How Likely Am I To Be Pregnant

Am I Pregnant Or Am I Fat

Usually, by the time a woman starts seeing visible weight gain she is already into her second trimester. Typically by this point, you would have noticed some other signs telling you that you may be pregnant.

If you feel that youve been gaining weight, ask yourself a few questions. Have you missed the last couple/few periods? Were you having unprotected sex before that? Have you been having other pregnancy symptoms ? If you answered yes to these, it may be time to take a pregnancy test.

If not, have you been eating more in general or more unhealthy food than usual? Have you been exercising less than usual? Have you had any hormonal imbalances or extra stress? All of these can lead to weight gain. If you are experiencing rapid weight gain and you dont feel your lifestyle has changed, it may be time to see a doctor.

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.

Keep A Diary Of Your Menstrual Cycle

The menstrual cycle is the time from the first day of a womans period to the day before her next period.

Womens menstrual cycles vary in length. The average is 28 days, although both longer and shorter cycles are normal. It doesnt matter how long your cycle is, for most women ovulation will usually occur 10 to 16 days before the start of your next menstrual cycle. Check out our ovulation calculator here.

Keeping a record of when your period usually starts and stops will help you find your fertility window.

If you have a regular menstrual cycle you may be able to work out when youre likely to ovulate but be wary of narrowing it down too much in case you get it wrong.

You May Like: Is It Safe To Donate Plasma While Breastfeeding

What Are The Chances Of Getting Pregnant At 45 Naturally

Depending on what he or she tells you about your fertility, your best bet may be to try options like in vitro fertilization , using a donor egg or using your own eggs you’ve frozen in the past. When a women in her 40s undergoes IVF with her own eggs, chromosomal screening of embryos is recommended.

How Long Does It Usually Take To Get Pregnant

It’s impossible to say how long it takes to get pregnant because it’s different for each woman.

Many factors can affect a couple’s chances of conceiving, such as:

• your age
• your reproductive health
• how often you have sex

Some women become pregnant quickly, while others take longer. This may be upsetting, but it’s normal.

Read Also: Accidentally Donated Plasma While Pregnant

When To See A Doctor

Women who track their fertile window with the aim of getting pregnant should see their doctor for preconception planning.

As well as identifying barriers to conceiving, a doctor can advise on the use of folic acid or prenatal supplements to encourage a healthy pregnancy.

Most couples who engage in frequent, unprotected sex will conceive within 12 months.

Women under 35 years of age should see their doctor if they do not conceive after a year of trying. Those over 35 years of age should seek medical advice after 6 months of trying to conceive.

Anyone who has irregular cycles or does not appear to ovulate should also speak to their doctor. There may be an underlying medical cause that is preventing ovulation and conception.

Ovulation predictor kits and fertility monitors are available for purchase online.

Do All Women Get Early Pregnancy Symptoms

Even if youre bloated, nauseous and are experiencing breast changes, you might not necessarily be pregnant. At the same time, you may not have a single noticeable symptom but then end up spying two telltale lines or a plus symbol on your home pregnancy test.

Yup, just as every woman is different, so is every pregnancy, which means you may feel several early symptoms or none at all.

Also Check: Getting Braces While Pregnant

Taking A Pregnancy Test

You may very well answer “yes” to every single question about potentially being pregnant and still not want to take a pregnancy test. It’s understandable to be nervous about getting a result that you’re not hoping for .

The urine pregnancy tests that you can get at the local drug store are nearly identical to the ones at a doctor’s office, and just as accurate when used as directed. Something to consider: The sooner you know if you are pregnant or not, the sooner you can take the next steps that are right for you.

Get A General Health Check

Planning a pregnancy is a good chance for both parents to get a full health check. If your doctor plans to prescribe you new medications or antibiotics, remind them that you are planning a pregnancy.

If there is a family history of medical conditions on either side, such as cystic fibrosis or diabetes, let your doctor know. You may need genetic counselling with a trained specialist or referral for diabetic specialist preparation to pregnancy.

Some sexually transmitted infections can be passed on to your baby during pregnancy, so make sure you have both been treated for any infections before planning to conceive.

If the mother has a medical condition such as diabetes or epilepsy, or is being treated for depression or other mental illness, medications for these will need to be checked before conceiving to make sure they will not affect the baby.

• Your local doctor

Recommended Reading: Side Effects Of Donating Plasma While Pregnant

Are You Constipated Or Bloated

• A: Im as stopped up as Los Angeles morning traffic and my period is days late.
• B: I seem to be rather regular, thank you very much.

