Can I Get Pregnant Just After My Period?
The knowledge many women have about periods and pregnancy is full of misconceptions and misunderstandings. One particularly confusing subject is how soon after your period you can get pregnant. In order to answer this question fully, you need to have a basic understanding of ovulation, menstruation and your own personal cycle patterns.
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Ovulation and Fertility
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Ovulation occurs when your ovary releases a mature egg into your fallopian tube for fertilization, which is possible for a period of 12 to 24 hours following the egg's release. According to the American Pregnancy Association, sperm can survive in your body for up to five days. If the sperm fertilizes the egg, the egg travels to your uterus and attaches to the thickened lining that is present there. Your body immediately begins the production of pregnancy hormones such as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and progesterone, which inhibit ovulation while you're pregnant.
Menstruation
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If the egg in your fallopian tube is not fertilized, your body discards it, along with the thickened lining of your uterus, in the process called menstruation: your period. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that most women experience a menstrual period that lasts three to five days; however, yours could be as short as two days or as long as eight, and variation from month to month is normal, as well.
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Cycle Length
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In order to figure out how soon after your period you can get pregnant, you need to know the length of your monthly cycle, which allows you to identify the days you're most likely to ovulate. Your cycle length is determined by counting the number of days from the first day of your last period to the first day of the following period. According to the American Pregnancy Association, most women experience a monthly cycle that is between 28 and 32 days, but your personal cycle variations could make it much shorter or longer.
Fertile Days
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The days surrounding the actual event of ovulation is a time of heightened fertility. Most women ovulate 11 to 21 days into their cycle--that's 11 to 21 days after the first day of the last period. Thus, during certain days in the middle of your cycle--usually 12 to 16 days before your next menstrual period--you're more likely to get pregnant if you have sex.
Putting the Information Together
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The length of your monthly cycle and your menstrual period combine to determine whether or not you can get pregnant just after your period. If you tend to have a longer monthly cycle and a shorter menstrual period (for instance, a cycle of 32 days and a period of three days), then it's unlikely you'll get pregnant just after your period; your ovulation occurs very late in your cycle in relation to your period. However, if you tend to have a shorter monthly cycle and a longer menstrual period (for instance, a cycle of 21 days and a period of seven days), you could very well get pregnant if you have unprotected sex just after your period.
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