Is It Possible To Get Pregnant Right After Your Period

What Are The Chances I Can Get Pregnant On My Period

The chances of getting pregnant if you have sex during your period are very low. However, if youve had unprotected sex, it is still possible to get pregnant during your period.

To understand how this can happen, you need to know how your menstrual cycle works.

• Your cycle starts on the first day of your period and lasts until the first day of your next period.
• About 10 to 16 days before the start of your next period, you will ovulate, which is when one of your ovaries releases an egg.
• Once youve ovulated, you enter the Luteal phase, when the now empty follicle develops the corpus luteum, which produces the hormone progesterone.
• The lining on your uterus thickens in preparation for a fertilized egg to implant.
• If you have not conceived, then the egg passes into the uterus, hormone levels drop, and the womb lining sheds as you begin your next period.

You are at your most fertile around the time you ovulate. Although the egg lives only for 12 to 24 hours after being released, you can get pregnant even if you have sex days before you ovulate as sperm can live up to five days in your body.

So how likely are you to get pregnant during your period? Well, it depends on a few factors like:

• whether you used contraception or not
• the length of your menstrual cycle
• the length of your period
• when you had sex

You can also conceive after having sex during your period if you have short menstrual cycles, as this means you ovulate a few days earlier, and closer to the end of your period.

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.

How To Work Out When Youre Ovulating

According to clinical guidelines, most women ovulate around day 14, or halfway through your menstrual cycle. However, this information is out-dated. If you have a long, short or irregular cycle, your ovulation period could differ from month to month, which makes it harder to calculate. If you want to be able to pinpoint exactly when youre ovulating, you could get to know the symptoms associated with ovulation, and combine this knowledge with an accurate reading from a fertility monitor.

Read Also: Can You Have A Period During Pregnancy

How Likely Am I To Get Pregnant If I Have Sex On The Last Day Of My Period

Category:

How likely am I to get pregnant by having intercourse on the last day of my period?

The morning after pill is a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. It can be started up to five days after unprotected intercourse.

The brands Plan B One-Step and Next Choice are available from drugstores and health centers without a prescription only. If you are interested in getting emergency contraception and are 17 or older, you can either get it directly from a Planned Parenthood health center or private health care provider for a prescription.

The best way to prevent pregnancy is by using birth control. Learn more about your birth control options.

Tags:pregnancy, periods

Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of people worldwide. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. is a registered 501 nonprofit under EIN 13-1644147. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law.

You May Like: How To Know If You Get Your First Period

Pregnancy Days Before The Menstrual Period Starts

As discussed above, a woman has a certain chance of becoming pregnant if she has sexual intercourse during menstruation or in the days immediately following menstruation, especially if she has short menstrual cycles.

However, the chances of conceiving in the days immediately preceding menstruation are even lower. This is because the egg can only be fertilized within the first 24 hours or so after ovulation.

However, there is no totally safe period within the menstrual cycle to have unprotected sex without contraception to avoid the risk of pregnancy, as it is usually unknown when ovulation has occurred.

Read Also: Instant Relief From Period Back Pain

Also Check: Pregnancy Calculator Based On Last Menstrual Period

Know How Many Days After Period Is Safe To Avoid Your Pregnancy

To calculate the safe days, you need to track your menstrual cycle first. If you have a longer cycle of 28 days or 30 days, then having sex right after your period wont affect much. But if you have a short cycle of 21 days or 25 days then, yes, there are chances of getting pregnant.

Ovulation occurs before 2 weeks of the period. So the women with short cycle generally ovulate within 5-6 days after period. Now if you have intercourse during your period, the sperm can stay alive in your vaginal canal for 5-6 days. Hence, there are probabilities of conceiving just after .5-6 days of your period. Its better to have safe sex at the time of period or after the period.

The women with long menstrual cycle generally ovulate after 12-15 days of the period. If you also have a long cycle, then you can go for sex during your periods or just after you stop bleeding. The risk of getting pregnant is almost nonexistent at this time.

