Can You Get Pregnant At Any Time Of The Month
First published on Monday 29 March 2021Last modified on Thursday 29 April 2021
Polly Logan-Banks
Whether you’re trying for a baby or wondering if you might be pregnant, you may be asking yourself if you can get pregnant at any time of the month. Find out when in your menstrual cycle you’re most likely to conceive, plus the chances of conceiving at other times of the month.
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You may already have heard that you’re most likely to conceive a baby around the time of ovulation. But how can you tell when you’re ovulating? And does that mean you don’t need to use contraception for the rest of the month? We dug into the research to bring you the answers.
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Is Day 14 Your Most Fertile Day
You may have heard that day 14 of your cycle is when you ovulate. As a result, many women have sex on day 11, 12, and 13, thinking this will give them the best chance at conception. But many women don’t ovulate on day 14. Normal ovulation can occur as early as day 10 and as late as day 20. If you have irregular cycles, ovulation can occur even later.
Can You Get Pregnant In Premenopause
Premenopause describes the stage of a womans life when she is approaching menopause. Although eggs are less plentiful and less healthy than in earlier life, you can still become pregnant during this phase.
And thats that! Youve walked through the whole process of conception and pregnancy with Flo and along the way picked up all kinds of useful information about the most common misconceptions. Just dont be surprised now if you become a go-to source of knowledge for your friends and family on all things baby-related!
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What Should You Do If You Think You Might Be Pregnant
If your period is late or youre having other early pregnancy symptoms, its a good idea to take a home pregnancy test.
Signs of pregnancy include things like swollen or sore breasts, frequent urination, nausea with or without vomiting, and tiredness. You may also experience less common or even strange symptoms, such as constipation, a metallic taste in your mouth, or dizziness.
There are several different types of pregnancy tests, including home kits that test urine for the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin . You can pick one up at most pharmacies or grocery stores or even online.
Home tests range in sensitivity, so a negative result doesnt always mean you arent pregnant. If you get a negative result and still suspect you might be pregnant, consider taking another home test in a few days.
As a general rule of thumb, you may want to wait until after your missed period to test. By that time, theres usually enough hCG in your system to be detected by most tests. However, some tests may give you a positive result as early as 4 or 5 days before your expected period.
Still not sure? Try making an appointment with your primary care provider. They can test your urine in the office setting for hCG. Beyond that, your doctor may also give you a blood test that can tell you the exact level of hCG circulating in your body .
- of women will get pregnant each year.
How Do I Get Pregnant
Heres a brief overview of what happens for a couple to conceive naturally:
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Dealing With Low Sperm Counts
If sperm counts are borderline normal or on the lower side, the general recommendation is to have sex every other day during the fertile window.
For example, if on Monday you get your first positive ovulation predictor test result, or you see fertile cervical mucus, you should have sex on Monday, skip Tuesday, and then again on Wednesday, skip Thursday, and once more on Friday. The day in between will help replenish the sperm supply, possibly increasing your chances of pregnancy.
You Need To Wait Several Days After You’ve Missed A Period Before You Can Do A Clearblue Pregnancy Test
Not true. All are over 99% accurate from the day you expect your period. In fact, you can use can tell you 6 days sooner than your missed period . If you test early and get a you can trust it. However, if you test early and you get a , we recommend you test again when your period is expected. You should always read the in-pack leaflet before carrying out a pregnancy test.
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Basal Body Temperature And Ovulation: How To Track Your Bbt
Here’s how to measure your basal body temperature and why you should be tracking changes if you’re trying to get pregnant.
Your body gives you several signs that you could be ovulating. One is a change in your basal body temperature. Here are some frequently asked questions about basal body temperature and its relationship to ovulation.
RELATED: Finding Your Most Fertile Days: A 3-Step Guide
Myth: A Woman Can Get Pregnant Any Time Of The Month
FACT: A woman can only get pregnant for a few days during her menstrual cycle.
Getting pregnant is all about timing. Though until you’re actually trying to get pregnant, most of us don’t know the details. Why would we? Sex-ed class was all about catching sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy. Horrific STD pictures imprinted on your mind forever. You didn’t leave knowing everything about your body, and the full process of having a baby. In fact some were taught that anytime you have sex you’d get pregnant, an over exaggeration to say the least in a hope to reduce teen pregnancy.
