How To Prevent Pregnancy
The most effective strategy for avoiding pregnancy is to refrain from sex. Sexually active people who do not wish to become pregnant should use contraceptives such as condoms or birth control.
Using two methods can offer additional protection, for example, when a person uses both hormonal birth control and condoms.
Several fertility monitoring techniques make it easier for a person to pinpoint their fertile window and avoid sex or use contraceptives during this time.
These methods are more effective if a person has regular periods. Some fertility monitoring strategies include:
- Charting basal body temperature: A persons morning body temperature usually rises shortly after ovulation.
- Using ovulation predictors: These tests typically give a positive result a day or two before ovulation, but it is possible to get a positive without ovulation.
- Looking for fertile cervical fluid:Thick cervical fluid with a texture similar to raw egg whites indicates ovulation is approaching.
- Checking cervical position and texture: Some females find that the position and texture of their cervix changes throughout their cycle.
We Offer Extensive Options For Both Infertility Treatment And Birth Control
We see patients at every stage of their lives. While some are trying to get pregnant, others may be looking for the most effective form of permanent birth control. Still, others may be entering menopause while some may be having their first gynecological exam.
At any stage of your life, we offer compassionate care that has made us a leader in the area for more than 40 years. We have locations in Chapel Hill and offer Durham gynecology and Durham obstetrics services. No matter what stage in your journey, we want to care for you throughout your life. See why our patients love our personalized approach to medicine. Schedule an appointment today.
For more than 40 years, Chapel Hill OBGYN has served women in the Triangle area, sharing the joy of little miracles and supporting them during challenges. Our board-certified physicians and certified nurse midwives bring together the personal experience and convenience of a private practice with the state-of-the-art resources found at larger organizations. To schedule an appointment, please contact us for more information.
Can You Have A Period And Still Be Pregnant
No once pregnancy begins, the uterine lining no longer sheds each month. Once the body starts releasing a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, monthly periods will stop. However, some people experience light bleeding after conception, around the same time their period would have started. This is called implantation bleeding.
If youre pregnant and experience bleeding or spotting, contact your health care provider.
Pregnancy can occur even if youre on your period. To avoid pregnancy, it is important to use contraception.
Birth control methods that can prevent pregnancy on your period include:
- Male condom
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Early Pregnancy Symptoms: How To Tell Before A Missed Period
Pregnancy symptoms are really similar to those of PMS on paper, but there are a few clues your body gives you if you listen.
Jessica Rendall
Jessica is a Wellness News Writer who wants to help people stay informed about their health. She’s from the Midwest, studied investigative reporting at the Missouri School of Journalism and is now based in NYC.
Your menstrual cycle is your body’s way of preparing a nourishing environment for a pregnancy by building up a uterine lining. So you won’t get your period if you’re pregnant. This is true even if you’re taking birth control pills that stop ovulation and mimic the natural menstrual cycle with a monthly bleed.
But while a missed period is many people’s first signal that they’re pregnant, it often isn’t the first clue your body gives you.
In the first weeks of pregnancy , the body starts producing a lot of hormones that can affect you physically and mentally. In addition to amping up its regular production of progesterone and estrogen, your body starts producing new hormones, including human placental lactogen and human chorionic gonadotropin .
While your body is in hormonal overdrive during early pregnancy, you may feel some side effects. But if hormones are to blame, how do you tell if it’s PMS, ovulation symptoms or something else completely? Below, we outline some signals you might notice from your body during early pregnancy, before you even take a pregnancy test.
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Days Is Only A General Estimate For The Length Of A Cycle
Woman are often told that ovulation and the fertile window are consistent. When you read about menstruation, it is common for you to see or read information confirming that the menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. The literature also tells you that ovulation generally occurs around day 14, meaning that if you ovulate on day 14, your period ill begin 14 days later if the egg is not fertilized.
In general though, menstrual cycles are not a consistent length or frequency. Some women experience a cycle as short as 25 days, while others experience one that is as long as 36 days. The truth is that only a small percentage of women have cycles that are exactly 28 days. Further, one in five women have cycles are irregular. Finally, only 10% of women in ovulate on day 14.
Most women dont understand what causes menstruation to begin on a certain date. The date you start to bleed is actually established by the date you ovulate. Once your body ovulates, a series of steps are set into motion. In most women, the amount of time it takes for the egg to leave the ovary and travel down to the cervix is consistent. The same is true for how long the egg is available to be fertilized, and then after that when the egg is not fertilized, how many days it will be before the womans period begins.
