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.
Does The Probability Of Pregnancy Also Depend On Age
Does the famous ticking of the biological clock really exist? Well, lets put it this way: if and when you can get pregnant in a cycle also depends on how old you are.
Science actually agrees on this: the earlier you have children, the better. This applies to fertility as well as to the risk of genetic defects. The age between 20 and 30 is often described as the ideal time. But even in your early 30s, the probability of pregnancy is still at a good level. The risk of genetic defects is also hardly increased. From the age of 35, however, fertility decreases, and the risk of genetic defects increases as well. In addition, anovulatory cycles also occur more frequently. The sperm quality of the man also slowly decreases from the age of 35.
Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant On Your Period
Menstruation is triggered after an egg has been released and has not been fertilized, occurring after ovulation somewhere between day 21 and 35 in most people who menstruate.
During menstruation, the inner membrane of the uterus is shed. By the third day of your cycle, levels of progesterone and estrogen are rising and working to rebuild your endometrium. Around day four, follicle ripening begins to increase as the ovaries start preparing an egg for release.
Most people will ovulate well after their period ends, somewhere around day 14 for the average 28-day cyclethough as we know, cycle length and ovulation can vary widely from person to person and even cycle to cycle. Because an egg is needed in order for pregnancy to occur and it’s unlikely that an egg will be released during or soon after your period, there’s little chance that sperm introduced during your period will result in a pregnancy.
However, it is possible to get pregnant if you have sex near the very end of your period and you ovulate very soon after your period ends. Remember: Sperm can live up to five days, so if your period ends on day seven, for instance, and you go on to ovulate on day 10, it is possible to get pregnant from sex as early as day five of that cycle.
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Odds Of Getting Pregnant By Intercourse Timing:
The fertility window is from 5 days before ovulation up to ovulation itself. Its important to note this is based on the fact that while most studies agree sperm remain viable up to 5 days , research on the eggs survival range is more conflicting. The mean viability of an egg is generally accepted at 12 hours . However, on the early side, an egg may only survive mere hours, and on the lateand longshot a rare egg may make it a full 48.
The most complete study done on the odds of getting pregnant on any given day was done in 2013 and published in the Oxford Journal of Human Reproduction. While its findings ran similar to others done on the topic, it was the first to counter in maternal age, cycle regularity, and ethnicity. It presented two sets of data. One simply factored in cycle day and ignored ovulation date. The other was based on the probability of pregnancy depending on when in the fertile window intercourse was. I know, this seems quite confusing. For example, one graph shows that the maximum chance of pregnancy occurs on day 15 at 13.1 percent. However, the other graph shows a maximum chance of 36 percent on the day of ovulation.
Start Tracking Your Menstrual Cycle
Each new menstrual cycle is marked by the first day of your period. And tracking your cycle along with any daily symptoms youre experiencing can be incredibly helpful. Why?
Tracking your cycle helps you get to know your body better, including how long your cycle is. The length of your cycle is what determines your fertile window, which well get to in the next section.
Tracking the symptoms you experience such as changes in sex drive, mood or cervical mucus can help you identify patterns throughout your cycle, including what you typically experience leading up to your most fertile days.
How do you get started? When your next period arrives, start tracking since that is Day 1 of your cycle. You can keep a journal and write things down, or you can use mobile apps such as Fertility Friend and Clue.
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Truth: Caffeine Does Not Prevent Conception
Its debatable whether you need to completely quit caffeine when youre trying to get pregnant. The research hasnt been clear. For example, a study in Denmark found that tea drinkers were slightly more likely to get pregnant, soda drinkers were slightly less likely to conceive, and coffee seemed to have no impact on fertility.
What does all that mean? We dont know. For now, though, most agree that less than 300 mg of caffeine a day should be fine. One cup of coffee is less than 300 mg.
