How Do You Know If Your Period Is Coming Or Your Pregnant
When you have your period, the flow is noticeably heavier and can last up to a week. Pregnancy: For some, one of the first signs of pregnancy is light vaginal bleeding or spotting that’s usually pink or dark brown. This typically happens 10 to 14 days after conception and is usually not enough to fill pads or tampons.
Fertility Awareness As A Method Of Birth Control
All birth control methods can fail, even those with the highest effectiveness rate like intrauterine devices or tubal ligation. People should understand how well each option works prior to deciding upon a method of contraception.
When using fertility awareness as a method of birth control, fewer than five out of 100 women will become pregnant during the first year of perfect use. That being said, this method of birth control is very difficult to do without error.
When tracking your cycle, the first day should be when you begin bleeding. For most women, ovulationthe release of the egg from the ovariesoccurs around day 14. Some women may bleed for up to 10 days. Therefore, they may become fertile only four days after their period ends, Harper said. Some women even have earlier ovulations and some have later ovulations.
You Have An Ectopic Pregnancy
Do you have severe abdominal pain, light brown discharge and pregnancy symptoms? Then its possible you have an ectopic pregnancy.
What does ectopic pregnancy mean?
In normal pregnancies, fertilization occurs inside the Fallopian tube, which is a 10cm tube attached to the body of the uterus. After fertilization, the embryo or fertilized ovum is transported back to the uterus for implantation.
However, in ectopic pregnancies, this process fails to result in implantation outside the uterus, or in the fallopian tubes. Implantation inside the Fallopian tube will cause bleeding into the abdomen with symptoms like
- Pain especially in the right or left side of the abdomen
- Heavy vaginal bleeding, though it may be light bleeding or no bleeding at all.
- Dizziness or fainting attack
- Severe pain in the abdomen that gets worse with time
Who are at risk of an ectopic pregnancy?
- Untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea infection
- Pelvic inflammation disease
- Drugs like Clomiphene citrate used to stimulate ovulation
- Previous history of an abortion
What to do?
You should inform your doctor ASAP about your symptoms. Ectopic pregnancy is an emergency worldwide and may cause death in young women if not treated early.
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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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Can You Be Fertile On Your Period
While its extremely unlikely, the simple answer is yes. Women are not able to conceive whilst on their period, but sperm survives within the female reproductive system for up to five days. This means that a tiny fraction of women do have a small chance of becoming pregnant from unprotected sex during their period. It all depends on the length of your menstrual cycle simple, right?
Lets take an example, say you have a menstrual cycle shorter than 28 days. You have sex towards the end of your six-day-long period and ovulate shortly after, then there is a chance that some of the sperm survive and you could get pregnant. So while getting pregnant is unlikely, its technically possible if you dont know your fertile window.
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There Are Several Reasons Ovulation Might Be Disrupted:
- age
- thyroid probs
- PCOS or PID
Even if you dont ovulate early or skip a month, you might have naturally short or long cycles. Most folks ovulate 2 weeks after their flow ends, but some people ovulate within a week after your flow.
The specifics of your fertile window matter because sperm stick around for days after ejaculation. Hence, squeezing in an unprotected sex sesh just before your fertile window could still result in pregnancy.
Fertility Awareness And Family Planning
Some women use fertility awareness as a method of natural birth control. One of the tools used is something called the Standard Days method. This establishes that if you have a period that is between 26 to 32 days long, days eight through 19 will be your most fertile days. However, this method is most effective when you have regular menstrual cycles.
If a woman has a regular period and uses the method perfectly, less than one to five women out of 100 will become pregnant. However, the key words here are perfect use. The typical use rate is different. Typical use means that the methods may be done incorrectly or measured inconsistently. In the first year of this typical use, 12 to 24 women out of 100 will become pregnant.
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Ive Been Using Contraception Will This Affect My Cycle
This depends on what type of contraception youve been using. If youve been taking the pill, your period may be irregular when you first come off it, so try to give yourself up to 3 months for your natural menstrual cycle to get back to its normal routine.