However, knowing our bodies is one of the most important things we can do for our health and understanding how it all works is why you’re here. If you’re also struggling with ovulation and regular periods you’ll find information about that in this blog as well. So let’s dive in.
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Chances Of Getting Pregnant Right After Your Period
“I recommend having sex frequentlytwo to three times a week, but every other day if you canshortly after you stop menstruating to cover your window of pre-ovulation,” says Kelly Pagidas, M.D., a fertility specialist with Women & Infants Center for Reproduction and Infertility in Providence.
Here’s why: Around day seven of your cycle, you’ll notice a vaginal discharge that seems a little springy to the touch. Within a few days, it will turn white and creamy, a cue that your fertility is returning once again. It doesn’t mean the egg has been released yet, but it indicates that ovulation is on the way and that your cervical mucus is a friendly environment for sperm.
Remember, you can get pregnant right after your period, even if you’re not yet ovulating. That’s because sperm can live up to five days if it’s trapped in fertile cervical mucusso it behooves you to get a few of his swimmers in place. “One study showed that people who had sex only one time during this phase, even four to five days before ovulation, still got pregnant,” says Steven R. Bayer, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at Boston IVF fertility clinic in Boston.
Your chances of conceiving: Good. An egg isn’t technically released during this phase, but you’ll want to step up your sexual routine in the event that you ovulate earlier than planned.
Do You Know What Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant Really Are
It is possible to get pregnant on every day of a womans cycle.
Myth. Womens menstrual cycles have a fertile window of about 6 days, ending in the day of ovulation. However, the fertile window may occur on different days within the cycle.
A woman is likely to get pregnant on the days right after her period.
Myth. In most menstrual cycles, there are some days between the end of the period and the beginning of the fertile window however, in some unusual cycles, the fertile window starts before her period ends. This is more common in women who are nearing menopause.
A woman is likely to get pregnant on the days right before her period.
Myth. In most menstrual cycles, there are at least 10 days after ovulation and before the next period. Intercourse during these days will not result in pregnancy. However, in some unusual cycles, ovulation and the fertile window may be delayed, so you cannot rely on counting days to know for sure when ovulation happens.
A woman is likely to get pregnant around the middle of her cycle.
Myth and fact. For many women, ovulation happens around the middle of the cycle. However, in women with regular cycles, ovulation may occur as early as day 9 or as late as day 21. With an irregular cycle, ovulation may occur even earlier than day 9 or much later than day 21.
A woman is less likely to get pregnant on days when vaginal secretions are present.
It is impossible for women to identify the fertile window of the menstrual cycle.
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What Is Your Basal Body Temperature
Basal body temperature is your body temperature when you’re completely at rest, according to Planned Parenthood. Most women experience a slight rise in basal body temperature measuring only fractions of a degree when they ovulate. If you take your basal body temperature properly and chart it each day, it’s possible to determine if ovulation has occurred.
But how can you measure such a small change in temperature? You need a basal body thermometer, a special, large-scale, easy-to-read thermometer that registers only from 96 to 100 degrees. Most women register 96 to 98 degrees before ovulation and 97 to 99 degrees after ovulation.
RELATED: Your Chances of Getting Pregnant Every Day of the Month
Can A Woman Get Pregnant At Any Time Of The Month
Yes, it is possible to get pregnant if you have sex at any time of the month, including on your period. However, you’re much more likely to get pregnant if you have sex at one particular time of month: around the time of ovulation.
To understand this, it helps to know a bit about how your menstrual cycle works.
FREE NEWBORN NAPPIES
All girls are born with all the eggs they’ll ever have already sitting in their ovaries. About once a month, one egg matures within the ovary, and is then released. The egg travels down the fallopian tube to the womb.
If the egg meets sperm as it travels to the womb, the sperm may fertilise the egg, which can then implant into the womb lining and grow into a baby. If not, the egg will leave the body during the next menstrual period.
Sperm can live inside a woman’s body for up to seven days. And an egg can survive for about a day after being released. So you’re most likely to get pregnant during the five days leading up to ovulation, plus the day of ovulation itself.
However, the human body is never 100% predictable! Lots of different factors can affect when you ovulate, so it could happen at any time of the month.
If you think you might be pregnant, it’s usually worth taking a pregnancy test, no matter when in the month you had sex. Read up on when to take a pregnancy test, plus the early signs of pregnancy to look out for.
