What Can You Get Free From Insurance When Pregnant
There are a variety of things you can get for free during your pregnancy.
All basic prenatal care is free to expecting mothers with an ACA health insurance plan. Most doctors visits and tests have no cost sharing, so you pay nothing out-of-pocket, even if you havent reached your deductible. Many prenatal vitamins, like folic acid supplements, are also free.
If youre planning to breastfeed your newborn, Affordable Care Act health insurance plans are also required to provide free breastfeeding equipment, such as a breast pump. You also get free breastfeeding support and lactation counseling when youre postpartum.
Read Also: Will I Get My Period On Lo Loestrin Fe
How Does Getting Pregnant On Your Period Occur
In order for pregnancy to occur, sperm has to fertilize a mature egg. If you only had sex on your period and still got pregnant, this may point to a few things:
- That blood wasnt from your period: If you experienced some bleeding that you assumed was your period, its possible it couldve been implantation bleeding. Its normal to have a little bit of spotting after a fertilized egg burrows into the uterine lining. Taking a pregnancy test too soon after implantation or before implantation has actually occurred can result in a false-negative result. However, waiting seven days after implantation is likely to yield an accurate result.
So while the chances of getting pregnant from period sex are low, there are still some factors that can increase the chances. A shorter cycle, irregular menstruation, and spotting are just a few factors that can play a role.
Donât Miss: How To Talk To Your Daughter About Her Period
Can You Get Pregnant Having Sex On Your Period
There are many misunderstandings about when you can and cant get pregnant. Many people think you cant get pregnant if you have sex while youre on your period but this isnt true. Its unlikely that youll get pregnant this way, but its not impossible.
Read on to learn why this is, and what you can do if you dont or do want to get pregnant.
Don’t Miss: Is Sex Good For Pregnancy
Truth: Ovulation Can Happen From Either Ovary
Your body doesnt systematically schedule ovulation to alternate ovaries from month to month. Ovulation can switch from side to side, but it doesnt have to.
Its also common for women to ovulate more often on one side than the other, actually. That could be your left ovary or your right ovary it depends on a number of factors. This is also why you may notice you get ovulation pain on one side more frequently than the other.
Which ovary releases the egg has more to do with which ovary has a follicle that reaches the final stage of maturity. At the start of your cycle, several follicles in each ovary begin to develop. Only one will make it all the way through the stages of development to ovulation. When more than one follicle releases an egg, thats how you may conceive non-identical twins.
How Rare Is It To Be Pregnant And Have Your Period
Despite numerous claims, it isnt possible to get your period while pregnant. Once the body starts the production of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin , your periods stop.
I have never felt the need to write a review for any app, but this one deserves recognition. I never used to track my period and I ended up needing to have a blood transfusion because I was bleeding so much for so long. But when I downloaded Flo, It has helped me in so many ways. It has always been accurate, and gives me insight on the symptoms Ive been having on my period, and I can keep my symptoms logged so that I can show my doctor what was going on during my last period. Its a really useful and helpful app.
Recommended Reading: What Causes Periods To Be Irregular
Don’t Miss: What Other Ways Can You Get Pregnant
Implantation Bleeding Could Be Mistaken For A Light Period
Many women also mistake implantation bleeding for a period while pregnant. Following the same example above, if you often have a light period, and had spotting on day 23, you might mistake that spotting as your period a day or two early.
Bleeding varies from woman to woman, but a heavy flow is almost never implantation bleeding. You can read a full article or try our quiz on telling the difference between implantation and your period here.
When Should I Be Concerned About Ovulation And My Period
If you track your period or ovulation and notice an irregular menstrual cycle, be sure to reach out to your doctor to determine the reason why.
Without a normal menstrual cycle, you may have lower fertility. And, it could also indicate a lack of ovulation even if you experience a menstrual period.
Many different factors can cause irregular cycles and irregular periods. Some are more easily corrected, while others may require medical attention.
Some causes are:
- Hormonal changes due to an estrogen and progesterone imbalance or medications
- Medical conditions like thyroid disorders
Your doctor may prescribe medications, supplements, or lifestyle changes to help get things in working order. In some cases, you may need extra help from a fertility specialist.