If you answered A: Snag a pregnancy test! That uncomfortable bloated feeling and constipation are often early signs youre expecting, as the pregnancy hormone progesterone slows down your digestive tract.

If you answered B: Sensing a pattern here? Although some moms-to-be may notice bloating very early on, others may not experience it until closer to month 3 of pregnancy.

What If The Condom Fell Off Broke Or Came Off Inside Of Me Am I Pregnant

Condoms break, slip off, and sometimes even come off inside of women. In all the above cases, it is possible sperm escaped, and pregnancy could occur. Plan-B or the morning after pill is usually a good idea in this circumstance, as well, the chances of getting pregnant are a lot higher than if the condom had stayed on.

Recommended Reading: Early Pregnancy Implantation Rash

Have You Noticed Any Unusual Spotting

• A: Actually, a couple of days before my period was scheduled to arrive, I had some light spotting.
• B: No, no blood at all.

If you answered A: Its still a bit early to say, but you might have experienced implantation bleeding which is when a fertilized egg burrows into the endometrium of the uterus. Most women say its noticeably different from their usual periods and tends to be light pink or brown in color.

If you answered B: Implantation bleeding could still occur or your period might arrive a bit late. What’s more, not every pregnant person experiences implantation bleeding, so you could be pregnant even if you didn’t notice anything unusual.

Prescription Medications And Conception

It’s also possible to have a medical condition that doesn’t affect ovulation or fertility, but to be on medications for that condition that do affect ovulation or fertility. For example, there’s no reason to think that people with mild musculoskeletal pain would have issues with ovulation. But a recent study showed that the medication used to treat pain in a group of these women nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs decreased progesterone levels and impaired ovulation, both of which negatively impact chances of conception. There’s also evidence that medication for mental health conditions, like antidepressants, can have an effect on fertility.

If you have a diagnosed medical condition or are taking prescription meds, talk to your doctor before TTC. They will be able to give you crucial insight into how your diagnoses and meds may impact your chances of conception , and suggest steps to help you maximize those chances.

Read Also: Vagisil Pregnant

When You Are Most Fertile

The 5 days before ovulation, together with the day you ovulate, are the days when you are most likely to conceive. Sperm can live up to 5 days inside your body, so if you have sex up to 5 days before your egg is released, you can get pregnant. After ovulation, though, your egg can only live for 12 to 24 hours. After this time is up, your time for getting pregnant has gone for now till the following month.

Your chances of getting pregnant are at their highest in the 3 days leading up to and including ovulation.

When Are You Most Likely To Get Pregnant

It is 5 days before ovulation because sperm can survive up to 5 days in the reproductive tract and still fertilise the egg. It is 1 day after ovulation because the egg can only survive for 1 day if fertilisation does not occur.

As if this wasnt a short enough time frame, most pregnancies actually result from sex on the 2 days before ovulation and the day of ovulation itself, reducing the peak times of the fertile window to 3 days only.

This short time frame means that couples who focus sex during their fertile window have significantly higher pregnancy success rates. They are also more likely to get pregnant quicker than couples who do not time sex in this way. This therefore leads to the question how do I know when my fertile window is?

Read Also: Is Kinesio Tape Safe For Pregnancy

What Can You To Do Increase Your Chances

If youd like to become pregnant, there are many things you can do to optimize your chances:

• Track your menstrual cycles and ovulation windows. For most people, the first step to becoming pregnant is having sex when youre ovulating. It makes sense to have an understanding of your menstrual cycle and ovulation windows to make sure youll fertilize an egg. This information can also be useful if youre trying to avoid becoming pregnant without using physical forms of birth control.
• Use ovulation strips. While ovulation strips cant guarantee your pregnancy, they can help to determine your peak fertility periods. If you decide to use ovulation strips, youll probably want to do this in combination with tracking your menstrual cycle, so that you dont need to use as many testing strips.
• Adjust your diet. Believe it or not, just changing your diet has been tied to increasing your chances of conceiving. While it may not be fun to consider giving up some of your favorite foods, the joy of a baby might just make it worth it.
• Maintain a healthy weight. This can be especially important if youre dealing with PCOS. A

Other Factors That May Affect Fertility

Irregular or absent periods

A predictable, regular cycle is a good indicator that a persons hormones are behaving, and that they are most likely ovulating. Unpredictable, erratic or absent periods can provide clues to hormonal or sometimes anatomical problems that can affect the ability to get pregnant.

A known uterine fibroid or endometrial polyp

The inside wall of the uterus is intended to be a smooth, unobstructed surface on which a fertilized egg can easily implant. The presence of a growth along the uterine wall can prevent that hopeful little maybe-baby from making a home where it needs to.

