Can you get pregnant in one day

How long does it take to get pregnant after sex?

When you’re actively trying to get pregnant, it’s easy to get caught up with wanting to understand all the details about how it works. Sure, you might have attended sex ed classes at school like everyone else, but lots of us just learned how not to get pregnant — not so useful now!

Now, you could be facing the prospect of using your body in a whole new way, which is probably why you’re googling things like “How long does it take to get pregnant after sex?” Trying to conceive can bring a newfound curiosity about your reproductive system, and the more you know, the more power you have.

Here at Flo, we’ve got all the answers you need. This expert guide includes details on how you get pregnant, plus a timeline of how long it takes after sex so you can understand better what happens and when.

When can you get pregnant after sex?

Before we get to the ins and outs of how long it takes to get pregnant after sex, let’s go back to basics. There’s only a certain window in your cycle during which you even have a reasonable chance of getting pregnant if you have unprotected sex: on the day you ovulate, one day after ovulation, or the five days beforehand.

Take a quiz

Find out what you can do with our Health Assistant

Ovulation is when an egg is released from your ovaries into your uterine tubes (also known as fallopian tubes). The egg only stays there for up to 24 hours before it disintegrates into the uterine lining and sheds as part of your monthly period. But if it’s fertilized during its short lifespan by sperm, which need to swim competitively to get there, then pregnancy can occur. Sometimes, if you’ve had sex in the few days before ovulation, you can still get pregnant. This is because sperm can live inside a reproductive tract for up to five days; they’ll wait there, and if an egg is released, there’s a chance one could fertilize it.

But don’t be fooled into thinking sex during your fertile window will lead to a pregnancy every time. On average, it’s believed healthy couples of childbearing age have around a 20% chance of conceiving in any given month. According to OB-GYN (obstetrician and gynecologist) Robert W. Rebar, MD, 50% of couples should get pregnant within 3 months of trying, 75% of couples tend to get pregnant within 6 months, and 90% within a year — so don’t lose hope if it doesn’t happen right away.

A timeline of how long it takes to get pregnant after sex

Now that we know roughly when it’s possible to conceive a baby, let’s get into the details of what exactly goes on after you have sex. We asked Jane van Dis, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester, NY, to break it down for us.

Between 15 and 45 minutes after sex: The sperm travels

The first thing that needs to happen in order for a pregnancy to occur is for sperm to travel after ejaculation through the vagina, cervix, and then into the correct uterine tube where the egg is located on ovulation day. All in all, this is a distance of somewhere between 15 and 18 cm, and it’s believed to take around 15 to 45 minutes. During this journey, hundreds of millions of sperm drop off and don’t make it. It’s estimated that around 300 million sperm are typically released during sex, but only about 200 sperm ever actually reach the egg.

Between 45 minutes and 5 days after sex: Fertilization

As we know, when sperm reach the uterine tubes, there isn’t always an egg there. In that case, sperm can wait inside the reproductive tract for up to five days until an egg is released, at which point one may fertilize the new egg. Dr. van Dis explains that fertilization is “the process by which sperm penetrates the egg wall.” This creates a fertilized egg, or what’s known scientifically as a zygote, which is what goes on to become the embryo.

Only one sperm can fertilize an egg, thanks to a clever mechanism; the egg’s external shell hardens immediately when the first sperm breaks through, ensuring no others can gain entry.

Between 6 and 10 days after sex: Implantation

Once sperm penetrates and fertilizes the egg, the fertilized egg starts rapidly dividing until it becomes a cluster of cells that will later become an embryo. As the cluster grows, it begins to make a journey of its own, traveling from the uterine tubes to the uterus where implantation can take place. Implantation is when a fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterus lining, and it happens around 6 to 10 days after conception.

In around a quarter of pregnancies, there may be some light spotting between 10 and 14 days after conception. This is known as “implantation bleeding,” and, confusingly, it usually happens at the time you would expect your next period. That can make it tricky to detect, but it tends to be lighter than your usual menstrual period. If you experience bleeding that doesn’t seem like your period, and you think there’s a chance you could be pregnant, it’s worth taking a pregnancy test or speaking to a health care professional.