What varies in women and causes the irregular cycle, is the time between the end of menstrual bleeding, and ovulation.
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Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant After Ovulation
Also known as the luteal phase, this final portion of your cycle begins after ovulation and ends at the start of your next period. During this phase, progesterone starts to rise. Your cervical mucus will dry up, which makes the vaginal tract less friendly to sperm.
It takes about six days for any fertilized eggs to travel to your uterus. If one implants in your endometrium, you’ll start to see the rise in human chorionic gonadotropin , the hormone measured by home pregnancy tests, about one week after implantation.
Your chances of conceiving: Low. Once the egg has been released, there is a short window of 12 to 24 hours during which it can be fertilized. After that, you will no longer be in your fertile window . If you’re looking to avoid pregnancy, this is the phase during which people using fertility awareness methods commonly have sex freely, but keep in mind that there’s never a guarantee when it comes to avoiding pregnancy if a working ovary and sperm are involved.
All Kinds Of Things May Impact The Timing Of Ovulation
And none of us know for sure all of the things that do it.
In any given month, you may experience something that causes you to ovulate later than normal. Medications can impact ovulation, such as antidepressants, thyroid medication, and steroids. Breastfeeding can impact your ovulation date and so can PCOS.
Stress is also a frequent culprit in causing late ovulation, though doctors arent exactly sure how this works.
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My Menstrual Cycle Is Still Irregular Has The Pill Affected My Fertility
Its unlikely the pill has caused any fertility problems, but it can sometimes cover up problems you already have, such as missing periods or PCOS .This is because the pill prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg , so although its normal to experience period-type bleeding on the pill, you dont have a real period.
Contact your GP if youre still having irregular periods 3 months after stopping contraception.
What Is The Menstrual Cycle
The menstrual cycle is what your body goes through to get ready for pregnancy. This cycle is the time from the first day of your period up to the day before the start of your next period.
Ovulation usually happens during the second half of the cycle. This is when an egg is released from one of your ovaries. To get pregnant, the egg needs to be fertilised by the sperm.
Ovulation doesnt happen every month for every woman. There are some conditions that may interfere with ovulation, such as endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome . If you are not getting a monthly period and are trying to get pregnant, speak to your doctor.
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Vaginal Infection In Women
Women with pelvic inflammatory disease caused by gonorrhea and chlamydia infection can sometimes have irregular bleeding or spotting during their menstrual cycle. This bleeding is usually lighter than you menstruation with other symptoms like
- Low abdomen pain
- Abnormal green discharge or yellow discharge from your vagina
- Vaginal itching and pain
If you notice these symptoms, then your early period may be due to an infection. Inform your doctor as vaginal infection can easily be treated with antibiotics.
Top Reasons Your Vaginal Bleeding May Not Be A Period
One of the biggest margins for error while using fertility awareness as a method of birth control comes from a misidentified period. Not all vaginal bleeding is a period. A woman may bleed from a hormonal imbalance, cervical lesion, recent trauma and even pregnancy.
If you are tracking your menstrual cycle and the bleeding is consistent in terms of heaviness, color and timing, then you can likely count on it being your period, Harper said. However, there are many women that find it difficult to track their period because irregular bleeding can be due to illness or another underlying cause.
If you are having difficulty or need help starting, talk with your OB-GYN or primary care provider.
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Can You Get Pregnant On The Last Day Of Your Period
If you stop bleeding on Day 6, have sex on Day 7 and ovulate on Day 11, its possible the sperm from Day 6 will be waiting in your fallopian tubes for conception. Your chances of conceiving right after your period increase each day after your bleeding has stopped. If you are trying to conceive this is a good time to have sex. Increase your chances of conception by having sex every other day for the next 14 days.
Early Pregnancy Symptoms Vs Pms: Whats The Difference
Most early pregnancy symptoms before your period are strikingly similar to the side effects of PMS. However, youll only notice changes in your areolas if youre pregnant. A consistently elevated BBT and creamy vaginal discharge post-ovulation are also both relatively reliable signs of conception, but theyre certainly not foolproof.
Otherwise, the only way to know if other early pregnancy symptoms are due to a baby or PMS is to hold out until you can take a pregnancy test.
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How Accurate Are Home Pregnancy Tests
Home pregnancy tests are quite accurate and reliable when you use them correctly. Most of the tests available at drugstores claim that they work 99 out of 100 times. Their accuracy is similar to that of a urine pregnancy test that you get in a doctors office or hospital.