The first period after stopping the pill is known as a withdrawal bleed. The next one after this is your first natural period.
The contraceptive injection can also affect your cycle. Your periods may change and become irregular, heavier, shorter, lighter or stop altogether. This can carry on for some months after you stop the injections.
If you use the contraceptive implant your fertility will return to normal as soon as it is taken out.
What If You Want A Baby
If youre trying to get pregnant, its vital to schedule plenty of time between the sheets during your fertile window.
If youve been getting frisky mid-cycle for a while and still arent preggo, it might benefit you to have sex more regularly. Cycles vary, after all. It also helps pinpoint your ovulation knowledge is power!
Heres how to get a better handle on your bodys ovulation patterns:
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So Can I Get Pregnant After My Period
When you can get pregnant depends on when you ovulate. It is a common misconception that every woman ovulates exactly on cycle day 14. In reality, ovulation usually occurs about midway through your cycle.
If you have 28-day cycles, its entirely possible for you to ovulate on cycle day 14. However, every woman and cycle is different and a normal cycle length can last anywhere from 21 to 35 days.
While a healthy luteal phase needs to be at least 11-12 days long in order to allow for the best possible chance at conception, the follicular phase can be much shorter and still be considered healthy. Some studies even report healthy pregnancy with ovulation taking place as early as cycle day 8 and as late as cycle day 22.
Depending on how long your periods last and how early you ovulate, it is possible to get pregnant soon after your period ends. But, its not very common. While cycles can be different lengths, the average length is 28 days, meaning ovulation likely would not occur directly after your period.
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.
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Ovulation And Fertility: How Do I Know
Because periods can be different lengths and not all bleeding is a period, it can be confusing to track your ovulation. The best way to track your ovulatory cycle is by watching it for three to four months, Harper said. To track, Harper recommends determining the average time between the start of one period to the start of the next. Because this is an average number, it does not have to be exactly the same every month. If this average number is between 21 and 35 days, then you can divide that number in half, which is MOST LIKELY, but not guaranteed, to be the time of ovulation.
Once you have monitored a few cycles and think you know when you are ovulating, check on your vaginal discharge. Around the time of ovulation, discharge becomes thick and stretchyjust like an uncooked egg white, Harper mentioned. This is the best way to verify that you are on track when it comes to predicting ovulation. If you take a birth control pill, then you do not ovulate at all and do not need to pay attention to discharge.
Cervical mucus accepts, filters, prepares and releases sperm for the successful fertilization of an egg. If you do not want to become pregnant and are not using another birth control, Harper says it is best to avoid intercourse the week you notice the mucus.
Can I Get Pregnant From Sex Right After My Period Ends
By | Dec. 1, 2017, 3:10 p.m.
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I got off my period on Saturday and I had unprotected sex on Sunday. Im not sure. Could I be pregnant?
Anytime you have unprotected sex, theres a chance of pregnancy even during your period or right after your period ends. In fact, right after your period you may be even more likely to get pregnant from unprotected sex because youve just started a new menstrual cycle and you could start ovulating at any point.
If you want to avoid getting pregnant, use a birth control method like a condom, the pill, the IUD, or the implant.
If its been fewer than 5 days since you had sex without a condom or another birth control method, you can still use emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy.
-Emily at Planned Parenthood
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Period Tracking And Logging Sex
Women who use Natural Cycles take their temperature every morning and record it in the app. The method works by identifying a rise in body temperature just before ovulation. This means Natural Cycles can tell you when you can and cant get pregnant, so you will know your own fertility whilst on your period, or any day of your cycle, for that matter. On top of this, you will also know where you are in your cycle, meaning you can plan for your period, PMS or when to do a self breast exam.
If you are looking for a hormone-free birth control option that learns your unique cycle, then Natural Cycles could be the solution youve been searching for.
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.