Between 2 and 4 weeks after sex: Early pregnancy symptoms

Everyone experiences pregnancy differently, which is why you might start noticing the early symptoms anywhere between 2 and 4 weeks after conception. “The most common sign of pregnancy is a missed period,” explains Dr. van Dis. “Other common signs are fatigue, tender breasts, more frequent urination, and bloating.”

Some of the most typical signs of pregnancy are nausea and vomiting, with more than 94% of women experiencing them, according to a 2020 University of Warwick study. The severity of nausea varies from person to person, as does its duration. For most people, it goes away by 14 weeks of pregnancy, but for others, it can continue on for longer. If you feel like nausea during your pregnancy is affecting your life, it’s best to speak to a health care professional.

Emotions can also fluctuate in the early stages of pregnancy and beyond. The flood of hormones during the early stages of pregnancy can make you feel happy one minute and tearful the next. You may also have a sore back or experience headaches, food cravings, or food aversions. The area around your nipples (the areolas) may also become darker during the early stages of pregnancy — lots of changes!

How long after sex should you take a pregnancy test?

“The great news is that pregnancy tests have gotten better and better at detecting earlier pregnancies,” says Dr. van Dis. The not-so-good news is that it still takes around 15 days after sex for a test to become positive.

So while you might feel anxious or excited for a couple of weeks after you think you ovulated, it’s worth holding out to make sure you get a clear result. Pregnancy tests are designed to trace the pregnancy hormone hCG, which your placenta starts producing around 10 days after fertilization and slowly increases as the fertilized egg becomes an embryo.

How long it takes to get pregnant after sex: The takeaway

Now that you have a better idea of how long pregnancy takes to come about, it’s important to remember that the specific timeline differs slightly for everyone. “None of this is a perfect science,” notes Dr. van Dis. While some people may find out that they are pregnant around 15 days after sex, others may need to wait longer — and that’s normal.

And don’t forget that it may take some people longer to conceive than others, which is also to be expected. There are various factors that can influence if and when pregnancy might occur, including how regular your cycle is, partner sperm count, and when you ovulated. Tracking your period regularly with an app like Flo can be a really helpful way to understand your own menstrual cycle — an important tool whether you’re trying to conceive or prevent an unplanned pregnancy.

Written by Chloe Lovell

How Long Does It Take to Get Pregnant After Having Sex?

Share on Pinterest

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.

Getting pregnant may seem like a rather mystical process. Once you learn the science and timing, it makes a bit more sense. Still, you may wonder how long it takes to actually conceive after having sex.

The short answer is that the egg and sperm can meet within minutes to up to 12 hours after ejaculation. But to see that second line on the pregnancy test, you still have some hurdles to cross.

Here’s more about how reproduction works (in super simple terms), as well as how to time things and possibly up your odds of getting pregnant.

Related: 10 things to know about fertilization

Fertilization occurs when the egg and sperm meet in the fallopian tube. In order for this to happen, a woman must be in her fertile window. This means that she’s nearing or has reached ovulation — the moment each menstrual cycle when an egg releases from the ovary.

An egg can only be fertilized between 12 and 24 hours from when it is released. After that, it starts to break down, hormones shift, and eventually, a period starts the next cycle.

While it sounds like the chances of catching an egg are pretty slim, consider the numbers. It’s estimated ejaculate contains up to 280 million sperm cells. And under ideal conditions, sperm actually live for several days once inside the reproductive tract.

Any unprotected sex you have within about 5 days of ovulation may leave enough sperm waiting and ready to fertilize. In other words, you may conceive after having sex nearly a week before ovulation if healthy sperm are already hanging out at their final destination.

On the flip side, conception can occur very soon after having sex as well. Experts say that the sperm can navigate the uterus and fallopian tubes to reach the egg as soon as 30 minutes after ejaculation.

Related: The 7-step checklist to healthy, fertile sperm

After fertilization, the new zygote travels down the fallopian tube and goes through tremendous changes. It develops into a morula and then a blastocyst. Once it reaches the blastocyst stage, it’s ready to implant in the uterine lining and continue growing into an embryo.

