How soon can you get pregnant before your period

How to Chart Your Cycle to Know When You Can Get Pregnant

Written by Jennifer Rainey Marquez

The first step is to learn the days when you're most fertile. Most women have a 28-day menstrual cycle. That means you have about 6 days each month when you can get pregnant. That includes the day that one of your ovaries releases an egg, called ovulation, and the 5 days before. Having sex within that window is key. You can’t get pregnant without ovulation, and tracking your monthly periods is one way to get familiar with your body’s fertility.

To figure it out, you'll need to chart your menstrual cycle and record how long it lasts. Day 1 is the first day of your period. Since the length of your cycle can vary slightly from month to month, it's best to keep track for a few months.

Once you have an average, subtract 18 days from the length of your shortest cycle. This is the first day you're likely to be fertile. Next, subtract 11 days from the length of your longest cycle. This is the last day you're likely to be fertile. Having sex between those two dates will give you the best shot at getting pregnant.

Check Your Basal Body Temperature (BBT)

It's also a good idea to pay attention to the signs that your body is ready to ovulate. Checking your basal body temperature (BBT) is one way to do this.

The BBT is your temperature first thing in the morning. Just after you ovulate, it rises slightly -- sometimes by less than a degree -- and stays higher until your period starts. If you record your temperature every day, you can spot the subtle changes that mean one of your ovaries has released an egg.

To take your BBT, you need to:

Use a basal body thermometer. It's more sensitive than a standard one and will show temperature changes down to a fraction of a degree. You can get them at many pharmacies for less than $20.

Take your temperature at the same time each morning. Always do it before you get out of bed. (To make it easier, keep the thermometer on your nightstand.) Even getting up to go to the bathroom can affect your body temperature. So can smoking, drinking, or getting a bad night's sleep.

Remember, your BBT won't tell you exactly when you've ovulated, and it may take a couple of months before you start to see a pattern. You're most likely to get pregnant 2 or 3 days before your ovary releases an egg, and then another 12 to 24 hours after that. When your temperature has spiked for 3 days, your chances of conceiving drop.

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.

Can You Get Pregnant Right Before Your Period? Chart, Test, More

Although it is possible to get pregnant in the days leading up to your period, it isn’t likely.

You can only get pregnant during a narrow window of five to six days a month.

When these fertile days actually occur depends on when you ovulate, or release an egg from your ovary.

Ovulation usually occurs in the middle of your menstrual cycle — about two weeks before your period — but not everyone’s cycle is regular.

Even for those with a regular cycle, it’s possible to ovulate earlier or later. This can shift the fertile window by a few days in a given month.

In other words, it’s difficult to pinpoint a time in your cycle where you can 100 percent guarantee that you will or won’t get pregnant.

Chance of becoming pregnant	It’s unlikely	It’s possible	It’s likely
14 days before			X
10 days before			X
5–7 days before		X
2 days before	X
1 day before	X
During menstruation	X
1 day after	X
2 days after	X
5–7 days after		X
10 days after			X
14 days after			X

The average menstrual cycle is 28 days, with the first day of menstruation as cycle day 1.

Most periods last two to seven days. Pregnancy is uncommon during this time, because your peak fertility window is still about a week or so away.

Around days 6 to 14 of your cycle, your body will start releasing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

This helps develop an egg inside your ovary. Your body will also begin rebuilding the endometrial lining in your uterus.

Pregnancy is slightly more likely during this time. Sperm can live up to five days inside the body, so it could still be present when the egg matures.

Once the egg is mature, your body will release lutenizing hormone (LH), triggering the egg’s release from your ovary (ovulation).

Ovulation usually occurs around cycle day 14. Pregnancy is likely on ovulation day.

That said, ovulation doesn’t always happen like clockwork. It can occur anywhere from four days before to four days after the midpoint of your menstrual cycle.

The bottom Line
If you ovulate later in your cycle or start your period sooner than usual, you could become pregnant if you have sex in the days leading up to your period.

Lots of people don’t have 28-day cycles. Some have cycles as short as 21 days and others as long as 35 days.

In fact, in one study, only about 30 percent of participants had their fertile window fall within days 10 to 17 of their cycle. Only 10 percent had ovulation fall exactly 14 days before their next period.

Stress and diet can also impact when ovulation occurs, as well as medical conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and amenorrhea.

Menstrual cycles can also be more irregular during adolescence or perimenopause.

In many cases, ovulation still happens around the middle of your cycle.

Try this
If you’re trying to figure out when you might be ovulating, a good place to start is by determining the midpoint of your individual cycle.

But if your cycle length varies from month to month, it may be helpful to use a backup birth control method.

