“Can you get pregnant right before your period?” most women wonder at some point. Some of them need to know it for pregnancy planning; others want to avoid an unplanned pregnancy at all costs.
Such frequently asked question is related to the widespread opinion that a few days before a period are completely safe: the conception simply can’t happen. However, gynecologists don’t recommend eliminating such a possibility completely. Getting pregnant right before a period is unlikely, but still possible. So, can you get pregnant right before your period? In order to answer, it is necessary to take into consideration the specifics of any woman’s individual menstrual cycle.
Besides, the actual dates make a huge difference. It’s very important to know how many days before the period the unprotected sexual intercourse happened. The less an interval between a possible conception and your menstruation is the less likely you are to be pregnant.
A Normal Cycle
If you have a regular menstrual cycle you can’t conceive before your period. It’s possible to conceive only during ovulation which usually happens in the middle of the cycle. When your cycle makes up 28 days your most fertile period is the 13th-14th day. If your menstrual cycle is 30 days long the ovulation occurs on the 15th-16th day.
Such calculations make it clear that you can’t conceive before your period. If the menstruations have always been coming on schedule then the answer to the question “can you get pregnant right before your period?” will be negative.
However, medical practice is full of examples when unprotected sexual intercourse during the “safe” days ends in pregnancy. How is it possible?
Exception List: How Can You Get Pregnant Right Before Your Period?
There are some reasons which increase the odds of getting pregnant the day before your period.
Irregular Menstrual Cycle
A lot of women have an irregular menstrual cycle, so it’s impossible for them to know for sure when the next period is due. Just as their period can be late from time to time, there is a chance that their ovulation happens later than normal. In such circumstances, the following situation occurs: the day of your menstrual cycle that was perfectly safe last month now is one of your fertile days. In this case, you are able to conceive 10 days before your period.
Even women whose cycle is regular may experience disruptions a few times a year. A disruption in the menstrual cycle can be triggered by a number of factors. Here are a few of them:
- Sudden weather changes;
- Stressful situations;
- Hormonal imbalance;
- Various diseases.
During these occasions, your ovulation can occur earlier or later in the menstrual cycle rather than in the middle of it. As a result, you can get pregnant a week before your period, though the odds are low (about 20-35%).
Recurrent Ovulation
Almost every perfectly healthy woman has two ovulations during the same menstrual cycle at least twice a year. Thus, the first ovulation happens in the middle of the cycle and the second one can occur any day. This day being the one right before your period is not out of the question. That’s why in this particular case you can ask: “Can you get pregnant the day before your period?” and hear “yes” in response.
The second ovulation often happens when a woman’s sex life isn’t stable. In such a way your body tries to make the chances of a conception as high as possible, so you should be very careful if a baby is not a part of your plans for the near future.
You’ve Stopped Taking Birth Control Pills
After you stop taking birth control pills your hormonal background begins to stabilize and your body can develop a few egg cells at once. That’s why you are very likely to conceive – it can happen even 3 days before your period. The explanation is quite simple: birth control pills have been suppressing the normal development of egg cells, and there were no hormonal surges. When you take birth control pills your period becomes abnormal, there is usually only light bleeding.
Can You Get Pregnant The Day Before Your Period?
Thinking about the possibility of getting pregnant the day before your period we should take into consideration the rather significant changes in the hormonal background your body is going through at the time. It means the conception is very improbable (if there are no disruptions in the menstrual cycle or other complications in your body functioning).
Even if you have conceived the day before your period the odds of a miscarriage are very high because the coming menstruation is weakening the endometrium. So if you want to keep the baby you need to visit a gynecologist. A doctor will help to prevent a miscarriage if possible.
Everyone who is trying to understand if there is any chance to get pregnant right before a period should remember that the female body is very unpredictable. That’s exactly why conception can happen anytime and any day of the cycle.
In order to reduce the odds of unwanted pregnancy, you should use birth control. The rhythm method as a contraceptive means is not so trustworthy. Your ovulation can occur even on “safe” days before a period, so you can conceive after unprotected sexual intercourse at the time.
Born in Belarus, 1985, a pedagogue and family psychologist, mother. Taking part in procedures of social adaptation of the foster children in new families. Since 2015 is a chief editor of the motherhow.com project, selecting the best and up-to-date material for those, who are planning, expecting, and already having babies.