Don’t Miss: How Hard Is It To Get Pregnant At 35
When You Can Get Pregnant On Your Period
You can get pregnant while on your period if you happen to ovulate early during a short cycle. For example, someone with a cycle of 24 days might ovulate as early as day seven. So, if your period lasts the full week ending on day seven and you have sex during that time, you could get pregnant.
The likelihood of ovulating close to your period is low, but not impossible. A 2013 study in Human Reproduction estimated the date of conception for 5,830 pregnancies. More than half, about 58%, of people conceived around day 12 or 13 of their cycle. However, 2% of participants were within their fertility window on day four, which would almost certainly overlap with their period.
Moreover, the length of a cycle is extremely broad. For example, a review, published in 2019 in Digital Medicine, analyzed more than 81,600 cycles and found that only 13% were 28 days long. Some were as short as 15 days, and others as long as 50.
What Are The Chances Of Conception
If you are trying to conceive, it is best to speak with a gynecologist first. Can you get pregnant on your period? Yes, though the chances are the lowest during this phase in the cycle. An egg typically survives between 12 and 24 hours following ovulation.Some women may find it helpful to use a period tracker app to determine when they are most fertile and least likely to conceive . Keep in mind that every womans cycle is different, meaning that lifestyle habits and biological factors affect the length of ovulation.
Don’t Miss: How Soon Can You Dna Test During Pregnancy
What Are The Odds Of Getting Pregnant On Your Period
Is it possible to conceive while menstruating? Can sperm survive in blood? Fertility expert and OBGYN Dr. Gleaton gives us the 4-1-1.
By OBGYN and fertility expert Dr. Kenosha Gleaton
Whether youre trying to conceive or not, its helpful to know how to plan around your fertile and not-so-fertile windows. Lets talk about how menstruating can impact your chances of conceiving.
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:
You May Like: Do You Have To Spot When Pregnant
Do Transgender Guys Get A Period
Not everybody who gets a period identifies as a girl or woman. Transgender men and genderqueer people who have uteruses, vaginas, fallopian tubes, and ovaries also get their periods.
Having a period can be a stressful experience for some trans folks because its a reminder that their bodies dont match their true gender identity this discomfort and anxiety is sometimes called gender dysphoria. Other trans people might not be too bothered by their periods. Either reaction is normal and okay.
Sometimes trans people who havent reached puberty yet take hormones to prevent all of the gendered body changes that happen during puberty, including periods. And people who already get periods can use certain types of birth control that help lighten or stop their periods. Hormone replacement therapy, like taking testosterone, may also stop your period.
If you start taking testosterone, your period will go away. But this is reversible if you stop taking testosterone, your period will come back. There can be some changes in your menstrual cycle before it stops for good. Periods get lighter and shorter over time, or come when you dont expect it. You may have spotting or cramping every once in a while until you stop getting your period, and sometimes even after it seems to have stopped this is normal. Testosterone injections make your periods go away faster than testosterone cream.
Can You Get Pregnant With An Irregular Period
Yes, women can get pregnant with an irregular period. However, the ability to get pregnant decreases significantly. The disadvantage is ovulation becomes difficult to determine. The pregnancy success rate of a healthy woman with a regular cycle is 30%. Studies show this decreases exponentially if periods are off by ten days or more.
Don’t Miss: What To Do If You Have An Unplanned Pregnancy
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.
Ovulation Cycle: When Does Ovulation Occur
Outlined above is a fairly basic understanding of how ovulation works. In reality, ovulation and a womans monthly cycle are actually quite complex. While a monthly cycle is usually considered to be about 28 days, most women will find their cycles vary in length.
Some women even experience very irregular cycles. Conditions like PCOS might cause spotting or even bleeding more days than not. That means that, while the average or ideal cycle is the one most often described, any specific woman may find her schedule is somewhat different.
Ovulation occurs about halfway through a cycle, between days 10 and 22 of your cycle . The levels of estrogen and other hormones rise until the release of an egg is triggered. The egg moves from the ovary to travel down the fallopian tube.
After the egg is released, a womans body begins the luteal phase of their cycle. The egg moves into the fallopian tube and may be fertilized or may end up being expelled with the uterine lining.
Some forms of non-hormonal birth control, like the fertility awareness method, depend on tracking the progress of your cycle. The fact that cycles arent reliably regular means that they are less effective. A more reliable method may be to look for physical signs of ovulation.
Also Check: What’s The Best Health Insurance For Pregnancy
When Is Your Fertile Window
what days can you get pregnant?