Implantation is essential to achieve pregnancy. Without it, the blastocyst will break down and be expelled with the rest of the uterine lining during your period.

As for timing, implantation usually happens between days 6 and 10 days after fertilization. Symptoms you may experience are mild and include things like cramping and light spotting. Some women may notice no symptoms at all, however.

Related: Implantation cramping

Once the implanted embryo starts producing hormones (which is right away), pregnancy symptoms may begin.

The earliest symptoms include:

Missed menstrual period. If your period is late, you may be pregnant. The hormones produced by the growing embryo signal the brain to retain the uterine lining.
Changes in your breasts. Your breasts may feel tender or swollen to the touch due to hormone changes.
Morning sickness. While this symptom generally begins a month or so after implantation, it may start sooner for some women. You may experience nausea with or without vomiting.
Frequent bathroom trips. Your kidneys go into overdrive during pregnancy because they are tasked with processing extra fluids due to blood volume increases. This means increased urination.
Tiredness. You may feel fatigued in early pregnancy. Hormones, again, are at play here. In particular, the hormone progesterone can make you particularly exhausted.

If you experience these symptoms or otherwise think you might be pregnant, it’s a good idea to take a home pregnancy test.

Home pregnancy tests look for human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in your urine. This is produced after the egg implants, but not at detectable levels until 6 to 14 days after fertilization. Your most reliable results will be starting on the day of your missed period, since all cycles are unique.

You can purchase a test at supermarkets, drugstores, or online. Follow all instructions and follow up with your doctor if you have a positive result or if you have a negative result but your period does not start.

In some cases, you may want to go in and have a blood draw, which can detect lower levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG.

Related: Early pregnancy symptoms timeline

To recap, the following things need to happen to achieve pregnancy:

An egg needs to release and get picked up by the fallopian tube.
Sperm needs to be deposited before, during, or immediately after ovulation.
The egg and sperm need to meet (fertilization) to create what eventually becomes a blastocyst.
The blastocyst needs to implant itself in the uterine lining to become an embryo and continue growing into a fetus.

Above all else, you can increase your chances of pregnancy each month by gaining a better understanding of the menstrual cycle and pinpointing your fertile window. You can have sex a million times, but if you’re not in the right part of your cycle, it won’t result in pregnancy.

Sex as early as 5 days before ovulation can lead to conception, but the chances are highest with sex the day immediately before the egg is released.

Some women on a 28-day cycle ovulate around day 14 after the start of their last period. For others, it’s not so predictable. Books like Taking Charge of Your Fertility can help you learn how to track your basal temperature or otherwise understand the signs your body may give, like increased cervical mucus, when ovulation may soon happen.

You may also consider using ovulation predictor kits. These over-the-counter strips detect different hormones in the urine that indicate an egg will soon release.

Don’t want to track too closely? Fertility experts recommend having sex two to three times each week throughout the month. That way, you’ll have a steady stock of fresh sperm.

You may also try things like lying still for 15 minutes after sex and using sperm-friendly lubricants to help those swimmers get where they need to go.

Related: How to increase your chances of getting pregnant

The same advice applies here. Familiarize yourself with your cycle and practice some extra caution during your fertile window. Barrier methods, like male condoms, are around 87 percent effective at protecting against pregnancy.

You may also make an appointment to speak with your doctor about hormonal and non-hormonal birth control options. Birth control pills, for example, are around 93 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. Other options and their effectiveness include implants (99.9 percent), intrauterine devices (99 percent), or shots (96 percent).

Passion happens, though. So, if you find yourself in a situation where you think conception could have occurred, you may also consider taking the morning after pill (levonorgestrel) within 72 hours of having sex.

This emergency contraception is not intended for regular use. It works by preventing or delaying ovulation, so it will not help if ovulation or implantation has already occurred. Brand names include Plan B One-Step and Option 2, and you can find these pills over the counter or online.

It’s a sensitive subject, but don’t be shy about making an appointment for your contraceptive needs. Your doctor can help you choose the right birth control method for your body and your lifestyle.

Related: How often can you take Plan B and other emergency contraception pills?

