looks Like A Period While Pregnant
Conception may not occur until mere days before your period is due if you have a short cycle or dont ovulate mid-cycle.
For example, lets say youre regularly maintaining a 26-day cycle. Chances are youll ovulate around day 13. Even if fertilization occurred that day, it would still take six to twelve days for the fertilized egg to reach and implant in your uterine lining.
If those hormone levels are insufficient, such as in a situation of low progesterone from luteal phase defect or had already begun to fall, you might have what seems like a lighter than usual period. You might even have what seems like an entirely normal period. In that case, its possible not to have any indication youre pregnant until you are already around eight weeks pregnant.
This type of bleeding is often referred to as break through bleeding, and is the most common type of bleeding mistaken for a period while pregnant. Break through bleeding is usually seen during the first month of pregnancy but may continue in the first trimester if hormone levels stay low.
Its important to note that any bleeding following the first bleed would not occur in a timely, predictable manner like a period. It would be sporadic bleeding with a varying flow. Multiple timely bleeds like a period, whether irregular/light for you or not, are very unlikely to be pregnancy bleeding.
What If I Have Irregular Periods
If you have irregular periods, meaning that your periods are outside of the 2135-day window or if your cycle intervals vary by more than seven days each month , you should speak with your Gyn/OB or a fertility specialist. This irregularity may be due to a hormone imbalance and could make it more challenging to get pregnant using natural family planning methods.
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Can I Get Pregnant On My Period
Although it is very unlikely, it is not impossible to get pregnant during, or just after, your period. This is because it is possible to be in your fertile window while you are menstruating. But what exactly is your fertile window and how can a better understanding of your menstrual cycle help you to plan or prevent pregnancy?
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What If You Have A 28
The average menstrual cycle is 28 days, with the first day of menstruation as cycle day 1.
Most periods last two to seven days. Pregnancy is uncommon during this time, because your peak fertility window is still about a week or so away.
Around days 6 to 14 of your cycle, your body will start releasing follicle-stimulating hormone .
This helps develop an egg inside your ovary. Your body will also begin rebuilding the endometrial lining in your uterus.
Pregnancy is slightly more likely during this time. Sperm can live up to five days inside the body, so it could still be present when the egg matures.
Once the egg is mature, your body will release lutenizing hormone , triggering the eggs release from your ovary .
Ovulation usually occurs around cycle day 14. Pregnancy is likely on ovulation day.
That said, ovulation doesnt always happen like clockwork. It can occur anywhere from four days before to four days after the midpoint of your menstrual cycle.
The bottom Line
If you ovulate later in your cycle or start your period sooner than usual, you could become pregnant if you have sex in the days leading up to your period.
Lots of people dont have 28-day cycles. Some have cycles as short as 21 days and others as long as 35 days.
In fact, in one study , only about 30 percent of participants had their fertile window fall within days 10 to 17 of their cycle. Only 10 percent had ovulation fall exactly 14 days before their next period.
You can do this a number of ways, including:
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Should I Take A Pregnancy Test If I Am 6 Days Late
You should take a pregnancy test if you are 6 days late. If your period is more than 7 days late, its time to take a pregnancy test. There are several different types of pregnancy tests available: urine tests, blood tests and ultrasound tests.
If youre not sure what type of test to use, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice on which one is best for you.
A urine test checks for the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin in your body. It can detect this hormone as soon as 5 days after conception and up to 5 weeks after ovulation . Urine tests are inexpensive and easy to use at home.
If you are six days late, there is still a chance that you could be pregnant.
The most common reason for a late period is because of the fluctuating hormones during this time of the month. This can cause your period to be later than usual.
However, there are other reasons why your period may be late such as stress, illness or even a change in birth control pills.
If you think you might be pregnant, its best to take an early pregnancy test to confirm pregnancy before going for an abortion.
It might also be a good idea to talk with your doctor about whats causing your delay and how to prevent it from happening again in the future.
If youve been using birth control and its been more than a week since you had sex, its possible that youre pregnant. If youre worried, take a pregnancy test.
Can I Get Pregnant A Couple Of Days After My Period Has Ended
Its possible, but also unlikely. Though there is always risk of pregnancy if you have sex without contraception. If you ovulate early when you have short menstrual cycles you may be able to get pregnant this time of the month. However, once youve finished your period youre moving into your fertility window, which means your chances of getting pregnant increase as you approach ovulation.