Truths About Getting Pregnant And Ovulation
Rachel Gurevich is a fertility advocate, author, and recipient of The Hope Award for Achievement, from Resolve: The National Infertility Association. She is a professional member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and has been writing about womens health since 2001. Rachel uses her own experiences with infertility to write compassionate, practical, and supportive articles.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
There are a lot of half-truths on ovulation and getting pregnant out there. Believing incorrect information on conception could possibly make it harder for you to get pregnant. Do you know your fact from fiction?
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Is There Any Way To Prevent Or Avoid Pre
There is no way to stop precum, and the amount is determined by many factors. “The amount of pre-ejaculate fluid can vary depending on arousal level, hormonal status, hydration level, and medications,” says Dr. Hsieh. “The only way to avoid is through a barrier . People thought if a man urinates prior to sex, it can wash out the sperm from urethra, but this is unproven.”
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However, if you choose to use the pull-out method, using another birth control methodlike spermicidal lubricantcan help reduce the risk of pregnancy, but as with all birth control methods, it relies on proper and consistent use.
“Anything is more effective than withdrawal alone,” says Dr. Creinin. “If you’re putting contraceptive gel in the vagina combined with withdrawal, you must follow the directions.” According to the ACOG, spermicide is only 28% effective when used alone.
What Are The Chances Of Getting Pregnant On Your Period
Its pretty unlikely that youll get pregnant while youre on your period. When youre on your period, your body is stripping the inner lining of your uterus the endometrium off, which creates menstrual bleeding. During this process, your estrogen is low, and egg-filled follicles begin to form in your uterus. Its not until late in your period that your hormones start to return to normal. Its because there arent any eggs to work with during your period that makes it unlikely for you to get pregnant at this time but it could happen. Keep a close eye on your ovulation, as this is the marker of when youre likely to get pregnant.
The chances of getting pregnant right after your period, though, are higher. Though you wont be ovulating quite yet, sperm can live for up to five days in the body, which means if you have sex right after you finish your period, that sperm can potentially survive long enough to catch an egg when you start ovulating. If getting pregnant is your intention, having sex right after your period is a great time to go for it.
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Benefits Of Being An Older Mom
Although it can be harder to get pregnant when you’re older, there are also some advantages to being an older mom, for both you and your baby. These include:
Healthier preschoolers with better language skills. Preschoolers with older mothers are healthier overall. They have increased immunization rates, fewer hospitalizations, and fewer unintentional injuries than those born to younger mothers. They also tend to have better language skills and verbal development.
Increased intelligence when you’re older. Women who gave birth after age 35 scored higher on tests of thinking and verbal memory when they were ages 41 to 92. Additionally, women who used contraceptives for over 10 years had better problem-solving skills and higher executive functioning skills when they were older.
Better parenting skills. It’s no secret that you probably have more patience than you did when you were younger. Older moms are less likely to discipline their children harshly or yell at them. They are better at setting boundaries as well. Children with older mothers tend to have fewer behavioral, social, and emotional issues.
Is It Possible To Determine The Fertile Days
Although it is still widely believed, it is not correct to assume that ovulation always occurs in the middle of the cycle . To effectively increase the likelihood of conception and pregnancy, it is important to determine the entire fertile window. As you can imagine, this is not always easy, so there are definitely a few things you should know about accurately determining your fertile phase.
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Maintain A Healthy Weight
Being overweight or underweight can mean you are less likely to get pregnant. Also, men who have a normal weight produce better quality sperm.
Measure your Body Mass Index . If your BMI is between 20 to 25, your weight is healthy. If your BMI is over 30, this can impact your ability to get pregnant.
If you are overweight, losing as little of 5% of your body weight can improve your fertility.
What Are Your Chances Of Getting Pregnant Every Month
Generally, a woman whos trying to get pregnant has between a 15% and 25% chance of doing so each month. Despite those odds, most couples conceive within the first year of trying.
Whether you will conceive depends on several factors such as your overall health, age, your and your partners fertility, and having sex at the right time during your cycle.
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Chances Of Getting Pregnant After Your Period
You can get pregnant after your period ends in fact, the fertile days last for up to 3-5 days after the end of your period. Regular sex on alternate days is recommended if youre planning to conceive. This should be continued up until a few days after the halfway mark of the period. For example, if the halfway mark is 14, 6 days before and 4 days after are considered ideal.