The truth is, your fertile window each month is actually pretty smallabout five to seven days total. To conceive, a mans sperm must fertilise a womans egg within 48 hours of ovulation .
The cycle can be broken into two primary phases: the follicular phase and the luteal phase.
Is It Possible To Become Pregnant While On Your Period If You Have An Irregular Cycle
Yes. If you have an irregular menstruation, it might be more difficult to estimate when you will be ovulating and this can make it more difficult to avoid having intercourse near to the time of ovulation. This can result in you becoming pregnant by accident.
Here are a few examples of irregular menstrual periods, as well as information on how to become pregnant despite them:
Youre on a brief cycle right now. It is possible for some women to have cycles that are as short 21 days and still ovulate, which implies they have less time between the end of their menstrual cycle and the time they ovulate the next time. Furthermore, because sperm can survive in your reproductive canal for a few days, if you chance to have sex during your period and then ovulated the egg for the following cycle two to three days later, that egg may come into contact with viable sperm. And youre well aware of what that means.
Your menstrual cycles are extremely long. In the meantime, your body is gradually losing its uterine lining, and the clock is ticking on ovulation and your next egg appears while you are still bleeding from the previous months egg. As a result, youre already fertile again, which means you have a chance of becoming pregnant during your period.
Occasionally, though, an irregular menstruation can be an indication that you are not ovulating at all, which is a contributing factor to pelvic inflammatory disease
Also Check: How Far Am In Pregnancy
Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle
For starters, it helps understand your menstrual cycle. “A period is defined as the blood loss that happens at the end of an ovulatory cycle, as the result of an egg not being fertilized by a sperm,” explains Michele Hakakha, M.D., a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist based in Los Angeles and co-author of Expecting 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Pregnancy.
“Every month, a woman releases an egg on approximately day 14 of her cycle,” says Dr. Hakakhathough ovulation date varies for everyone, and it’s also possible to have irregular cycles. “Prior to the release of the egg, the hormones in a woman’s body increase to prepare the lining of the uterus in case the egg is fertilized and a pregnancy occurs. If there is no fertilization, the lining of the uterus is sloughed off about 14 days later. This is called your period.” Most people have periods that last from two days to eight days and take place every 26 to 34 days.
Ovulation typically occurs midway through the cycle, and it’s the most fertile time in your menstrual cyclemeaning when you’re most likely to conceive. Because sperm can survive for several days in the reproductive tract, a woman can get pregnant by having sex during ovulation or the days leading up to it.
Can You Have Sex On Your Period
First things first, yes, you can absolutely have sex on your period. Theres no harm in it for either party, provided you dont have an STI that could infect your partner.
Of course, its normal to be a bit squeamish around blood, but period sex doesnt always have to be messy, especially if you use condoms. If youre feeling nervous, try having sex on a day when your period is lighter.
Period sex can actually be really fun and pleasurable, as many women find that their libido goes up around their period. As an added bonus, orgasms can help with menstrual cramps. Find out more here: Can you have sex on your period?
Also Check: How Get Pregnant Fast With Irregular Periods
You Have Spotting & Cramps
If your period is not due yet, but youre spotting, it could be an indication of pregnancy. You will experience menstrual cramps, light spotting or bleeding before a week or two of your missed period,Dr. Jacqueline Walters of Bravoâs tells Bustle. This is called implantation bleeding, according to the Mayo Clinic, and generally occurs 10 to 14 days after conception. If you have reason to believe this may be because youre pregnant, making an appointment with your doctor can help confirm it.
Recommended Reading: New Hire 90 Day-probationary Period Template
When To Contact Your Doctor
Once again, many women who experience some bleeding during pregnancy go on to have uneventful births and normal babies. However, bleeding during pregnancy should be treated as a pressing concern.
You must immediately contact your OB-GYN as soon as you notice any bleeding during pregnancy. Furthermore, you must tell your physician whether bleeding during pregnancy is accompanied by any other worrisome symptoms, such as cramping, fever, contractions, or chills.
Please remember that your physician is there to help you in a compassionate and comprehensive manner and must know about all the issues that you’re experiencing. Sometimes bleeding during pregnancy can be life-threatening for the mother and the baby.
Don’t Miss: Is It Bad To Eat Spicy Food While Pregnant
