Can You Get Your Period When Pregnant

When Can I Get Pregnant During My Menstrual Cycle

You have the highest chance of getting pregnant on the days leading up to ovulation these are called fertile days.

Ovulation usually happens about 14 days before your period starts but everyones body is different. You may ovulate earlier or later, depending on the length of your menstrual cycle.

Your egg lives for about 1 day after its released from your ovary, and sperm can live in your uterus and fallopian tubes for about 6 days after sex. So you can usually get pregnant for around 6 days of every menstrual cycle: the 5 days before you ovulate, and the day you ovulate. You can also get pregnant a day or so after ovulation, but it’s less likely.

Many people track their menstrual cycles and other fertility signs to help them figure out when theyre ovulating. This is called fertility awareness some people use it to prevent pregnancy, and others use it to try to get pregnant. Check out our app, which makes it easy to chart your cycle and figure out your fertile days.

Some people have very regular cycles, and other peoples cycles vary from month to month. Its really common for young people to have irregular periods. Since your period can be unpredictable, its hard to know for sure when youll ovulate . So if you dont want to get pregnant, use birth control every time you have vaginal sex.

Exercise Or Lack Of Body Fat

You may be an athlete who is neither over- nor underweight . However, its not your weight that really impacts your reproductive cycleits the amount of fat.

Athletes may have a high percentage of muscle and a low percentage of body fat. This can cause their menstrual cycles to be irregular or even stop completely. Excessive exercise can also cause your periods to become irregular or stop.

The Ins And Outs Of Period Sex

So now we know it is possible to get pregnant on your period, its important you take the right precautions. When used correctly, barrier methods such as the condom are very effective at preventing pregnancy and also offer protection against STIs.

While many may think its gross or messy, having sex on your period is perfectly healthy and lots of women swear by it for a number of reasons. Due to a dip in progesterone, you may find your sex drive increases around menstruation. On top of this, orgasms can alleviate period cramps and cause the uterus to contract more, which in the end can mean shorter periods too.

Before you get into the swing of things, make sure you remove any tampons or menstrual cups before sex. These block the vaginal passage and it can be dangerous if they are misused or left too long inside the vagina.

While you might be expecting a Stephen King-style horror scene, you may actually be surprised by how little menstrual blood there is. The heaviness of your period is a very personal thing that varies from cycle to cycle, however, the average woman will only produce 6-8 teaspoons worth of blood during her entire period. That being said, you might want to have an extra towel on hand, or suggest things get steamy in the shower.

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How Soon After Period Can You Get Pregnant

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Bleeding And Periods What Can I Expect After Birth

In the first few days after birth, its normal to have some period-like bleeding as your uterus contracts back to the size it was before pregnancy. Bleeding immediately after birth can be fairly heavy. It can also be bright red for the first couple of days, but gradually becomes a brownish colour before it stops after about 2 months. Bleeding might be heavier in the morning when you get up, after breastfeeding or after exercise.

Uncontrolled heavy bleeding after birth, called a postpartum haemorrhage, can be a serious concern.

If you’ve given birth more than 24 hours ago, contact your doctor or midwife immediately if you notice:

• blood that soaks more than one pad every 1 to 2 hours
• a sudden increase in blood or large clots
• blood which suddenly turns bright red in colour
• dizziness, weakness or trouble breathing
• anything else that seems unusual about your post-birth bleeding

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Why The Menstrual Cycle Changes

The menstrual cycle can be influenced by different external factors, significantly affecting its regularity:

• Stress significantly influences menstruation and reproduction, as it involves a more considerable amount of prolactin and, in turn, irregular ovulation.
• Sudden weight changes can also influence the regularity of the menstrual cycle and ovulation.
• Suffering from diseases can significantly influence the menstrual cycle. This occurs in the case of polycystic ovary syndrome , kidney problems, thyroid, and diabetes mellitus.
• The consumption of some medications, such as steroids and antipsychotics, can affect the normal menstrual cycle.
• High-intensity exercise can also alter the female period, generating long cycles and sometimes amenorrhea. This other article shows more information about Amenorrhea: causes, symptoms, and treatment.