If you’re trying to get pregnant, don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t happen right away. Of course, this is easier said than done. But the odds are in your favor. Most couples who regularly have unprotected sex get pregnant within 1 year of trying.

If you’re over age 35, consider seeing your doctor if you’ve been trying for 6 months or longer — or if you otherwise have any other concerns about your reproductive health.

Fomin's clinic — a network of multidisciplinary clinics

Today's world is full of information: literally with one click, each of us can open the Universe and learn everything - from string theory to concert posters for the next week. It is all the more interesting that, having unlimited access to knowledge, we still live in myths - and sometimes they arise, including thanks to the Internet, replicating untruth and absurdity.

We have prepared for you a short “blitz” of six questions or myths about pregnancy and conception, so that you are fully equipped and do not believe the tales on the Internet.

Well... not exactly. Firstly, the idea of a “full examination” is a clear exaggeration, because there is no single list of tests that an expectant mother needs to pass. Ideally, visit a doctor three months before the end of contraception, get tested for STIs and antibodies to rubella. If additional examinations are required, you will be individually prescribed everything you need - including, probably, vaccinations that should be “updated”. As for alcohol and smoking, they are really contraindicated at the stage of pregnancy planning, so if you have these addictions, you will have to give them up. However, it should be remembered that smoking cessation applies to both electronic cigarettes and “passive smoking”, which can lead to dangerous consequences for the fetus.

Spoiler: no big deal. Do not panic and blame yourself for all mortal sins because of a glass of wine. With the recognized insecurity of alcohol, scientists have proven that a woman drinking 1-2 servings a couple of times a week should not harm the unborn child. For men, the allowable figures are slightly higher - 3-4 doses of alcohol per week. The main thing is to know the measure and not to overdo it.

There is, of course, a simplified formula for calculating the estimated due date: plus 7 days and minus 3 months from the date of the last period, but to be honest, it doesn’t work like that: the fact is that it is very difficult to “program” pregnancy and make sure that the child is born when you want. If you have a plan and are going to stick to it, be prepared for the fact that things can go wrong, if only because:

the duration of pregnancy is not 40 weeks, but 37-42 weeks, which means that you can easily fall into a five-week “loop”, which will reduce the chances of fulfilling the plan to zero;

with regular sex, the probability of conception is not 1 time per month (exactly when you guessed it), but 1 time per year.

Nothing is impossible... However, it is worth clarifying the question a little: you can get pregnant only during ovulation (more precisely, shortly after it), but you can have sex, which will lead to a long-awaited pregnancy, on different days. Of course, on the days of menstruation, the probability is lower than on the days that precede ovulation, but on none of the days of the menstrual cycle this probability is not zero.

Let's just say that trying multiple times a day is a bad idea. Why? At least because ejaculation more than once a day worsens the quality of sperm, as a maximum - such perseverance and zeal can create tension in the relationship of partners. Doctors advise to have sex every 2-3 days throughout the cycle, and not try to guess the moment and throw all your strength into this short period.

Planning the sex of a child is an extremely prolific topic for myth-makers. Some believe that with the help of a special table that takes into account such indicators as the age of the father and mother, the month of conception, it is possible to accurately calculate the sex of the child. This "method" is anti-scientific and has nothing to do with reality.

Another myth is that you have to get pregnant on the day you ovulate to have a boy. Previously, scientists really believed that X and Y spermatozoa differ from each other (Y are faster), and the sex of the child is formed due to the first one that broke through the defenses of the female egg. If you want to conceive a boy, you need to have sex on the day of ovulation so that the Y-sperms responsible for the "male sex" have more time to get to the egg located farthest from the entrance to the uterus.

However, this myth does not stand up to criticism: the fact is that there is no difference between the X and Y chromosomes, which means that the sex of the child does not depend on which of the sperm reaches the egg first. Moreover, not the fastest fertilizes the egg: thousands of spermatozoa simultaneously break its shell.

From this follows the conclusion: modern science does not know how to determine the sex of the child during natural conception, and therefore there is no universal recipe.

