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.
Implantation Bleeding Or Spotting
Implantation bleeding happens when the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus. As the egg burrows into the lining, it sometimes causes some of the lining to shed. A woman might notice light bleeding a week to a few days before her period is due. Implantation bleeding is usually light brown, pink, or red spotting but can be as heavy as a light period. It could conceivably be confused with a light period or an early period.
Remember: Take A Test
The most important thing you can do if you feel you may be pregnant is take a pregnancy test. These are inexpensive and widely available. You can even find them sometimes at the dollar stores! There are also community resources available such as Planned Parenthood, where you can get a test for free if you cannot afford to pay.
If you are too shy to buy one yourself, ask a friend to pick one up for you. You can even buy them on Amazon. For your health and your baby’s health, it’s best to know as soon as you can if you are indeed pregnant. Buck up and get one!
When taken properly, home pregnancy tests are 99% accurate. Though some say you can take them up for five days before your missed period, the earlier you test, the more likely you are to get a false negative. If the test is negative and your period still doesnt come, try again.
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When Should I Test
Home pregnancy tests can be very accurate , especially if you wait to test until after your period is officially late. Some tests claim to accurately detect pregnancy up to a week before your missed period, so if you’re experiencing some pregnancy symptoms and are champing at the bit, go for it.
You’re more likely to get an accurate test result if you wait until your period is late, according to the Mayo Clinic, because the hormone that’s detected in home pregnancy tests, hCG, doubles every two to three days after an embryo attaches to your uterus, meaning there’s more to detect in your urine if you wait a few days.
Because this hormone can sometimes take a while to build up, false negative results aren’t uncommon in early pregnancy. It’s much more rare to get a false positive. If you get a positive test result, you are very likely pregnant, or experienced a recent pregnancy loss, and can confirm the pregnancy through a blood test or ultrasound.
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The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Weight Gain During Early Pregnancy
Weight gain becomes more common toward the end of your first trimester. You may find yourself gaining about 1 to 4 pounds in the first few months.
Calorie recommendations for early pregnancy wont change much from your usual diet, but they will increase as pregnancy progresses.
In the later stages, pregnancy weight often shows up in the:
- breasts
- uterus
Hormones can cause the valve between your stomach and esophagus to relax. This allows stomach acid to leak, causing heartburn.
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What Should I Do If I Experience Bleeding During Pregnancy
If you experience bleeding, it is wise to have this checked out. If you have been seen in the Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit during your pregnancy, you may contact us directly, up to 15 weeks + 6 days of pregnancy. Your GP or midwife can also help you.
If you have been seen in the EPAU and you then experience more bleeding contact the EPAU. Depending on how much bleeding and for how long the nursing staff will decide if you need to be seen again. A rescan is not always necessary. Sometimes the nurse will advise that you monitor this bleeding at home. A rescan will only be performed if bleeding heavy with clots. If there is a significant change in your symptoms then the nurse will make an appointment to come to EPAU and be either rescanned or to be assessed by the doctor. If bleeding unmanageable then the nurse may advise to be assessed on ward 30 or the Emergency department depending on your symptoms.
My Stomach Feels Weirddoes Your Stomach Hurt In Early Pregnancy
It depends on what you mean by hurt.
In general, the kinds of pain youll experience in your belly or lower abdomen in early pregnancy are related to:
- Nausea usually happens between two and eight weeks after conception2
- Cramping these can feel similar to pre-menstrual cramps and can be a sign of implantation2
- Bloating and abdominal discomfort similar to PMS symptoms
Below I talk a little more about nausea, which is common in early pregnancy .
So in the sense of feeling nauseous, yes, your stomach can hurt. Some women also feel some light cramping at the very beginning of their pregnancy, which may or may not be accompanied by spotting . This usually occurs around the predicted time of the period or a couple of days before.
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Baby Growth When You Are 2
In a 2-month pregnancy period, your baby looks like the size of a raspberry. Even though its tiny cute, the baby inside starts taking shape, its heart, eyes, ears, nose and mouth start developing in addition to the vital body systems, such as nerves and respiratory organs which rapidly form within the childs body. Umbilical cord responsible for supplying blood to your baby also starts developing in this very month. And by the end of this second month, your baby will look a lot like human. You can observe the growth of your child in the second month ultrasound report. As tiny as it may seem, but your childs growth in this month is approximately 10,000 times the very first stage of its formation. During the sixth week of your pregnancy, your gynaec might make you feel the heartbeat of your child.
How Long Is The Menstrual Cycle
Womens cycles can vary in length and from month to month, but the average is around 28 days. Its normal to have regular cycles that are longer or shorter than this .
It doesnt matter how long your cycle is, most women will ovulate around 10 to 16 days before the start of their next menstrual cycle.
