How To Tell If You’re Pregnant Right Away
The only way to tell if youre pregnant right away is by taking a home pregnancy test according to its instructions. Waiting can be difficult, but you can usually take a test three to four days before a missed period though youre more likely to get a false negative if you test too soon. If its negative, wait a couple more days and test again if Aunt Flo doesnt come to visit.
Be sure to test first thing in the morning, when your urine and the hormone that the test is measuring are most concentrated. If you see a line indicating a pregnancy, youre almost certainly pregnant . Pregnancy tests with false positives are rare.
This Is How Many Ultrasounds You Actually Need During Pregnancy
Ultrasounds are one of the highlights of pregnancyparents-to-be get a fuzzy sneak peek at what their baby looks like after months of wondering. A recent Lenny newsletter pointed out that were the Ultrasound Generation, noting that ultrasound photos rack up more likes than any other Facebook posts. And, when youre an expectant mom, you can get hooked on them.
I should knowIm going through ultrasound withdrawal. I lived in New York City when I was pregnant with my son and got an ultrasound every time I went to see my ob/gyn. My doctor had one in the examination room, so shed usually ask me some questions, do an ultrasound, hand over the photos, and Id be on my way. It was comforting to see him grow each time I went in for a visiteven if I couldnt always tell what I was looking at.
Im now pregnant again and living in a small town in Delaware, where you get two ultrasoundstwo. The first is only if you choose to undergo elective genetic testing. Otherwise, my doctor puts a little Doppler radar to my belly, hears a heartbeat, and is totally satisfied that all is well in there. WTF? How are we supposed to know the exact circumference of the babys head at every visit? What about how hes positioned, or whether hes sucking his thumb at this very second?
Ive annoyed the crap out of my doctor asking why they dont scan at every visit. His response: Youre not supposed to. And, it turns out, hes right.
What Is Ovulation Anyway
Its the word for when your egg, or ovum, leaves your ovary to take a trip down to the fallopian tubes. If the egg meets sperm here it could become fertilised.
Once the egg is released from an ovary its only good for about a day, while sperm can live in the body for up to 7 days.
Its not that easy to know exactly when youre ovulating so thats why our ovulation calendar is worth checking out.
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Prenatals: Decreasing Miscarriage Rates And Other Benefits
Lets talk about the risk of miscarriage. Because unfortunately, 1 in 4 pregnancies end in a loss. Many happen in those early weeks when some dont even realize theyre pregnant yet.
And its these early days that are perhaps the most crucial. Well, not only do prenatals have a great safety record, they have actually been shown to significantly decrease the risk of both miscarriage as well as stillbirth.
A recent study from Michigan and Texas found that a really important thing you can do to avoid a pregnancy loss is taking a multivitamin before even getting pregnant. In fact, this cut the risk of miscarriage in half!9
And other studies agree too. Take for example this one enormous study from 2016 looking at 40 separate trials involving almost 300,000 women. Yes 300,000 women! They found that the risk of both stillbirth and miscarriage is lower in women taking prenatal multivitamins.10
There are other benefits too. Another study found that multivitamin use during pregnancy is very much recommended because it substantially lowers the risk of many birth defects, mostly thanks to folate. That includes a lower risk of having a baby with low birth weight, neural tube defects, urine tract defects, heart defects, and the risk of limb defects is much lower too. Theres even a lower risk of autism!11
Days Before And After Ovulation
Ovulation usually occurs between days 11 and 21 of your cycle . The first day of your period signifies the beginning of your next cycle. When youre ovulating, an egg is released from your ovaries and moves down the uterine tube towards your uterus.
An egg lives 12-24 hours following ovulation, but sperm can live in the female reproductive system for up to five days after sex. Therefore, having sex from five days before or one day after ovulation can result in pregnancy.
A 2019 study found that women who have unprotected sex one day before ovulation had the highest probability of getting pregnant .
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Phases Of The Menstrual Cycle And When You Can Get Pregnant
So you are ready to start trying to get pregnant, only to realize you dont actually understand the menstrual cycle. OBGYN Dr. Kenosha Gleaton is here to explain the various phases and when you can actually get pregnant.
While cycles have long been blamed for all things shamefulexcess of ice cream, chips, and sleepthey are important indicators of our health and our likelihood of reproductive success.
Early Pregnancy Symptoms Vs Pms: Whats The Difference
Most early pregnancy symptoms before your period are strikingly similar to the side effects of PMS. However, youll only notice changes in your areolas if youre pregnant. A consistently elevated BBT and creamy vaginal discharge post-ovulation are also both relatively reliable signs of conception, but theyre certainly not foolproof.