Top 10 mistakes when trying to get pregnant

Services

Virtual tour. Clinic "ARNIKA"

There are times when doctors did not reveal any abnormalities in you and your partner, but the long-awaited pregnancy still does not occur. And it already seems to you that this is not a natural phenomenon, but the real magic of luck and genetics. For some, pregnancy happens "from the first time", while others turn their lives into a real nightmare.
It's all about making similar mistakes, we tell you about the most common of them.

Mistake #1⃣: Worrying too much

Chances are you have at least one friend who, after becoming pregnant, said, “It happened exactly at the moment when I stopped thinking about it. ” It's annoying, frustrating, and nerve-wracking, especially when all you want to do is have a baby. Stress can be one of the main reasons you can't get pregnant: high levels of the stress hormone cortisol can negatively impact fertility. Relax and try to let go of the situation for a while. Stop planning your pregnancy so much and remind yourself every day that this is a miracle that actually happens very, very often.
Mistake #2⃣: Doing Too Much/Little
If you're going to do this, do it right! Many couples believe that if you "save" sperm and do not have sex for a week, then the chances of conception will increase significantly. This is not true. After about a week of abstinence, sperm motility is markedly reduced. For successful conception, doctors recommend having sex every day or every other day for a week up to and including the day of ovulation. In addition, having regular sex has been proven to help regulate your cycle: your partner's body releases hormones that affect your reproductive system, so having regular sex increases the production of estrogen.
Mistake #3⃣: Use questionable practices
It would seem that the 21st century is in the yard, but many women still continue to believe in the miraculous power of douching. Sperm in such an environment dies and cannot fertilize the egg, which is why many people use a weak solution of soda to make the environment alkaline and create favorable conditions for conception. But doctors are opposed to this method: soda kills not only harmful microorganisms, but also beneficial ones, thus violating the natural pH of the vagina.
Mistake #4⃣: Blame Yourself
Speaking of infertility, we tend to think that the problem is on the part of the woman. But in fact, the responsibility lies equally on both partners. Doctors say that in 40% of cases of infertility, the cause must be sought on the part of the man, in another 40% - on the part of the woman. The remaining 20% is compatibility, a combination of both partners. But do not panic ahead of time. Remember that it takes 6 months to a year for a healthy couple to successfully conceive.
Mistake #5⃣: Miscalculating
The most common mistake is the incorrect determination of the day of ovulation. Another common mistake is not counting the beginning of the cycle from the first day of menstruation. The first day of your period is when you bleed. Not the day before, not the day after. For successful conception, the bill goes literally to the clock, which is why it is so important to know the exact day the cycle began.
Mistake #6⃣: Living on a schedule
No matter how hard you try, pregnancy is impossible to plan. As mentioned above, it takes a healthy couple from 6 months to a year to conceive. But many women need half a year just to normalize their cycle after they stop taking contraceptives. Ovulation will not occur until the cycle becomes regular. Therefore, if after 6 months your cycle has not returned to normal or you are not sure that you are ovulating, it is worth visiting a doctor.
Mistake #7⃣: Hurry
No one knows why so many people are sarcastic about the statement that after intercourse it is advisable to lie on your back with your buttocks slightly raised for about 20 minutes. Doctors unanimously claim that this method increases the possibility of conception by as much as 80%! Therefore, if you want to dance a victory dance after a successful conception, as you think, refrain - at least for 20 minutes.
Mistake #8⃣: Ignoring your “crazy” worries
Maybe you have always had an irregular cycle and because of this you are having difficulty conceiving. Or perhaps you have diabetes and want to make sure everything is under control before you get pregnant. Consulting a specialist does not mean being paranoid! There are situations in which you should not ignore your worries: here you are thinking not only about yourself, but also about your unborn child. If you have any questions or worries, it is better to immediately find a specialist who will explain everything and tell you about the pitfalls that you may encounter specifically on your way. Thus, if you encounter difficulties in trying to get pregnant, you will already be ready for them.
Mistake #9⃣: Not giving up bad habits
A lot has already been said on this topic, but it will still not be superfluous to repeat: it is necessary to give up bad habits at least a year before trying to get pregnant.