- Because these tests work by detecting the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin hormone in your urine, their accuracy might be lower in early pregnancy or when you have just missed your period.
- If your pregnancy test comes out negative but you feel that you might be pregnant, repeat the test a week after the date you missed your period.
You may want to visit your healthcare provider if you are not confident about the result of your pregnancy test.
I Got My Period A Week Early What Does It Mean
If your period occurs early, then it may be due to non-pregnancy causes like stress or hormonal changes in your body. Early signs of menopause can cause an early period too. However, period that occurs a week early is likely due to pregnancy.
Now its your turn. Do you have early menstruation? Let us know your symptoms and if we could help.
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Can You Get Pregnant On The First Day Of Your Period
It’s possible though not very likely for you to get pregnant on the first day of your period, especially if you have a regular, 28-day cycle.
If you have an irregular or a shorter menstrual cycle, however, ovulation might occur much closer to day one of your period, which would cause you to get pregnant on the first day.
Check Your Cervical Mucus
The same hormones that control your menstrual cycle also affect the mucus that your cervix makes. Just before and during ovulation, the amount, color, and texture of it change to make it easier for you to get pregnant.
As your ovaries prepare to release an egg, your cervix makes more mucus. A few days before ovulation, it may be sticky and cloudy or whitish. Then, right before you ovulate, the mucus gets slippery, like egg whites. It may stretch across your fingers if you spread them apart. This stage usually lasts 3 or 4 days, which is when you’re most likely to get pregnant.
To check your cervical mucus:
- Use your fingers or a tissue to check the opening of your vagina for mucus a few times a day. Make sure your hands are clean before you start. Write down whether it’s cloudy and sticky or clear and slippery.
- Chart your cervical mucus changes and your basal body temperature to get a clear picture of where you are in your cycle.
Keep in mind that other things, like breastfeeding, can change your mucus. Using douches or other hygiene products can also affect it. Gynecologists usually don’t recommend these products.
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Ovulation And The Luteal Phase
Ovulation is the point at which a mature egg is released from one of a woman’s two ovaries. The egg remains viable for a maximum of 24 hours following that event, and it is at this point that the egg can be fertilized. This can either happen when a woman has sexual intercourse right during her ovulation, or when sperm that had previously entered is already waiting in the fallopian tube when the egg gets there. The luteal phase is the phase of the menstrual cycle lasting from the end of ovulation to the next expected period. It’s also simply known as “the second half of the menstrual cycle”, and this time carries a lot of significance.
During the luteal phase, a woman’s cervical mucus will thicken, creating an unwelcome environment for sperm. If an egg was fertilized at ovulation, the egg will take an average of seven days to make its way to the uterus and to start implanting there. This is the very earliest stage of a pregnancy. A fertilized egg needs to have time to implant in the endometrium the uterine lining in order to send signals to the body that the woman is indeed pregnant and menstruation should not come along. Women who have a short luteal phase may have trouble getting pregnant, because of a simple lack of time. Any fertilized egg is usually washed away with menstruation in that case. A luteal phase that is too short is known as a Luteal Phase Defect, or LDP. We’ll take a closer look at having a LDP now.
Can You Get Pregnant Right After Your Period
You are moving into your fertility window, so yes, you can get pregnant right after your period. On a typical cycle that occurs every 28 to 30 days, the fertility window is usually between Day 11 and Day 21. Remember, sperm can live up to 5 days. If your period lasts for 5 to 7 days, and you have sex right after that, you are approaching your fertility window.
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Conceiving A Week Before Your Period
Here at SteadyHealth, we receive questions from readers who are unsure what is going on with their menstrual cycle or ovulation, or whether they are pregnant. One of the questions that pops up relatively frequently is whether it’s possible to get pregnant a week before menstruation is due. We have already given a detailed answer to the question if it is possible to get pregnant during a period , so we’ll take a look at this similar question now. Let’s assume that a woman asking this particular question has regular menstrual cycles and that she knows exactly when her next period is due. Let’s also assume that a week, in this context, means exactly seven days.
When can you get pregnant? Is seven days before your period is due a good time to conceive? A woman’s fertile period is the period lasting from five days before her ovulation to ovulation itself. Not many people ovulate seven days before their period, and those who do generally have a luteal phase so short that they can’t get pregnant. More about that later. There is the odd woman who, with a luteal phase defect and all, does ovulate exactly a week before her menstruation is expected and who still, by some miracle, conceives a baby. Can you get pregnant a week before your period, then? It’s highly unlikely, but it has happened to some women and is therefore a theoretical possibility.