In short, the period and the menstrual cycle can vary considerably depending on different factors and result in changes in the fertile window. If you do not want a pregnancy yet, it is advisable to have sex with a safe contraceptive method that allows you to avoid an unwanted pregnancy.

This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any condition or discomfort.

Postpartum Period Vs Lochia: Whats The Difference

Dont confuse the heavy bleeding after giving birth with your period. Your body is still shedding the blood, tissue and mucus that lined your uterus while you were pregnant. Its called lochia, and its not the same as your period.

Lochia starts out bright red and often contains many blood clots. The flow will be heavy for three to 10 days after delivery. As it tapers off, the color morphs from red to pink to brown and then a yellowish-white hue.

Light bleeding can continue for a month or longer, so keep a supply of sanitary pads handy. By the way, moms who have C-section deliveries may have less lochia than women who deliver vaginally.

Contact your doctor immediately or call 911 if you experience any of these signs of postpartum hemorrhage, a dangerous type of bleeding that can occur up to 12 weeks after giving birth:

• Heavy bleeding that doesnt slow or stop, like soaking more than one pad an hour for several hours in a row
• Blurry vision

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Questions You May Be Asked

Bleeding early in pregnancy isn’t normal. But it is common. If youve seen any bleeding, you may be concerned. But keep in mind that bleeding alone doesnt mean something is wrong. Just be sure to call your healthcare provider right away. They may ask you questions like these to help find the cause of your bleeding:

• When did your bleeding start?

• Is your bleeding very light or is it like a period?

• Is the blood bright red or brownish?

• Have you had sex recently?

• Have you had pain or cramping?

• Have you felt dizzy or faint?

Can I Get Pregnant A Couple Of Days After My Period Has Ended

Its possible, but also unlikely. Though there is always risk of pregnancy if you have sex without contraception. If you ovulate early when you have short menstrual cycles you may be able to get pregnant this time of the month. However, once youve finished your period youre moving into your fertility window, which means your chances of getting pregnant increase as you approach ovulation.

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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.

Can You Get Your Period While Youre Pregnant

• It is normal for around a third of pregnant women to experience spotting or light bleeding. This is not a period.
• When you become pregnant, you hormones will prevent ovulation and therefore you will not have periods.

Is it a myth that pregnant women dont have periods?

In short, no!

Both your period and pregnancy cause fluctuations in hormones. Because both events can bring on their own unique set of challenges, its easy to wonder if you can expect to get your periodor something like itwhile youre pregnant.

About 25-30 percent of women will have light bleeding in pregnancy, which can be from various reasons including implantation bleeding, cervical issues, placenta abnormalities, ectopic pregnancies, and miscarriages. In general, you will not get your period while you are pregnant. There is a small percentage of women who could have longer-than-usual periods and may continue to bleed, but will also be ovulating at the same time. If this occurs, you could technically be pregnant while on your period. However, you would not typically know at this stage because it would be extremely early into your pregnancy.

With this exception, you will not get your period while you are pregnant. This is due to the fact that your body has a menstrual cycle when you have not conceived and when you do become pregnant, the hormone shift prevents ovulation and therefore any further periods.

What causes bleeding during pregnancy?

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• Dr. Kate Dudek

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Serena Williams Says She Had A Period While She Was Pregnant

Whether you’re trying to become pregnant or trying your hardest to avoid it, you can usually take your period as a sign that you don’t have to think about a baby anytime soon. But, in a new interview with InStyle, Serena Williams says she actually got a period during the early stages of her pregnancyand she was completely floored to find out that she was actually pregnant.

In the interview, Williams says that she didnt think it was even possible that she could be pregnant. She hadnt seen her now-husband Alexis Ohanian in like four weeks and literally had a cycle just before. Williams says she took the test just to shut my friend up and was completely surprised when it was positive. She was even more shocked when her doctor told her she was seven weeks along. Oh, and she was playing in the Australian Open at the time.

How Is The Normal Menstrual Cycle

Before knowing when you are fertile and are more likely to get pregnant, you must clarify everything related to the menstrual cycle and its expectations. In the womans life, a representative event is a menstruation or rule, from the first menstruation or menarche as it is also known, a regular monthly cycle begins with phases that represent an important event in female fertility.