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Reasons You’re Not Getting Pregnant
Even if your doctor has reassured you that it may take six months to a year to conceive, you might be wondering why it’s not happening quickly for you. Here are some possibilities.
- Luck. So much must happen for ovulation, fertilization, and implantation to occur, and for the embryo to be healthy and genetically stable. Up to 70% of early miscarriages are due to genetic defects in the embryo.
- Frequency and timing of sexual intercourse. You don’t need to drive yourself crazy trying to aim for your most fertile days . That said, if you’re consistently not having sex just before ovulation, or you’re having sex infrequently, this may mean you’ll need more time to conceive.
- Age. The older a woman get, the longer it may take for them to conceive. This doesn’t necessarily mean they will be infertilethough those odds also go up with time. But age can make it less likely you’ll conceive month by month. This is partially due to lower quality egg and sperm, with increased DNA mistakes.
- Weight. If you or your partner are obese or severely underweight, this can increase the time it will take you to get pregnant.
- Fertility problems. You may not be getting pregnant because there are female or male fertility issues. Sometimes, you have symptoms or risk factors, and you already know the odds of conceiving quickly might be lower for you. In other cases, the only sign that something is wrong is that you’re not pregnant after six months to a year of trying.
Truth: Trying Too Hard Doesn’t Cause Infertility
“Youre trying too hard to get pregnant,” someone may say, “If you stop trying so hard, youll get pregnant.” Thats not true.
Theres no evidence to say that “trying too hard” will make it take longer to get pregnant. In fact, someone who is trying to get pregnant is likely using fertility awareness methods to track ovulation and is more likely to have sex when they are most fertile. If anything, they may be more likely to get pregnant.
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How Long Does It Take To Get Pregnant At 40
At peak fertility , the chance of a fertile couple conceiving in any one month is about 20-25%. After a year of unprotected intercourse, approximately 85-90% of those couples will conceive. This is why OB/GYNs generally recommend fertility testing for couples under 35 who have not become pregnant in one year of trying. By age 35, the chance of a successful natural pregnancy drops to 10-15% per cycle, and by 40, the chances hover around 5%. This does not mean conceiving after 40 is impossible, just that it will likely take longer. Thats why the recommendation for considering fertility testing after 40 is only 6 months.
Can You Get Pregnant From Oral Sex
Whether you are on the giving or receiving end, you cannot get pregnant from oral sex, or from kissing. While sperm can survive for 3-5 days in your reproductive tract, they cannot live in your digestive tract. You cannot get pregnant from swallowing semen. Oral sex is not entirely without risk, thoughâany mouth to genital contact can transmit sexually transmitted infections.
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Can A Girl Get Pregnant Right After Her Period Ends
Can a girl get pregnant when she’s just gotten over her period? Katherine*
Yes! Having unprotected sex at any time is risky and can result in pregnancy. Sometimes the time when a girl is most likely to become pregnant can happen within a few days of when your period ends. Also, sperm can fertilize an egg for 72 hours after ejaculation.
Having unprotected sex at any time is very risky a girl can even get pregnant if she has sex during her period. Along with the chance of becoming pregnant, there is also the risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease , such as chlamydia, genital warts, or HIV.
The only surefire way to prevent pregnancy and STDs is abstinence . If you do have sex, use a condom every time to protect against unplanned pregnancy and STDs. And talk to your doctor about additional forms of contraception.
*Names have been changed to protect user privacy.
Can You Get Pregnant At Any Time In Your Cycle
Conception happens when sperm fertilize a human egg. There are ~six days during each menstrual cycle when exposure to sperm can lead to a pregnancyâthe five days leading up to ovulation, and a full day after ovulation occurs. Ovulation typically happens about 13-15 days before the start of each period . Once an egg is released it can be fertilized for about 12-24 hours.
Like your period, the timing of ovulation can vary cycle-to-cycle, and you may have the odd cycle where you don’t ovulate at all. Sperm can live inside your body for up to about five days. This means if you have unprotected “penis in vagina” sex in the days leading up to ovulation, the sperm can survive long enough to potentially fertilize the egg, and pregnancy may result. This window of time when pregnancy is possible is referred to as the “biological fertile window”.
Clue only displays your estimated day of ovulation, and you should still take measurements such as basal body temperature or ovulation tests to know when you ovulate each cycle. Understanding your day of ovulation can be helpful if you’re trying to get pregnant, which is why we include it in your cycle view.
Track your sexual activity with the Clue period tracker app.
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