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How To Handle Heavy Periods
You may struggle with extremely heavy flows, and if they are so heavy that you find they make your life difficult, talk to your doctor. There are treatments out there like certain hormonal contraceptives and anti-inflammatory tablets, among others, and your doctor can help you find the right one for you.
Early Signs Of Pregnancy
If you have a regular monthly menstrual cycle, the earliest and most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period.
In the first few weeks of pregnancy you may have a bleed similar to a very light period, with some spotting or only losing a little blood. This is called implantation bleeding.
Every pregnancy is different and not everyone will notice all of these symptoms.
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Feeling Sick During Pregnancy
You may feel sick or be sick. This is commonly known as morning sickness, but it can happen at any time of the day or night.
Morning sickness symptoms usually start when youre around 4-6 weeks pregnant
If you’re being sick all the time and cannot keep anything down, see a GP.
You may have hyperemesis gravidarum, a serious condition in pregnancy that causes severe vomiting and needs treatment.
Symptoms Of A Late Period And Pregnancy
The symptoms of a late period will be obvious to many women who menstruate regularly. If you were expecting your period, and it doesnt begin, youll know its late. Not all periods arrive like clockwork, and its very normal for periods to occur on a slightly different schedule. Pregnancy isnt the only thing that can cause a late or skipped period. But if youre wondering whether your missing period might mean youre pregnant, you can look for other early symptoms of pregnancy. During the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, many women experience:
1. Fatigue
During the first trimester , your body produces large amounts of a hormone called progesterone. This can make you feel sleepy. Even during the first week after conception, you may feel more tired than usual.
2. Spotting
Implantation bleeding is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. It is very light bleeding, often called spotting, that happens as a result of the fertilized egg implanting to the uterine wall. Implantation is usually 6 to 12 days after conception, or the moment the egg is fertilized by a sperm.
Some women also have mild abdominal cramps during implantation. Other women dont notice any symptoms with implantation.
3. Breast Changes
You may see changes in your breasts as early as 1 to 2 weeks after conception. Your breasts may be swollen and tender to the touch. You may have soreness or a feeling of fullness in your breasts.
4. Headaches
5. Missed Period
6. Nausea
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Potential Causes Of Bleeding During Pregnancy
Brian Levine, MD, MS, is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology as well as in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.
It is not possible to have a true menstrual period during pregnancy. Your hormone levels during pregnancy will change to prevent you from menstruating, and it is not possible for your body to shed its entire uterine lining while maintaining a pregnancy.
It is, however, possible to have menstrual-like bleeding for a variety of reasons during pregnancy.
Is This Spotting My Period Or Am I Pregnant
Lets take a deep dive into implantation bleeding and other early signs of pregnancy.
We all know the basics of how conception works: have vaginal intercourse, wait for and sperm and egg to join and create an embryo, the embryo grows into a fetus and voila, hello baby! While this may appear to be a simple process, theres so much more at play here. Lets fill in the gaps a bit, starting with when the sperm meets the egg.
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The Period You Get While On The Pill Isnt A ‘true’ Period
Sure, you bleed during the week that you take the sugar pills. But technically thatâs âmonthly withdrawal bleeding.â Itâs slightly different than a regular period.
Normally, you ovulate in the middle of your menstrual cycle. If the egg your ovaries release isnât fertilized, your hormone levels drop, causing you to shed the lining inside your uterus, and you get your period.
Birth control pills, though, prevent ovulation. With most types, you take hormones for 3 weeks followed by 1 week of pills without them. Though they keep your body from releasing an egg, they usually donât prevent it from building up the lining of your uterus all month. The period-like bleeding during that fourth week is your bodyâs reaction to the lack of hormones from the last week of the pill.
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.
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You Have An Ectopic Pregnancy
After fertilization, through ciliary action and muscular assistance from your fallopian tubes, the embryo is slowly transported into the uterus.
In some women, this process will occur abnormally and result in the baby developing outside the uterus. This is abnormal and can cause grave outcomes if not quickly managed by your doctor.
The truth is less than 50 percent of women with an ectopic pregnancy will have vaginal bleeding. However, a common symptom is abdominal pain.
Other symptoms that suggest an ectopic pregnancy are
- Sharp abdominal pain during pregnancy
- Fast heart rate
- Low blood pressure
- Vaginal bleeding
If you are pregnant with vaginal bleeding, abdominal cramps with any of these symptoms, its likely you have an ectopic pregnancy.
The chances are higher if youve had tubal surgery in the past, left a vaginal infection untreated for a long time, older than 35 years or had a previous ectopic pregnancy.
What to do?
You dont have to wait too long, talk to your doctor right away.