Can you get pregnant right after your period reddit

Yes, it's possible to get pregnant right after, on, or even just before your period. The likelihood of getting pregnant varies depending on timing and the length of your cycle.

If you're trying to get pregnant, the best time to have sex is just before or during ovulation. If you're not trying to get pregnant, use reliable contraception no matter which day of your cycle it is.

Here's a rundown of your chances of getting pregnant during your period, and on the days before and after it.

Can you get pregnant on your period?

Yes, but it's unlikely. It's possible to get pregnant during your period when:

  • You have a very short menstrual cycle (the time from the first day of one period to the first day of your next period).
  • You have long periods.
  • You were bleeding around the time of ovulation (spotting between periods) and mistakenly thought it was a regular period. If you had unprotected sex at that time, you could conceive.

Here's why you could get pregnant during your period:

Ovulation happens during the middle of your menstrual cycle – anywhere between 7 and 19 days before your period starts. During ovulation, an egg reaches maturity in one of your two ovaries, the ovary releases the egg into your abdomen, and it gets sucked into the nearest fallopian tube, where it can survive for about 24 hours. Conception occurs when an egg and sperm meet in a fallopian tube.

A typical menstrual cycle is 28 days, which usually leaves a good few days between the end of your period and the start of ovulation. But some women have cycles as short as 22 days. If you have a short cycle or long periods, you could ovulate right after your period ends. And because sperm can survive in your reproductive tract for up to five days, if you have sex during your period, it's possible that live sperm will be there when you ovulate, ready to fertilize the egg.

Can you get pregnant right after your period?

Yes. Immediately after your period is still not the ideal time to get pregnant, but you are more likely to conceive at this time than during your period. That's because you're closer to the time when you will ovulate.

Advertisement | page continues below

Again, two factors can increase your chances of getting pregnant right after your period:

  1. A short menstrual cycle
  2. A long period

The shorter your cycle and the longer your period, the more likely it is that you'll be fertile during the last few days of your period or in the days just afterward.

Can you get pregnant right before your period?

Yes, but it's unlikely, and chances are even lower that you could conceive during this time than while you are on your period or right after it.  That's because the time you are fertile has probably passed.

However, if you have a menstrual cycle that is shorter than the typical 28 days, there are fewer days between ovulation and the start of your next period during which you are not fertile. That means your chances of getting pregnant right before your period are higher if you have a shorter cycle and lower if you have a longer cycle.

Learn more:

  • The best time to get pregnant
  • How to get pregnant: A primer
  • Ovulation symptoms
  • Ovulation predictor kits

Follow your baby's amazing development

track my baby

Download the BabyCenter app

Sources

BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.

ACOG. 2019. Fertility awareness-based methods of family planning. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Fertility-Awareness-Based-Methods-of-Family-Planning [Accessed July 2019]

ACOG. 2014. Planning your pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Patient-Education-Pamphlets/Files/Planning-Your-Pregnancy [Accessed July 2019]

OWH. 2018. What happens during the typical 28-day menstrual cycle? Office on Women's Health. https://www.womenshealth.gov/menstrual-cycle/your-menstrual-cycle [Accessed July 2019]

UpToDate. 2019b. Evaluation of the menstrual cycle and timing of ovulation. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/evaluation-of-the-menstrual-cycle-and-timing-of-ovulation [Accessed July 2019]

Show more

Can you get pregnant right after your period reddit

Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Claudia Boyd-Barrett is a longtime journalist based in Southern California and a proud, continually adapting mom of a teenager.

Is it possible to get pregnant immediately after periods?

Yes, although it's not very likely. If you have sex without using contraception, you can conceive (get pregnant) at any time during your menstrual cycle, even during or just after your period.

Can you get pregnant at end of period reddit?

Yes, it is possible to get pregnant right after a period if the fertile window starts immediately after menstruation ends.