Can you get pregnant at any time? It’s a question many people wonder about. How do you know when you’re fertile? What are the chances of becoming pregnant any time during the month? This post will go over some of these questions, including what to do if you find out you’re pregnant unexpectedly.
Monthly Cycle Overview
Your monthly cycle dictates when you are more likely to get pregnant. Every woman is different. Typically, a “normal cycle” lasts anywhere between 21-35 days. Your cycle length is from the day you begin to bleed (day 1) until your next period. Your cycle is divided between the follicular phase and the luteal phase. The follicular phase starts on day 1 of your cycle until you ovulate. In a typical 28-cycle, this lasts from Day 1-Day 14. Your luteal phase lasts from ovulation until the start of your next period. Ovulation occurs at the end of the follicular phase, which can differ from woman to woman. Teenagers and women with conditions like PCOS are more likely to have inconsistent ovulation times.
Misconceptions of When You Can Get Pregnant
You can typically only get pregnant during what’s known as your fertile window. This includes the five days before and up to the day of ovulation. Typically, this means you are only fertile for approximately six days during each monthly cycle. These fertile days can and do change from cycle to cycle. Factors like stress, illness, and disrupted sleep can result in earlier or later ovulation. Tracking your period on an app can help you determine when you’re most likely to ovulate.
Can You Get Pregnant During Your Period?
If you have a “typical” cycle length of about 28 days, you can usually expect to ovulate around day 14. While this is not always the case, let’s assume you ovulate on day 14. If your period lasts 5 days, that means you are unlikely to ovulate until a little over a week after the bleeding ends. You are unlikely to get pregnant during your period in this scenario. However, if you have a shorter cycle, there is a chance you could get pregnant towards the end of your period because your ovulation day is typically earlier.
Can You Get Pregnant At Any Time During the Fertile Window?
The highest probability of pregnancy occurs during the fertile window, typically five days before and the day of ovulation. If you have unprotected sexual intercourse during the fertile window of your cycle, there is up to a 25% chance of getting pregnant during this part of your cycle. If your period is late and you had sex during this time, we advise taking a pregnancy test.
What To Do If You’re Pregnant
Are you facing an unplanned pregnancy in Massachusetts? Clearway Clinic is here to help. We offer free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and a nurse consultation to go over any questions you have about pregnancy, sexual health, and more. Learn more about services by calling our Springfield or Worcester locations. You can also book directly from our website.