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What About Right Before Your Period
The likelihood of getting pregnant right before your period is extremely low. For women with a typical 28- to 30-day cycle or longer and their cycles are regular, it is fairly safe to say your ovulation occurred between Day 11 and Day 21. The egg is only available for 12 to 24 hours for conception.
This means the days right before your period are the safest to have sex without the expectation of getting pregnant. The number of safe days right before your period go up with longer cycles and lessen with shorter cycles.
If you wait 36 to 48 hours after ovulation, you should be beyond the possibilities of conception. The further you are from ovulation, the less likely your chance for conceiving. This is not the time to have sex if you are trying to conceive. Its still a good time to enjoy intimacy with your partner.
How Not To Get Pregnant
If you want to get pregnant, plan to get frisky halfway between periods for the best chances. But if youre trying to avoid pregnancy, dont use your period as a guide. Instead, choose a reliable form of birth control.
Thats the best way to prevent pregnancy, Dr. Stephens says.
Yeah, you probably already knew that. But now you know the whole story.
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Bleeding Later In Pregnancy: Why It Happens
Weve already discussed why it isnt possible to have a period during pregnancy, and why some people may experience light bleeding or spotting during their first trimester. Bleeding during the second and third trimesters is possible, though not common, and it may be an indicator that something else is going on. If you experience bleeding later in your pregnancy, its important to see your health care provider.
Potential reasons for mid- or late-term pregnancy bleeding include:
How Can You Tell When Its Safe To Have Sex
Generally, though, the lowest risk moment in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy-wise, falls during the week or so right before your period. According to the APA, its safe to assume the fertility window is open between days 11 and 21 of your cycle. For those who really really want to have period sex , the earliest, bloodiest days are probably your best bet.
To be clear, though, just because its possible to get pregnant on your period doesnt mean you will. Its rare.
But conception concerns aside, some people report that cycle awareness helps them make the most of hormone-related peaks and valleys in productivity. Some even say it makes for less painful periods. And while fertility awareness methods of pregnancy prevention are imperfect and certainly less effective than many other contraceptive tools on the market, those who are actively trying to conceive could certainly benefit from familiarizing themselves with their menstrual cycles. Apps like Clue and Period Tracker offer quick and convenient ways to do that, although more precise methods exist, too.
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What If My Cycle Is Irregular
It can be more difficult to get pregnant if you have irregular periods because you may not ovulate regularly.
There are many possible causes of irregular periods, which may affect your fertility. For example:
- medical conditions such as thyroid problems or polycystic ovary syndrome.
Having irregular periods does not mean you wont get pregnant and there are things you can do to boost your chances of success.
See your GP if your periods have stopped, youre missing monthly periods or you have irregular periods and are struggling to get pregnant.
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.
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How To Avoid Pregnancy
To avoid pregnancy, use contraception. There are many methods of contraception you can choose from. Condoms are the only method that help protect against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections .
It’s difficult to know exactly when ovulation happens. Therefore, if you’re trying to avoid pregnancy, there isnt a “safe” time of the month to have unprotected sex.
A woman who doesnt want to become pregnant shouldn’t take the risk, says Belfield.
For a woman with a shorter menstrual cycle for example, 23 days having unprotected sex during her period could put her at risk of pregnancy. Sperm can hang around for seven days, and she might ovulate very soon after her period has finished.
Some women use natural family planning to plan or avoid pregnancy, but this needs to be taught by an expert. “Working out your fertile time is very dependent on knowing your cycle and knowing your fertility indicators, which takes observation, says Belfield.
It involves monitoring vaginal secretions, taking your temperature every day, and keeping a calendar of your cycle, to help pinpoint when ovulation is likely to be happening.
Vaginal secretions change during the menstrual cycle and become thinner and stretchy around ovulation a bit like raw egg white.
The most effective methods of contraception are long-acting reversible contraceptive methods, such as the contraceptive injection , contraceptive implant , intrauterine system and intrauterine device IUD .