We Know You’re Wondering: Is It Possible To Be Pregnant And Still Have A Period
Nope, experts say. Some people may experience bleeding or spotting, but those are different bleeding patterns from the cyclical menses your body experiences in absence of a pregnancy.
Dr. Michele Hakakha, an OB-GYN and author of Expecting 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Pregnancy, told Parents that people definitely can experience vaginal bleeding during pregnancy, but that “when they bleed, they are not having a ‘period.'” That’s because your body needs to reserve the uterine lining as nourishment for the growing pregnancy.
Although bleeding during pregnancy doesn’t always mean cause for concern, it can indicate something more serious like a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic.
In the earliest stage of pregnancy, however, some very light bleeding is totally normal and leads us to our first pregnancy clue: implantation bleeding.
Implantation bleeding usually doesn’t last more than a couple of days, and it’s much lighter than most people’s periods .
Can You Get Pregnant On Your Period While Using Birth Control
It’s possible to get pregnant when you’re using birth control, whether you’re on your period or not.
The likelihood that a contraceptive will fail varies depending on the method of birth control :
- Oral contraceptives : About 7 to 9 percent failure rate
- Progestin-only pill: About 7 percent failure rate
- Patch: About 7 to 9 percent failure rate
- Vaginal contraceptive ring: About 7 to 9 percent failure rate
- Male condoms: About 13 to 18 percent failure rate
- Diaphragms: About 12 to 17 percent failure rate
For what it’s worth, tracking your monthly cycle called “fertility awareness” in order to avoid pregnancy isn’t the most reliable birth control method the typical failure rate may be as high as 23 percent.
The bottom line: Although the odds are slim, you can get pregnant on your period or any other time of the month. It’s even possible to get pregnant on your period if you’re using birth control.
So unless youre trying to conceive, its always smart to be vigilant about contraception unless you like big surprises.
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
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!
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How Knowing Your Fertile Days Helps
Since you can only become pregnant after you have ovulated , the goal is to abstain from unprotected sexual intercourse during this time.
Once you know when your most fertile days are, you should not have any unprotected sex during the five days leading up to and including the day that you ovulate, and during the one day after ovulation.
Why five days + one? Sperm can live inside the female body for up to 5 days, so… let’s say “Jennifer” ovulates on Day 12. If Jennifer has sex on Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day, 10, or Day 11, there can still be sperm living inside of her. So when her egg is released on Day 12, there can be plenty of sperm waiting to fertilize it.
Same goes with Jennifer having sex on Day 13 . After she ovulates, her egg is “open for business” for about 24 hours . If Jennifer happens to ovulate in the afternoon or evening in Day 12, her egg can still be joined by a sperm during that 24 hour period.
So if she has sex the next afternoon or evening, her egg may still be still “accepting visitors.” Abstaining from unprotected sex the entire day after ovulation is also a wise idea.
Chances Of Getting Pregnant
The chances of becoming pregnant vary from person to person and from cycle to cycle.
On average, a 30-year-old persons odds of getting pregnant are about 20% per cycle, assuming they are having unprotected sex.
The odds of becoming pregnant also depend on when a person has sex relative to ovulation. An app-based study of people who were trying to get pregnant found the average chances of pregnancy were as follows:
| Timing of sex relative to ovulation | Average chance of pregnancy |
| the day after ovulation | 8% |
Therefore, people should not rely on when their period is due to decide whether to have sex.
The most crucial factor is ovulation. A period indicates the beginning of a new cycle, but it reveals little about when a person might ovulate.
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Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle
Your menstrual cycle begins on the first day of your period and continues up to the first day of your next period.
You’re most fertile at the time of ovulation , which usually occurs 12 to 14 days before your next period starts. This is the time of the month when you’re most likely to get pregnant.
It’s unlikely that you’ll get pregnant just after your period, although it can happen. It’s important to remember that sperm can sometimes survive in the body for up to 7 days after you have sex.
This means it may be possible to get pregnant soon after your period finishes if you ovulate early, especially if you have a naturally short menstrual cycle.