If you’re trying to get pregnant, you might consider formally tracking your ovulation. This can provide a more reliable view of your fertile window.

You can do this a number of ways, including:

tracking your basal body temperature
using an over-the-counter ovulation predictor kit
wearing a fertility monitor

The only time you can get pregnant is during your fertile window.

An egg only lives for about 24 hours after being released from your ovary, and sperm can only live for up to five days inside the body.

That means you can only get pregnant if you have sex:
in the four to five days leading up to ovulation
on the day of ovulation
on the day after ovulation

If you’re looking to conceive, the best time to have sex is right before ovulation. This will give sperm time to reach the fallopian tube and meet the egg there.

After that, if no sperm has fertilized the egg, it will dissolve. You won’t be able to get pregnant until your cycle restarts.

It isn’t impossible, but it’s unlikely. The timing would have to be perfect for the egg and sperm to reach each other in time.

If you have sex toward the end of your period and you ovulate early, it’s possible for the egg and sperm to both be alive at the same time and for fertilization to occur.

It’s unlikely — though slightly more likely than if you have sex during your period.

If you have sex right after your period and you ovulate early that month, it’s possible to get pregnant.

This is more likely with people who have a shorter-than-average cycle, because ovulation occurs more frequently.

Your period will only start if the egg isn’t fertilized and the cells are reabsorbed.

This causes estrogen and progesterone levels to fall and menstruation to begin.

However, you may experience some spotting during early pregnancy.

One study found that 14 out of 151 participants experienced one day of vaginal bleeding in the first eight weeks of pregnancy.

Furthermore, 15 percent to 25 percent of people may experience spotting during the first three months of pregnancy.

Taking note of the timing and any other symptoms present can help you differentiate between typical menstruation and pregnancy-related spotting.

Implantation bleeding usually occurs 6 to 12 days after conception. It’s caused by the fertilized egg attaching to your uterus lining.

This light spotting usually only lasts 24 to 48 hours and is generally much lighter than the average period.

You may also experience spotting as a result of increased blood flow in the cervix. This type of spotting is most common after sex, a Pap test, or a pelvic exam.

If you’re experiencing unexpected bleeding, see a doctor or other healthcare provider.

If you had unprotected sex and want to avoid pregnancy, take emergency contraception (EC) as soon as possible.

There are two main types — the copper IUD and the hormonal EC pill — and they can both work up to five days after unprotected sex.

The IUD prevents pregnancy by producing an inflammatory reaction that’s toxic to sperm and eggs.

It’s more effective than the morning-after pill, but it’s only available by prescription and has to be inserted by a doctor within five days of unprotected sex.

The pill delivers a high dose of hormones to delay ovulation or prevent a fertilized egg from implanting to the uterus.

Plan B One-Step, Next Choice, and MyWay are all available over the counter.

Which should you use?
As a general rule of thumb, EC pills may be less effective for people who have a higher body mass index (BMI).
There isn’t any research to suggest that the copper IUD is similarly affected by BMI, so this option may be more effective.
Talk to your local pharmacist or other healthcare provider about which EC option is right for you.

Wait until the first day of your missed period to take a home pregnancy test.

But if you can wait a little longer, taking the test one week after the date of your missed period may produce the most accurate result.

If you have an irregular cycle, wait one to two weeks after you had sex to take the test.

This will allow your body to develop high enough human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels to be detected by the test.

If you get a positive result, you might want to check again in a day or two since it’s possible to get a false positive. Then reach out to a medical provider to confirm the results.

Whether you’re trying to prevent pregnancy or trying to conceive, it’s always a good idea to talk about it with a doctor or other healthcare provider.

They can help you learn more about your cycle and discuss your options moving forward. This could include birth control, fertility awareness, or family planning.

Simone M. Scully is a writer who loves writing about all things health and science. Find Simone on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Is it possible to get pregnant after and during menstruation

Juliana

Anapa

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Juliana

Anapa

Is it possible to get pregnant during menstruation? It would seem that the answer to this question implies an unequivocal answer "no". After all, the egg is not yet mature, and all the sperm is removed from the woman's genital tract along with menstrual blood. However, there are still small chances of developing pregnancy after sex during menstruation.

Why can I get pregnant during my period?

The main condition for conception is the fusion of the egg and sperm. If we assume that the couple had sex in the first days of menstruation, when the bleeding is heavy enough, the possible risks are reduced to zero. However, if unprotected intercourse occurred on the last days of menstruation, when the discharge is scarce, a slightly different situation arises. Spermatozoa can reach the fallopian tubes and wait there for the release of a mature egg. The likelihood of fertilization will depend on two important factors.