However, we can say that there are low chances of conceiving while on period, but the likelihood is not null at all!

You May Like: Period Tracker For 11 Year Old

The Ins And Outs Of Period Sex

So now we know it is possible to get pregnant on your period, its important you take the right precautions. When used correctly, barrier methods such as the condom are very effective at preventing pregnancy and also offer protection against STIs.

While many may think its gross or messy, having sex on your period is perfectly healthy and lots of women swear by it for a number of reasons. Due to a dip in progesterone, you may find your sex drive increases around menstruation. On top of this, orgasms can alleviate period cramps and cause the uterus to contract more, which in the end can mean shorter periods too.

While you might be expecting a Stephen King-style horror scene, you may actually be surprised by how little menstrual blood there is. The heaviness of your period is a very personal thing that varies from cycle to cycle, however, the average woman will only produce 6-8 teaspoons worth of blood during her entire period. That being said, you might want to have an extra towel on hand, or suggest things get steamy in the shower.

Don’t Miss: How Long Does A Normal Period Last

Can You Get Pregnant Right Before Your Period

Yes, but it’s unlikely, and chances are even lower that you could conceive during this time than while you are on your period or right after it. That’s because the time you are fertile has probably passed.

However, if you have a menstrual cycle that is shorter than the typical 28 days, there are fewer days between ovulation and the start of your next period during which you are not fertile. That means your chances of getting pregnant right before your period are higher if you have a shorter cycle and lower if you have a longer cycle.

Learn more:

Can I Get Pregnant The Day Before My Period And Still Have A Normal Period

This is a question Flo users often ask, maybe because of the misconception that its not possible to get pregnant during a period.

You can’t get pregnant a day before your period, as ovulation will have occurred 10-16 days before the period .

Regardless of when conception happens, periods stop.

Nevertheless, some people experience spotting during ovulation and mistake it for period blood. In fact, ovulation is the most fertile day of a cycle. Having unprotected sex during ovulation spotting can result in pregnancy.

Sometimes, people may also mistakenly assume implantation bleeding is just a period. Actually, implantation bleeding is an early sign of conception.

Also Check: Pregnancy Test 6 Days Before Missed Period

How To Know When Youre Ovulating

Knowing when you ovulate can help you plan for sex at the right time and improve your chance of getting pregnant. You can keep track of your menstrual cycles on a chart, in a diary, or on a free period-tracker app on your smartphone.

To work out the length of your menstrual cycle, record the first day you start bleeding . This is day 1. The last day of your cycle is the day before your next period begins.

• Some people think the menstrual cycle and a period are the same thing.

  A period is when you bleed .

  A menstrual cycle starts on the day when a period starts and ends the day before the next period. A cycles length is considered normal if its between 21 and 35 days. They can vary between women and from one cycle to the next.

• Working out your average menstrual cycle length

  If your menstrual cycles are different lengths you can work out your average cycle length.

  The number of days in a womans menstrual cycle can vary month to month. Periods are not always regular. It can be useful to work out an average cycle length, based on the length of three menstrual cycles, to estimate when youre most likely to be ovulating.

  If you add the number of days in three cycles and divide the total number by three, it gives you your average cycle length.

  Example

  Sarah tracked her last three menstrual cycles by counting the time from the first day of one period, to the day before the next period.

  Cycle 1 was 28 days Cycle 2 was 32 days Cycle 3 was 27 days

  28 + 32 + 27 = 87

Got It So When Can You Have Unprotected Sex

Erm NEVER?!

Just kidding . In general, your period is the part of your cycle when youre least likely to make a baby. But regardless of timing, its impossible to be 100 percent sure that unprotected sex wont result in pregnancy.

If you have a 28-day cycle that runs like clockwork, your fertile window lasts for about 6 days mid-cycle . Your safest bet for unprotected sex is a week or so after ovulation just before, during, or just after your period.

But and were sounding like a broken record you could still get pregnant if you have an unpredictable cycle, if you have short cycles, or if you have sex within 5 days of your fertile window .