You should always use contraception when you have sex if you don’t want to become pregnant.
How To Prevent Pregnancy
The most effective strategy for avoiding pregnancy is to refrain from sex. Sexually active people who do not wish to become pregnant should use contraceptives such as condoms or birth control.
Using two methods can offer additional protection, for example, when a person uses both hormonal birth control and condoms.
Several fertility monitoring techniques make it easier for a person to pinpoint their fertile window and avoid sex or use contraceptives during this time.
These methods are more effective if a person has regular periods. Some fertility monitoring strategies include:
- Charting basal body temperature: A persons morning body temperature usually rises shortly after ovulation.
- Using ovulation predictors: These tests typically give a positive result a day or two before ovulation, but it is possible to get a positive without ovulation.
- Looking for fertile cervical fluid:Thick cervical fluid with a texture similar to raw egg whites indicates ovulation is approaching.
- Checking cervical position and texture: Some females find that the position and texture of their cervix changes throughout their cycle.
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How Does The Menstrual Cycle Work
- Your cycle starts on the first day of your period and continues up to the first day of your next period.
- At the same time, eggs begin to mature in the ovary.
- The lining of the womb thickens ready for fertilisation.
- During ovulation your cervical mucus becomes thinner and clearer to help the sperm reach the released egg.
- About 10 to 16 days before the start of your next period, an egg is released from one of the ovaries .
- If sperm is present at the moment of ovulation, or some time during the next 24 hours, the egg may be fertilised.
- If the egg has not been fertilised, the egg is re-absorbed by the body, the hormone levels drop, and the womb lining is shed. This is the beginning of your next period.
You Can Only Conceive On Two Days Each Cycle
This is not true. The ‘fertile window’ lasts up to 6 days. You are at your most fertile the day you ovulate and the day before. However, because sperm can survive for up to five days, having sex on the days leading up to ovulation can increase your chances of getting pregnant.
- Clearblue Ovulation Tests can help you pinpoint up to four days when you are most fertile.
- Clearblue Fertility Monitor is designed to identify all of your fertile days by detecting the two fertility hormones estrogen and luteinising hormone .
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Pregnancy Tests: Are They Accurate At 6 Dpo
Pregnancy tests work by checking for human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, in the urine. HCG is produced during the implantation process and first appears in blood around 10 days after fertilization. The increase in serum hCG levels varies from person to person but climbs quickly, doubling every 3648 hours and reaching its peak at nine to 10 weeks.
Taking a pregnancy test too soon can give an incorrect result. Urine tests can detect total hCG levels that are greater than 20 mIU/mL. Most urine tests are not sensitive enough to detect hCG until about 15 days after fertilization. By this time, hCG levels in the urine should have risen enough to give accurate test results.
This isnt to say that getting accurate test results at 6 DPO is impossible, but its unlikely. If you do decide to take a pregnancy test as early as six days past ovulation, be sure to take another one a week later to confirm the results.
Heres the bottom line: for most people, six days past ovulation is usually too soon to tell whether theyre pregnant. While some individuals experience the early signs we talked about earlier, just as many dont experience anything at this point. Of course, there are still others who just feel pregnant without any specific symptoms.
Best Time To Get Pregnant After A Period
The likelihood of becoming pregnant is highest during the two days before ovulation begins or exactly on the day of ovulation, when an egg is released from the ovary. Usually, ovulation happens about two weeks before the start of the next period. Cycles and ovulation dates vary, so you may want to try an efficient method of predicting ovulation to improve the chance of conception.
Here are four methods for predicting ovulation they can help you find the best time to get pregnant after your period:
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The Importance Of Ovulation Predictors
The whole idea of determining when your most fertile days rests on the notion that you can accurately predict your ovulation. So the very first step in understanding your fertility is knowing when you ovulate.
Becoming a good ovulation predictor means relying on your own fertility awareness and the ovulation signs your body shows you each month. Fertility iPhone apps are actually really good at helping you to chart your fertility to determine when your most fertile days may be occur.
