Summary

Period of fertility: a little reminder

Getting pregnant during your period

Periods and pregnancy plans

Is it possible to get pregnant during the period? Most women tend to think not.

However, the risk exists. Therefore, it is imperative to continue to protect yourself, even during your period, if you do not wish to have children. Explanations.

Period of fertility: a little reminder

Two factors are involved in fertility:

ovulation;
and the lifespan of the spermatozoa.

The moment of ovulation is the only period during which fertilization is possible. Let’s see closer, a menstrual cycle usually lasts 28 days. However, some women have shorter cycles.

Between the 12th and 16th day of the cycle, about 15 days after the start of your period, the ovary releases an egg into the abdomen.

This egg is then drawn into the nearest fallopian tube and lives there for 24 hours.

Sperm must therefore be present in the fallopian tube at this time for fertilization to occur.

In addition, the life span of sperm is about 120 hours or about 5 days.

Therefore, if ovulation occurs two or three days after intercourse, you can get pregnant.

Getting pregnant during your period

As a rule, if the egg is not fertilized, it is discharged during the period. This is why it is not possible, in theory, to get pregnant during your period. However, there may be exceptions:

If your cycle is short:

It is possible that the beginning of your period corresponds to your ovulation period.

You may also ovulate only a few days after your period ends.

In both of these cases, if sperm are already present in the reproductive tract, fertilization can take place.

You may also have mistaken bleeding for your period:

Possible bleeding can occur between periods.

You may then confuse this bleeding with your period, and believe you are protected (wrongly, as we have seen above…).

Note: if you notice frequent bleeding between periods, you should consult your doctor or a gynecologist.

Periods and pregnancy plans

If you want to get pregnant:

To have the best chance of getting pregnant, you must know your cycle and know when you are ovulating.

There are tests sold in pharmacies that indicate 2 days in advance of the future ovulation.

On the other hand, if you don’t want to have children:

Protect yourself every time you have sex.

Or use a method of contraception that covers all periods of your cycle.

Learn how to control your fertility

For more information, you may wish to google these topics:

If you want to have a baby and can’t get pregnant, there are fertility tests for both men and women.
If you are using a natural contraceptive method, be careful. They are not always as reliable as you might think.
Learn the risks of using contraception.

Please, remember to share your opinion and your experiences in our comments below.