Can You Get Pregnant Right After Your Period?

Some people believe that they can’t become pregnant immediately after their period. In reality, is sometimes able to conceive through penis-in vagina (PIV). Learn what experts have to say about the chances of you becoming pregnant after your period.

Your menstrual cycle and conception

The menstrual cycle is divided into four phases. These are menstruation (or menstruation), the follicular stage, ovulation and luteal phase. Each phase is vital for reproduction but pregnancy is heavily dependent on the ovulatory stage. This is when an egg matures and is released from the ovary.

The egg released during ovulation only survives 24 hours. According to Barbara Stegmann M.D. a triple-board-certified OB/GYN, and women’s healthcare clinical lead at Organon a global health company, sperm can survive in the reproductive tract for three to five weeks under the right conditions. So, having PIV during ovulation can lead to pregnancy as the egg can meet the sperm already in the reproductive system.

The egg will not survive if it is not fertilized with sperms during this period, says Michele Hakakha M.D., an obstetrician-gynecologist in Los Angeles, and coauthor of Pregnancy 411: Smart Advice and Clear Answers. Your uterine lining will shed about 12-16 days later. This is when you’ll get your period.

Ovulation Signs to Know if You Are Trying To Get Pregnant

When is ovulation exactly? It usually occurs 14 days before your next period. Lauren Sundheimer M.D. MS FACOG explains that people with 28-day cycle ovulate around day 14 of the cycle. People with 30-day cycles will ovulate on day 16. Day one is the first day of period.

This variation can make predicting ovulation especially difficult if you have irregular cycles. It can be difficult to predict ovulation when you have irregular periods.

Getting Pregnant Right After Your Period

It’s possible to become pregnant after your period, but it’s not likely. levels of reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone, which drop at the beginning of your cycle, start to rise as early as the third of your cycle. This helps your uterine wall rebuild.

Here are some scenarios that may lead to conception right after menstruation.

You have a very short menstrual period

The chances of you conceiving don’t go away just because an egg isn’t released during the pre-ovulation phase. Sperm can survive up to five full days in fertile mucus. This means that they can stay around for several days, until your body releases an egg at ovulation. You may be fertile shortly after your period is over if you have a shorter menstrual cycle.

“One study showed that people who had sex only once during this phase still got pregnant,” says Steven R. Bayer, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist in Boston. One study found that women who only had sex once during this phase were still able to get pregnant, says Steven R. Bayer M.D. a reproductive endocrinologist in Boston.

A 2018 study published in Obetrics and Gynecology looked at PIV patterns among people who were trying to conceive using ovulation testing. Researchers found that pregnancy rates were higher in the days preceding ovulation – 18.5% on day one, and 23.6% on day two.

Finding Your Most Fertile Days: A 3-Step Guide

You miscounted cycle days

If you have miscounted your cycle days, or if you had PIV sex at the time of ovulation by mistake, then it is possible to become pregnant. Sundheimer says that to determine the day one of your cycle, you should start counting at the first red blood day rather than the end of the menstrual period.

When you are counting the days to ovulation it is better to start from the first day after a period, rather than count backwards to when bleeding stopped. This will prevent you from getting pregnant if you have sex close to the ovulation.

Your period bleeds for a long time

Spotting is not unusual the day before or a few days following your period. You might think that you are still on your period because of the bleeding. Ovulation is closer than you might think.

Can You Get Pregnant On Your Period?

Fertility after your period: How to manage it

Don’t worry about becoming pregnant before you are ready. It’s important to be aware of your cycle, and take precautions whenever you think there is a possibility that you might become pregnant. It’s important to have a plan in place for birth control (and possibly an alternative plan), especially if you are actively trying not to get pregnant.

You may have experienced mild abdominal cramps, breast tenderness and moodiness if you engaged in unprotected PIV around the time of your period. Some common pregnancy symptoms manifest around six to seven weeks gestation. These include nausea, vomiting and fatigue.