Dont Miss: Why Do You Get Headaches On Your Period

Also Check: What Do You Do When You Get Your Period

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.

How Do Pregnancy Tests Work

Pregnancy tests are a quick and easy means to know whether you are pregnant. Most at-home pregnancy tests work by detecting the levels of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin in your urine.

• HCG is also known as the pregnancy hormone because the levels of this hormone increase considerably when you get pregnant.
• This hormone is released when a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus .
• Thus, when you pee or dip the test stick into your urine, it detects whether HCG is present in your urine.

Most pregnancy tests can be taken beginning on the first day of your missed period. Because the HCG concentration increases rapidly , taking a test early may not be accurate enough. Refer to the label instructions in your test kit to know the best time to take the test.

• It is generally advised to take the test first thing in the morning because during this time the urine will have the highest concentration of HCG.
• Drinking a lot of water before the test may dilute the HCG levels in your urine, increasing the chance of a false-negative test result.

Recommended Reading: How Does Plan B Affect Your Period

When Do You Ovulate After A Period

So how many days after your period do you ovulate?

This is a hard one to answer because periods and the cycles of which theyre a part are all different lengths, because, after all, were all different!

So, that means that ovulation after periods will be different, too.

Not sure whether youre ovulating? Check out these 9 Possible Ovulation Symptoms.

How Late Can A Period Be Without Being Pregnant

Some people have their period every 28 days like clockwork. But most people will experience a late or missed period at least once without being pregnant, and thats perfectly normal.

For many, a late period can trigger thoughts of potential pregnancy. But a late period doesnt necessarily mean that youre pregnant.

Dont Miss: How Heavy Is Too Heavy For A Period

Recommended Reading: Is My Period Late Or Am I Pregnant

Is It Safe To Have Sex After Periods

Whether you are trying to avoid getting pregnant or trying to conceive, you should be tracking your menstrual cycle. This means you should be monitoring the period between the first time you get your period to the next. The average woman begins to ovulate about 14 days after her menstrual cycle has ended. However, the most fertile period of the female is about 3-4 days before and after her ovulation period. Hence, it is not safe to have sex during these 3-4 days if you do not want to get pregnant and advisable to have sex during this period if you wish to do so.

15 minutes12 hours.

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.

You May Like: Is It Okay To Miss A Period

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.

Ovulation And The Fertile Window For Beginners

If we were to look at the perfect menstrual cycle, it would be 28 days. The first day would be the day your period starts and the last day would be the day before your next period starts.

Your cycle has two phases: the follicular phase and the luteal phase.

During the follicular phase you have a period and you ovulate around day 14 .

After ovulation, you start the luteal phase, which is essentially when your body preps your cells and hormones for the next round.

Ovulation only lasts a whopping 12 to 24 hours, but sperm can survive for an estimated 5 days, meaning you have about a 6-day window to get pregnant .

This window includes the 12 to 24 hours of ovulation and the days sperm can live in the female reproductive tract. You are most fertile typically around 10 days to 2 weeks before your period, but there can be a lot of guesswork to figure out this window because it is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Recommended Reading: What To Do If My Period Is Late

Whens The Best Time To Get Pregnant After Your Period

So, its time for the how to get pregnant after period portion of our guide.

The funny thing is, for all the procreating we do as a species it must be fun or something women can only get pregnant during a pretty small chapter of every month.

The fertile window, as its called, is a small one.

So if youre wanting to know if you can get pregnant after your period, yes you can, but typically a few weeks after.

The fertility cycle is about 6-10 days in most women.

If youre the cookie-cutter textbook 28-day regular cycle case, this would be around days 10-17 of your cycle.

Thats why many couples land up getting a fantastic toolkit of calendars and clocks and sometimes even canceling important engagements to, well, get it on.

But of course, in the chimeric world of what is typical, very little is. In fact, in only about 30% of women is the fertile window entirely within the days set out by the clinical guidelines