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Does Sperm Delay Your Period
According to research, sperm does not have an effect on delaying or starting a period. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that sperm can delay your period. Periods are regulated by hormones, which sperm cant influence. There are many other factors that can contribute to an irregular period.
- Hormonal birth control
What Phase Can You Get Pregnant
Most women have a 28-day menstrual cycle. That means you have about 6 days each month when you can get pregnant. That includes the day that one of your ovaries releases an egg, called ovulation, and the 5 days before. Having sex within that window is key.
Can you get pregnant a week after ovulation?
Getting pregnant after ovulation is possible, but is limited to the 12-24 hours after your egg has been released. Cervical mucus helps sperm live up to 5 days in a womans body, and it takes around 6 hours for active sperm to reach the fallopian tubes.
Can you tell if your pregnant 3 days before your period?
Theres no way to know for certain if youre pregnant before missing your period other than taking a home pregnancy test. Some women do experience symptoms such as fatigue and nausea. These could be PMS symptoms, however. If you still arent sure youre pregnant after taking a home test, see a doctor.
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How Do You Self Check Your Stomach For Pregnancy
Walk your fingers up the side of her abdomen until you feel the top of her abdomen under the skin. It will feel like a hard ball. You can feel the top by curving your fingers gently into the abdomen. Figure 10.1 With the woman lying on her back, begin by finding the top of the uterus with your fingers.
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Bleeding And Periods What Can I Expect After Birth
In the first few days after birth, its normal to have some period-like bleeding as your uterus contracts back to the size it was before pregnancy. Bleeding immediately after birth can be fairly heavy. It can also be bright red for the first couple of days, but gradually becomes a brownish colour before it stops after about 2 months. Bleeding might be heavier in the morning when you get up, after breastfeeding or after exercise.
Uncontrolled heavy bleeding after birth, called a postpartum haemorrhage, can be a serious concern.
If youve given birth more than 24 hours ago, contact your doctor or midwife immediately if you notice:
- blood that soaks more than one pad every 1 to 2 hours
- a sudden increase in blood or large clots
- blood which suddenly turns bright red in colour
- dizziness, weakness or trouble breathing
- anything else that seems unusual about your post-birth bleeding
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You Miscounted Cycle Days
You can also get pregnant if you miscounted cycle days and mistakenly had unprotected PIV sex near ovulation. To determine day one of your menstrual cycle, start counting on the first day of red blood rather than at the end of your menstrual period, says Dr. Sundheimer.
“The duration of bleeding for a period also varies, so when you’re counting time to ovulation, it’s better to count from the first day of a period rather than days since bleeding stops.” Doing so can prevent you from having sex too close to ovulation, which can lead to pregnancy.
What Factors Affect My Menstrual Cycle
Tracking and being mindful of what affects it can really help. It is easier said than done, though, because we know that every cycle might be different from the next because of different factors. Research even shows that cycles can vary by up to 9 days per year. Some of the common factors that affect it include age, lifestyle changes, hormones, or even medical conditions like PCOS.
According to research, per cycle, 30-year-old females have an average of 20% chance of getting pregnant while 40 year-olds have less than a 5% chance of pregnancy. However, fertility can still vary from person to person. Moreover, weight changes, stress levels, and sleep quality can also affect it.
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How Soon Can I Get Pregnant After Coming Off The Pill
You can get pregnant as soon as you come off the pill but if youre trying to get pregnant, its a good idea to wait until youve had a natural period. This will give your body time to adjust and give you a chance to make sure youre ready for pregnancy. Make use of our pregnancy planning tool to see what else you can do.
How Soon Can I Take A Pregnancy Test
Timing is very important in pregnancy testing as HCG levels in urine help determine that a woman is pregnant. As HCG levels double every 48 hours, we can conclude that a woman is pregnant even in her early days of pregnancy.
The best time to take a pregnancy test is when your period is late. But, if you wish to know sooner, you can wait for two weeks after you had sex and can take the pregnancy test, but still, a test after the period is late is the most effective one.
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Im Pregnant But Have Some Bleeding Is This My Period
Implantation bleeding sometimes happens pregnant women around the time theto period would have been due. Implantation is when the developing embryo plants itself in the wall of your womb. An implantation bleed is very light bleeding that is usually pinkish and sometimes brown. Not everyone will have an implantation bleed.
Its common to have light bleeding or spotting without pain before 12 weeks. This isnt often serious, but you should contact your doctor, midwife or Early Pregnancy Unit immediately to be checked, just in case.