In all its phases, the menstrual cycle indicates the changes that the womans interior undergoes to prepare for a possible pregnancy. Day 1 is counted from when menstruation has arrived until the first day of the next, being normal that the menstrual cycle repeats between every 21-35 days, depending on each woman a relatively standard duration is 28 days. Thus, the menstrual cycle is made up of different phases:

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What Can I Do To Get Pregnant

If you want to get pregnant, its a good idea to talk to your doctor. Many doctors will advise a few lifestyle changes if youre trying for a baby, such as taking a or prenatal vitamin supplements, avoiding alcohol, quitting smoking, and trying to maintain a healthy weight. You may also want to use an ovulation test to help you identify when your most fertile days are. You can see our range of ovulation tests and here to help you maximize your chances of conceiving.

Can You Get Pregnant Before You Get Your First Postpartum Period

Even before your period resumes, you can get pregnant again and dont let anyone tell you otherwise. Thats because ovulation precedes menstruation in the monthly cycle.

So unless youre planning on back-to-back babies , youll want to use birth control as soon as you start having sex again which likely wont be for at least four to six weeks postpartum if you had a vaginal delivery.

All types of contraceptives are safe to use while youre breastfeeding. But keep in mind that your contraceptive needs may have changed.

For example, if you used a diaphragm or cervical cap pre-pregnancy, youll need to have it refitted by your gynecologist, as your cervix may no longer be the same size. It can take six weeks after the birth of a child for your cervix to return to normal.

Because estrogen can reduce a womans milk supply, birth control methods containing the hormone arent recommended until breastfeeding is well-established, around six weeks after giving birth. Instead, your practitioner may prescribe what’s known as the “mini pill,” which is considered safe during breastfeeding.

Its also best to wait at least three weeks before starting a birth control method that combines estrogen and progestin, like the pill or the patch. The reason? Women are already at greater risk of developing blood clots in the postpartum period. These combined hormonal methods can up the risk.

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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.

What Is A Late Period

If your period is late or youre wondering if youre pregnant, the days can tick by rather slowly. How long do you have to wait before taking a pregnancy test? The instructions on home pregnancy tests often talk about your missed period. What do they mean?

In the world of pregnancy testing, a missed period means you expected your menstrual bleeding to have started yesterday, and it still has not started. The day of your expected period depends on what your normal menstrual cycle looks like and when your last period started.

The menstrual cycle is the time from the first day of your period to the day before your next period starts. The average cycle is 28 days, with a pattern that looks something like this:

Some womens menstrual cycles last the same number of days every month. These women can accurately predict the day their period will start. Other women have a menstrual cycle that is a little different each month. Your period is still considered regular as long as it comes every 24 to 38 days.

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Early Signs Of Pregnancy

If you have a regular monthly menstrual cycle, the earliest and most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period.

In the first few weeks of pregnancy you may have a bleed similar to a very light period, with some spotting or only losing a little blood. This is called implantation bleeding.

Every pregnancy is different and not everyone will notice all of these symptoms.

Whats The Menstrual Cycle

Your menstrual cycle helps your body prepare for pregnancy every month. It also makes you have a period if youre not pregnant. Your menstrual cycle and period are controlled by hormones like estrogen and progesterone. Heres how it all goes down:

You have 2 ovaries, and each one holds a bunch of eggs. The eggs are super tiny too small to see with the naked eye.

During your menstrual cycle, hormones make the eggs in your ovaries mature when an egg is mature, that means its ready to be fertilized by a sperm cell. These hormones also make the lining of your uterus thick and spongy. So if your egg does get fertilized, it has a nice cushy place to land and start a pregnancy. This lining is made of tissue and blood, like almost everything else inside our bodies. It has lots of nutrients to help a pregnancy grow.

About halfway through your menstrual cycle, your hormones tell one of your ovaries to release a mature egg this is called ovulation. Most people dont feel it when they ovulate, but some ovulation symptoms are bloating, spotting, or a little pain in your lower belly that you may only feel on one side.

Once the egg leaves your ovary, it travels through one of your fallopian tubes toward your uterus.

If pregnancy doesnt happen, your body doesnt need the thick lining in your uterus. Your lining breaks down, and the blood, nutrients, and tissue flow out of your body through your vagina. Voilà, its your period!

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