Immediately Before Your Period
By and large, your likelihood of conceiving right before your period is low. During a typical 28- to 30-day cycle, ovulation will most likely occur between Day 11 and Day 14. When this happens, the egg will only be available for conception for 12 to 24 hours.
The days immediately before your period would be the “safest” if you want to have sex without the risk of pregnancy.
It’s important to remember, though, that this window of opportunity can vary. Longer cycles will usually have more “safe” days, while shorter cycles will have fewer. As such, you may risk pregnancy if you ovulate later in the cycle or simply miscalculate your “safe” days.
On the other hand, if you are trying to conceive, now would not be the best time to start. You can still enjoy sex but are more likely to conceive if you do so after your period.
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Understanding Your Most Fertile Days
Also known as your fertile period, there are about seven days during your menstrual cycle when it is actually possible to get pregnant. These are considered to be your most fertile days.
Technically, your fertility is highest during the five days before you ovulate, the day you ovulate , depending on the time that you ovulate.
There are six days that count as your most fertile days because sperm can live up to 5 days. Once released, your egg can only live for about 24 hours. If you have sexual intercourse during this fertile time, By learning to be your own ovulation predictor, you should be able to identify your most fertile days.
Can You Get Pregnant Right After Your Period
You are moving into your fertility window, so yes, you can get pregnant right after your period. On a typical cycle that occurs every 28 to 30 days, the fertility window is usually between Day 11 and Day 21. Remember, sperm can live up to 5 days. If your period lasts for 5 to 7 days, and you have sex right after that, you are approaching your fertility window.
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Using Ovulation Test Kits
Ovulation predictor kits are available from chemists and are fairly simple to use. They work by detecting a hormone in your urine that increases when ovulation is about to take place.
The simplest ovulation test kits check for luteinising hormone , which surges 24-36 hours before ovulation. This will help to identify the best two days for conception, although a woman can be fertile for a day or so before and after this time.
It is best to become familiar with your usual menstrual cycle to help figure out when you should start testing. If you have an irregular cycle then an ovulation predictor kit can help you identify the time of ovulation, but expect to use more of the test strips.
What About Period Sex
Weve heard period sex hailed as the ultimate time for unprotected love making. Though baby making odds are slim, its not 100 percent risk-free.
During the 4 to 8 days of bleeding, youre shedding the unfertilized egg from your previous cycle. This means there isnt a new egg ready for baby making, but it doesnt mean your partners sperm wont hang out until the new egg makes its debut.
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How Can You Get Pregnant On Your Period
The chances of getting pregnant when you’re on your period are low, but they’re not zero. So how could a pregnancy happen at the same time your body is deciding its not pregnant?
Lets break it down: At ovulation, your ovary releases an egg into your fallopian tube, where it can live for 24 hours awaiting fertilization before it travels to the uterus. Meanwhile, the uterus is building up a lining just in case it needs to host a growing embryo.
If egg meets sperm during ovulation and implants in that lining, bingo baby on board. If not, your body sheds both lining and egg .
Most womens menstrual cycles last about 24 to 28 days, from the first day of their period to the first day of the next period. Because the egg can survive for 24 hours after ovulation and sperm can live inside a woman for up to five days, a woman can get pregnant starting five days before ovulation and ending a day after.
Ovulation usually occurs 14 days before the first day of your next cycle which, if you have a 28-day cycle and a week-long period, leaves you a week between the last day of your period and the first day you ovulate.
But what if you have sex on the last day of your period and you ovulate a few days early? There could still be viable sperm inside you, and you could get pregnant.
Can You Get Pregnant On The Last Day Of Your Period
If you stop bleeding on Day 6, have sex on Day 7 and ovulate on Day 11, its possible the sperm from Day 6 will be waiting in your fallopian tubes for conception. Your chances of conceiving right after your period increase each day after your bleeding has stopped. If you are trying to conceive this is a good time to have sex. Increase your chances of conception by having sex every other day for the next 14 days.
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