When To Get Help
The process of TTC can feel exhausting and frustrating at times, no matter how old you are. However, most women do not need to worry if it takes them a while to get pregnant. Women who are under the age of 35 and have been trying for at least one year, or women older than 35 who have been trying for at least six months, should consult a fertility specialist for help getting pregnant. You should also talk to your doctor if you want to conceive but have a health condition that may impact your fertility, such as endometriosis or PCOS .
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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.
The Probability Of Conception
Getting pregnant is, indeed, a bit like playing the lottery. You place your best bet and hope for the jackpot because conception and pregnancy do, in a way, still resemble a miracle. A lot of things have to happen for new life to come into being. Sperm have to be released and find their way through the vagina, the cervix, and into the uterus. There they have to meet the egg, which can only be fertilized in a very short period of time. And then the fertilized egg must divide, implant, divide further and grow into an embryo and later a fetus. All in all, less of a strategy game and more of a wheel of fortune. But what are the chances of getting pregnant?
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How Do I Improve Fertility After Age 40
There are many ways to improve fertility in general, and they become especially important after age 40. Besides naturally declining fertility, another challenge women over 40 face is that many will have been diagnosed with other conditions which can cause pregnancy complications and/or more difficulties getting pregnant. Examples are obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid disorders, fibroids, and endometriosis.
Women with other medical conditions should make sure that their physicians know that they are trying to conceive so that they can optimize their health to prepare for the pregnancy. This may mean changing medications, working on eating healthy, exercising, and weight loss , or being more aggressive in controlling some conditions like diabetes. A preconception counseling appointment with your regular gynecologist can help pinpoint areas for improvement and give you personalized recommendations.
It is important to take a prenatal vitamin daily when trying to conceive. They help you get the nutrients needed for healthy development of a fetus if you do become pregnant even before you know it. Some reproductive endocrinologists also recommend supplementation with CoQ10 to help with egg quality.
Improving Your Chances Of Becoming Pregnant
Youll have a better chance of getting pregnant if you understand your menstrual cycle. The average cycle is 28 days, but it can vary from anywhere between 20 to 40 days for some women.
If your cycle is regular, then you can know that you probably ovulate 2 weeks before the start of your next cycle. So you can work from that and work out the best time to have sex.
Also, both you and your partner should be as healthy as you can be. Apart from anything else, this really will help your chances of getting pregnant. You can both:
- quit if you smoke, and avoid passive smoking
- be a healthy weight
- check for and treat any sexually transmitted infections
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What Are The Chances Of Getting Pregnant Without Protection
Depending on when you have unprotected sex, you could have a high chance of getting pregnant. Condoms are about 85 percent effective, and a birth control pill for women, on average, is about 99 percent effective. By removing all these barriers, youre opening yourself up for a much greater chance of pregnancy. The highest chance of getting pregnant is during ovulation. The best way to know when youre the most fertile is to track your ovulation via symptoms or ovulation kits and speak with your doctor. Your doctor will be able to guide you toward figuring out the best plan to conceive then comes the fun part of practicing.
Truth: It Can Take Multiple Months To Get Pregnant
You may have gotten the impression in your high school sex education class that getting pregnant is almost too easy. One time in bed and thats ityoull be expecting. Years of using birth control can also put you into this mindset. When you spend so much time worrying that you might accidentally get pregnant, you may be surprised when you dont conceive instantly.
The truth is that few couples get pregnant the first month they try. Its completely normal to take up to six months to get pregnant. Some couples take up to a year to conceive, and thats also within the realm of normal.
How quickly can you expect to get pregnant? One study found that after three months of trying, 68% of the couples were pregnant. After a year, 92% conceived. Additionally, these women were using fertility tracking techniques. So, it wasnt hit-or-miss intercourse that got them pregnant.
What if youre not pregnant after a year? Go see your doctor. If youre age 35 or older, go see your doctor after six months.
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