Known male factor concerns

Think: Known sperm problems or tubal disease. Dr. Laura Bishop, OBGYN from Columbia University states that male factors contributing to infertility are identified as the cause of a couples difficulty conceiving about one-third of the time.

Recommended Reading: Chemical Pregnancy Mayo Clinic

Use An Ovulation Predictor Test Kit

There is a hormone that increases in the urine before ovulation. Monitoring this hormone surge has been shown to help pinpoint ovulation and the fertile window.

You can buy ovulation predictor test kits that can detect this hormone in your urine. The tests are available from chemists or supermarkets or online and are simple to use.

Ovulation predictor kits may not be suitable if you have a known fertility issue that affects your menstrual cycle, such as polycystic ovary syndrome . This is because this condition affects your hormones, so you may not get an accurate reading. Talk to your GP if you have PCOS and want to get pregnant.

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 still help you identify the time of ovulation, but you may use more of the test sticks. Follow the instructions on the packet to find out more.

Was Your Period On Time

If your period was on time, you have a lower chance of being pregnant. When you miss a period, it is a good sign that you are pregnant, though there are other possibilities for why a period is late including stress, illness, or sometimes medication. An early period may indicate implantation bleeding, as opposed to your period. An early or barely late period could be a very early miscarriage, usually called a chemical pregnancy.

If your period does come, but is more than a few days late, there is a chance you had a miscarriage. Your practitioner may ask you questions about the normality of your period and cycle to help determine this or do blood work to look for any pregnancy hormones.

Also Check: Accidentally Donated Blood While Pregnant

What If I’ve Experienced Bleeding

Surprisingly, too, some women may be pregnant despite having what they believe to be a period. This could be due to implantation of the embryo, or a sign of low hormone levels.

“Implantation bleeding usually occurs earlier than a missed period would, as it’s when the embryo implants. However, for some women who have an irregular cycle, it may come later,” explains Halliday. “But it’s usually a much smaller amount and can be pinkish in colour rather than red.

“Also, some women have what’s known as a low HCG pregnancy where the hormone levels aren’t as high as usual these women may continue to experience periods throughout their pregnancy – although this is very rare.”

It’s very important to be aware of the risk of ectopic pregnancy – a pregnancy which develops outside the womb – if there is any chance you might be pregnant. Symptoms include low tummy pain and vaginal bleeding, and sometimes diarrhoea, feeling faint and shoulder-tip pain. It’s important always to seek medical help if there is any chance you may have an ectopic pregnancy.

Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant Every Day Of The Month

When sex coincides with your most fertile ovulation days, you’ll increase your chances of getting pregnant. Get to know each phase of your cycle to make conception faster and easier.

To hit the baby-making bullseye, you’ve got to aim for certain sweet spots of fertility in your cycle. Here’s your guide to the best chances of getting pregnant throughout the month so you can plan accordingly.

Read Also: Is It Okay To Use Vagisil While Pregnant

How Long On Average Does It Take To Conceive

This is such an important question that many different studies have attempted to answer. Leading medical experts and organizations cite 85% as the percentage of couples who conceive within 12 months of trying. But that statistic is based on a review of studies published in a book from 1956 meaning what was accurate back then doesn’t necessarily reflect the average time to pregnancy today. What we know from the more recent peer-reviewed articles on this topic is that the average time to conceive varies from study to study, and really depends on who is included and how the study was designed.

In a study of almost 3,000 US couples trying to conceive:

• Pregnant within six months: ranged from 62% for women between 28 and 30 to 28% for women between 40 and 45.
• Pregnancy rates within 12 months: ranged from 79% in women between 25 and 27 to 56% in women between 40 and 45.

Because participants in this study weren’t explicitly instructed what to do when trying to conceive, the data from this study is likely more representative of what we’d expect to see in the real world.

However, if you’ve been cycle tracking and timing intercourse, this next study might be more relevant. In this study, women between the ages of 20 and 44 were taught how to use natural family planning when they started trying to conceive. You can think of this study as the most optimistic estimates.

You Feel Well In General

Having generally good health on a whole is a plus when it comes to fertility as well.

“Feeling very well is a very good indicator that you indeed are well and healthy,” Dr. Gersh says. Studies have indicated that struggling with mental health could make getting pregnant more difficult. So if you’re coming from a place of emotional strength, and not dealing with many outside health problems, you may find it easier than some to get pregnant.

Don’t Miss: Vagisil Wipes During Pregnancy