Sperm viability. In the genital tract of a woman, spermatozoa live on average 2-3 days. But some "long-livers" can last even longer - up to 8 days.
Time of ovulation (release of the egg from the ovary). You can get pregnant only at this moment (it lasts about a day). The egg matures, ruptures the follicle in which it is located, and from the ovary goes to the fallopian tube, where it can meet with the sperm and be fertilized. In women with a 21-day menstrual cycle, ovulation usually occurs on the 7-8th day. In women with a 28-day cycle, as a rule, for 14 days. However, these are approximate figures. Ovulation may occur earlier or, conversely, later. Many factors can affect the time of egg maturation:

stresses . They can mean: a divorce, the delivery of an important project, repairs, moving, and even a long-awaited trip to the south. Flight, climate change and time zones, temperature changes, humidity levels, atmospheric pressure and many other parameters affect the hormonal background of a woman. The egg may mature earlier or later than usual.
effects of prostaglandins . These biologically active substances are found in the sperm of a man and play a role in the rupture of the follicle. Under their influence, the release of the egg may occur earlier, which means that pregnancy is possible after sex during menstruation.
the effect of oxytocin . This hormone is released into the blood in large quantities during sexual arousal and orgasm. High concentrations of oxytocin can also accelerate follicle rupture and ovulation.

Now for some simple arithmetic:

The risk of pregnancy after sex during menstruation is higher with a short menstrual cycle (21-26 days). If unprotected intercourse occurred on the 3rd or 5th day of menstruation, spermatozoa can wait for the release of the egg and successfully attack it.
However, women with a longer cycle are not immune from pregnancy that occurred after intimacy during critical days. This is possible in several cases:

ovulation occurred earlier;
spermatozoa turned out to be very "tenacious". If sexual intercourse occurred on the 7th day of the cycle, and the spermatozoon managed to live for a week and retain the ability to fertilize, there is a chance, as people call it, to "get pregnant during menstruation"

Is it possible to get pregnant after menstruation?

If it is possible to get pregnant on critical days, then after their completion, even more so. After all, the closer ovulation is, the more likely it is that the egg meets the spermatozoa. Both early ovulation and high viability of male germ cells can play a role in the onset of an unplanned pregnancy.

The conclusion suggests itself: the assertion that it is impossible to get pregnant during menstruation or immediately after them is nothing more than a myth.

Couples who have sex on "safe" days need to be aware that there is a risk of conception, so it is advisable to use condoms. They will minimize the risk of pregnancy after sexual intercourse during menstruation, and will also protect a woman from diseases of the reproductive system (inflammation, endometrial growth).
If you had unprotected sex during or immediately after your period, you can use emergency contraception. Within 72 hours, you must take Levonorgestrel at a dosage of 1.5 mg. It is a synthetic analogue of the female hormone progesterone. On the first day of taking after intercourse, the effectiveness of this contraceptive reaches 95%, in the period from 24 to 48 hours - 85%, in the interval between 48 and 72 hours - 58%.
Remember that the best way to avoid unwanted pregnancy is the use of modern and reliable means of planned contraception, which, for example, include combined hormonal contraceptives.

Topics:

health pregnancy period sperm egg follicle the fallopian tubes ovulation conception fertilization levonorgestrel emergency contraception

Pregnancy during menstruation

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Pregnancy during menstruation

Pregnancy is a great happiness for any woman who dreams of becoming a mother. True, now this statement is often heard with a caveat - if the pregnancy is not unexpected. Most women use modern contraception to avoid unplanned pregnancy. However, many of the fair sex allow themselves unprotected sex during menstruation, naively believing that pregnancy at this time is impossible. Let's hasten to disappoint them: pregnancy during menstruation is very real, and even if the probability of this is negligible, it still exists.

Especially careful should be those women who have a short menstrual cycle (21-23 days). In this case, ovulation can occur on the 6-8th day from the beginning of the cycle, just at the time of menstruation. Even if ovulation occurs after the end of menstrual bleeding, the risk still remains. According to numerous studies, spermatozoa that have entered the genital tract of women retain the ability to fertilize for 5-7 days. So they may well “wait” for ovulation and fertilize a mature egg that comes out of the ovary.

Pregnancy during menstruation often occurs with an irregular menstrual cycle - ovulation occurs on different days, and on “critical” days too. Note that the irregularity of the menstrual cycle is not the norm and requires medical correction.

If your menstrual cycle does not differ from the average (28-30 days) and you do not fall into any "risk group", still do not rush to rejoice. Any woman occasionally experiences a shortening of the cycle, and you can only find out about this when the next menstruation comes earlier than usual. In addition, there are two ovulations in one cycle, one of which can occur during menstruation. All this suggests that pregnancy with unprotected intercourse is possible on any day of the menstrual cycle, and menstruation is no exception.