Otherwise, the only way to know if other early pregnancy symptoms are due to a baby or PMS is to hold out until you can take a pregnancy test.
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When Can You Get A Positive Pregnancy Test Result
Home pregnancy tests look for human chorionic gonadotrophin in your urine. This is produced after the egg implants, but not at detectable levels until 6 to 14 days after fertilization. Your most reliable results will be starting on the day of your missed period, since all cycles are unique.
You can purchase a test at supermarkets, drugstores, or online. Follow all instructions and follow up with your doctor if you have a positive result or if you have a negative result but your period does not start.
In some cases, you may want to go in and have a blood draw, which can detect lower levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG.
To recap, the following things need to happen to achieve pregnancy:
Above all else, you can increase your chances of pregnancy each month by gaining a better understanding of the menstrual cycle and pinpointing your fertile window. You can have sex a million times, but if youre not in the right part of your cycle, it wont result in pregnancy.
Sex as early as 5 days before ovulation can lead to conception, but the chances are highest with sex the day immediately before the egg is released.
How Soon After Sex Can You Get Pregnant What You Should Know
A common misconception about pregnancy is that it occurs immediately after having sex. There are actually several factors that determine if and when you are able to conceive. If you had unprotected sex and are wondering if you might be pregnant, taking a pregnancy test is the first step.AvailNYCoffers free pregnancy tests. Read on to learn more about conception and pregnancy.
Ovulation
Ovulation is the process of the egg moving from the ovaries into one of the fallopian tubes for fertilization. This usually occurs about two weeks after a womans last period. Knowing when you are ovulating can help determine your chances of getting pregnant. However, the timing of ovulation varies for each woman and can occur as early as eleven days or as late as twenty-one days. The highest likelihood of pregnancy actually occurs when you have intercourse a few days before and on the day of ovulation.
Fertilization
Implantation
Once the sperm has met the egg, implantation occurs. The fertilized egg starts to divide and grow and travels through the fallopian tube to reach the uterus. It will then attach itself to the lining of the uterus and remain there until the baby is born. Once implanted, the developing egg will start to release hCG. This is the hormone that a pregnancy test will detect and result in a positive reading if pregnant. That is why it is best to wait at least one week after unprotected sex to purchase a pregnancy test.
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What About Right Before Your Period
The likelihood of getting pregnant right before your period is extremely low. For women with a typical 28- to 30-day cycle or longer and their cycles are regular, it is fairly safe to say your ovulation occurred between Day 11 and Day 21. The egg is only available for 12 to 24 hours for conception.
This means the days right before your period are the safest to have sex without the expectation of getting pregnant. The number of safe days right before your period go up with longer cycles and lessen with shorter cycles.
If you wait 36 to 48 hours after ovulation, you should be beyond the possibilities of conception. The further you are from ovulation, the less likely your chance for conceiving. This is not the time to have sex if you are trying to conceive. Its still a good time to enjoy intimacy with your partner.
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Is It Physically Possible To Get Pregnant If Youre Not Ovulating During A Cycle
It is not possible to get pregnant in a cycle without ovulation. This is because in this type of cycle, no egg is available to be fertilized by sperm.
There are treatments available that can trigger a womans body to release a mature egg that allows for conception. If youve been trying to conceive for a while and think that ovulation issues may be present, get in touch with a health care provider.
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Week 1 Pregnant Belly
There wont really be a baby bump during the first week of your pregnancy, or really, for the next few weeks. Since youll be menstruating during this week, it is possible that hormonal changes might make you feel a bit bloated due to fluid retention. Other women experience cramps during their menstruation or abdominal tenderness.
Every woman has different symptoms during their period, and this one shouldnt be any different from your previous menstruations
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.
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What To Ask Your Doctor
If youve decided youre ready to try for a baby, its time to get a pre-conceptional checkup. Your doctor can advise you on any necessary lifestyle changes, which are the best prenatal vitamins before pregnancy, and how to calculate your estimated delivery date. If youre tracking your cycle, this information can help your doctor determine these dates.
Pregnancy is commonly divided into 3 terms, each of which takes a little more than 13 weeks. Full-term babies are born from 39 weeks to 40 weeks and 6/7 weeks of gestation. And if youre pregnant with twins, it is advisable to deliver twins at 38 completed weeks’ gestation or later to avoid neonatal complications. Keeping track of your cycle will allow your doctor to be certain of these dates even before the first ultrasound.
Even though theres no baby during the first week of pregnancy, your body is already preparing itself for conception. That means that there are already many things you can do to improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy. Follow a healthy lifestyle during the first days of pregnancy and youll be taking care of your baby even before its here!
