Can You Get Pregnant If You Have Sex On Your Period?
You are unlikely to get pregnant having sex during your period. That’s because your ovulation time is just a few days away and reduces any chance of getting pregnant during this time. However, there are exceptions. This applies to women with typical 28 to 30 day or longer cycle. If you have a shorter cycle, say every 21 to 24 days, that means you ovulated earlier in the cycle. Because sperm can live inside you for up to 5 days, you can have sex at the end of your period and then get pregnant 4 or 5 days later with your early ovulation.
The odds of getting pregnant during your period are low, but the odds are there. This is not the time to have sex if you are trying to conceive.
Can You Get Pregnant After Your Period?
You’re moving into your fertility window, so yes, you can get pregnant after your period. With a typical cycle occurring every 28 to 30 days, the fertility window is usually in between Day 11 and Day 21. Remember, sperm can live up to 5 days. If your period (bleeding time) lasts 5 to 7 days, and you have had sex after that, you are approaching your fertility window.
Can You Get Pregnant on the Last Day of Your Period?
If you stop bleeding on Day Six, have sex on Day 7 and ovulate on Day 11, it’s possible that sperm from Day Six is waiting in your fallopian tubes for conception. Your chances of getting pregnant after your period increase each day after your bleeding stops. If you are trying to conceive this is a good time to have sex. Increase your chances of getting pregnant by having sex every other day for the next 14 days.
What About Before Your Period?
The likelihood of getting pregnant right before your period is very low. For women who have a typical 28- to 30-day cycle or longer and whose cycles are regular, it’s pretty safe to say that you ovulated between Day 11 and Day 21. The egg is only available for 12 to 24 hours for conception.
This means that the days before your period are the safest to have sex without expecting to get pregnant. The number of “safe days” before your period increases with longer cycles and decreases with shorter cycles.
If you wait 36 to 48 hours after ovulation, you should be beyond the odds of conceiving. The further away you are from ovulation, the less likely you are to get pregnant. This is not the time to have sex if you are trying to conceive. This is still a good time to enjoy intimacy with your partner.
Bottom Line
A woman’s ovulation cycles can vary, so statistically it is possible to get pregnant while on your period. While pregnancy is more likely in the earlier days of your period, the chances increase in the later days.
If you’re trying to conceive and haven’t gotten pregnant after a year or more of unprotected sex, download our new e-book The Ultimate Fertility Resource Guide. It’s a free download and contains important information and tips you need to improve your fertility and get pregnant faster.