Can You Get Pregnant 36 Hours After Ovulation
Luteinizing Hormone is a brain hormone that spikes and triggers ovulation. Ovulation typically occurs 24 to 36 hours after the LH surge. If you’re using LH test strips of tracking basal body temperature then it is after the spike that ovulation follows. However, once the egg is released it will only be viable for 24 hours if it is not fertilized.
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Fertility During The Rest Of The Month
Tips For Those Preventing Pregnancy
Have sex only on days that are considered safe. The safest time is six or more days before ovulation, where the chance that a woman will get pregnant is virtually zero. These are the days of your period and a few days after the period. So whilst you can technically pregnant three days after your period, it is less likely on this day of your cycle.
Especially if you are planning to have sex during your fertile period, always use protection. Contraceptives come in many forms and methods. Birth control pills aim to prevent unplanned pregnancy by releasing synthetic hormones that prevent ovulation. However, when dealing with contraceptives, it is important to find the one that is right for you, as not doing so can lead to hormonal imbalances and changes to your body or mood.
Tips For Those Trying To Conceive
Most of the time, it’s all about finding the perfect timing. It is important to engage in sexual intercourse right away when you confirm that you are indeed fertile or are currently on your fertile window .
If you do fall pregnant, implantation bleeding can occur 10 to 14 days after conception. This is completely normal and can be a sign of a fertilized egg attaching to the uterus lining.
The best way to know your chances of pregnancy is to know your own body, be aware of its cycles and make sure you are always in optimal health.
Kidadl Team
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Anovulation: What Can It Mean
In an anovulatory cycle, no ovulation takes place, meaning that your ovaries dont release an egg. During this type of cycle, women may have some bleeding caused by uterine lining buildup or a drop in the estrogen hormone without having a true menstrual period.
Anovulation will make you skip fertile days if youre trying to get pregnant, and is responsible for around 25 percent of female infertility cases.
Its normal to have anovulatory cycles from time to time. It occurs most often when a person is first starting to menstruate or approaching menopause, as the body has a hormonal imbalance during these transitional periods, which interrupts ovulation.
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For How Long Should You Lie Down On Your Back
If youll be lying on your back, how long should you retain the position for maximum benefits? Again, no research has been done on sexual intercourse to answer this question. However, we have another research on AI that may give us a clue.
In this particular study, 396 couples having IUI treatment for cervical issues, male factor infertility or unexplained infertility were randomly allocated to a post-IUI rest group. Women were either asked to remain on their backs for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or 20 minutes after insemination.
The clinical pregnancy rates in this particular study were significantly different between the 5 and 10-minute category.
Clinical pregnancy rates per cycle:
- 4.5 percent for those who remained on their backs for 5 minutes
- 15.9 percent for those who stayed on their backs for 10 minutes
- 19.7 percent for those who remained on their backs for 20 minutes
The difference between the 10 and 20-minute category was not regarded as statistically significant. So, the researchers suggest women remain lying down for at least 10 minutes post-insemination.
All this said if you need to go to the bathroom immediately after sex , get up and go ahead. You wont be ruining your chances of getting pregnant.
Bottom line
Sperm cells will swim straight to your ovaries whether youre lying down or standing on one toe! Keep in mind that a pregnancy test cant detect the moment you got pregnant or even your implantation day.
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I Never Used A Hormonal Birth Control Method So We Should Get Pregnant As Soon As We Start Trying
Just because your hormones havent been affected by hormonal contraceptives doesn’t necessarily put you at an advantage. Your body may be better able to regulate itself but this doesn’t mean you can get pregnant any more easily. Your fertility can be influenced by many factors other than contraceptives.
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Check Your Cervical Mucus
The same hormones that control your menstrual cycle also affect the mucus that your cervix makes. Just before and during ovulation, the amount, color, and texture of it change to make it easier for you to get pregnant.
As your ovaries prepare to release an egg, your cervix makes more mucus. A few days before ovulation, it may be sticky and cloudy or whitish. Then, right before you ovulate, the mucus gets slippery, like egg whites. It may stretch across your fingers if you spread them apart. This stage usually lasts 3 or 4 days, which is when you’re most likely to get pregnant.
To check your cervical mucus:
- Use your fingers or a tissue to check the opening of your vagina for mucus a few times a day. Make sure your hands are clean before you start. Write down whether it’s cloudy and sticky or clear and slippery.
- Chart your cervical mucus changes and your basal body temperature to get a clear picture of where you are in your cycle.
Keep in mind that other things, like breastfeeding, can change your mucus. Using douches or other hygiene products can also affect it. Gynecologists usually don’t recommend these products.
