If the female body functioned like a clock, then the answer to the question “can I get pregnant before menstruation?” Would be unequivocal, no. But no one is safe from other developments. Nervous tension, poor nutrition, sleep disorder, concomitant diseases and other factors affect the female hormonal system, which in a stressful state can bring pleasant, for some, completely unexpected surprises for some.
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The probability of becoming pregnant before menstruation
Normally, the average duration of a woman’s menstrual cycle is 28 days. But this is in theory, but in reality we are all different, and not everyone has such an ideal cycle.
About half of the fair sex complain of irregular periods. In the next cycle, they may begin a few days earlier or later. And in such a situation, it is not possible to predict the onset of ovulation up to a day.
A mature egg leaves the follicle approximately 12-14 days before the start of the next cycle. And over the next day it will be in the fallopian tube. If a sperm is already waiting for her there, then with a high degree of probability a merger will occur. If not, then in the next days it will still be viable and will be able to wait in the wings.
Sperm live in the female body for 3-4 days. Accordingly, the days on which there is the greatest likelihood of pregnancy can be only 5. This is 3 days before ovulation, the very day the egg leaves the follicle, and the next day, during which it remains capable of fertilization.
It turns out that if the cycle lasts 28 days, then starting from the 15th day, fertilization cannot already occur. The egg leaves the follicle on the 13th, 14th day, and by the 15th day it should die if the merger never happened.
That is why the days immediately preceding menstruation are considered the safest.
The probability of pregnancy during this period does not exceed 5%.
But this is the case under ideal conditions, with a normal regular cycle lasting 28 days. In reality, there are chances.
Reasons why you can get pregnant before your period
Although there is little chance of becoming pregnant before menstruation, there is still a chance. Consider for what reasons unplanned fertilization can occur.
Features of the menstrual cycle
Not all women have a menstrual period of 28 days. For some, menstruation can occur on the 21st and 40th day. If this is an individual feature of the body, then it is also considered normal.
Under such conditions, not every woman will ovulate in the middle of the cycle. The luteal phase or the corpus luteum phase, the one that begins after the egg leaves the follicle, regardless of the length of the menstrual period, is quite stable and usually ranges from 12 to 14 days. Therefore, in whom the cycle is long, the ovulation will occur later, and in whom it is short - earlier accordingly.
If fertilization did not take place during the egg’s readiness, then it will not be able to occur one and a half two weeks before the onset of menstruation. However, this cannot be argued for one hundred percent, because the first phase of the cycle, follicular, does not have such a tight framework in duration.
It can be either 7 or 22 days. It turns out that with a certain hormonal surge due to regular stress or under the influence of any other factors, a woman sometimes ovulates already on the 7th day of the cycle. And if immediately before menstruation the lady had sexual contact, then there is a chance that the conception will take place.
In a woman’s body, sperm cells remain active for 3-4 days. But there are exceptions when they die only on the 7th day. If only one of them got to the fallopian tube at least a day before the onset of menstruation, then there he could well wait out the period of excretion and meet with an early-ripened egg.
It turns out that pregnancy will occur not before the onset of menstruation, but after. But the contact that was directly in front of them will be the cause of all the consequences.
If the lady wants to keep the pregnancy, then, probably, she will need medical support. Since after menstruation, the endometrial layer will significantly decrease, and without medical intervention, it will be extremely difficult for a fetal egg to gain a foothold in the body of the uterus.
Second ovulation - is it possible or not?
The second ovulation per cycle does occur. According to some estimates, this phenomenon is observed in approximately 10% of women. The reason for this may be very strong emotional stress, for example, experienced tragedy or taking certain medications. There is a version that the production of hormones can also be affected by foods rich in natural estrogens. Scientists shift part of the responsibility to the genetic factor.
Usually, in the first phase of the cycle, several follicles begin to mature at once. But then one of them abruptly pushes forward, suppressing the growth of the others.
When the follicle bursts, a yellow body begins to form in its place, which produces the production of estradiol and progesterone. Under the influence of hormones in the remaining bubbles, the process of reverse development starts, which makes it impossible for another ovulation in the same cycle.
But sometimes a sudden release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) occurs. As a result, two or more eggs can ripen in one bubble at once.
It also happens differently. In place of the bursting follicle, the corpus luteum begins to form.And at the same time, due to a sharp surge in hormones, another follicle continues to grow. If he has time to ripen, then repeated ovulation will occur.
The second follicle can burst the next day or within seven days after the first ovulation. Then the level of hormones that inhibit follicular growth will reach the highest concentration, and the next release of the egg will become impossible.
About a quarter of the fair sex feels ovulation on objective grounds:
- unilateral pain in the lower abdomen;
- secretion of viscous, colorless, transparent mucus from the genitals;
- increased libido.
Ladies who monitor the basal temperature may notice a sharp increase.
If a woman had her first egg release 12 days before the start of her period, then in the next week she may have another ripening. And then she will be able to get pregnant less than a week before menstruation.
Failure of hormonal contraceptives
The effect of oral contraceptives is based on the use of high doses of hormones that suppress the maturation of follicles. During regular intake of pills, ovulation simply does not occur. Skipping at least one day can lead to the opposite effect - a sharp maturation of one or even several eggs.
Therefore, if a woman does not want to become pregnant, then after resuming taking the drug over the next week, she is also recommended to use barrier contraceptives along with pills. Exactly until the moment when the amount of hormones in the blood reaches a certain concentration.
The correct intake of tablets, compliance with the scheme guarantees almost one hundred percent effectiveness.
Frequent change of partners
Frequent change of partners indirectly can increase the likelihood of conception in the last days of the cycle. Irregular sex life, its sudden rapid development can trigger the release of hormones responsible for the maturation of the egg.
And then, in the next cycle, for example, not one, but two ovulations, or early ovulation, which occurs immediately after the cessation of discharge, will occur. In any other way, changing partners does not affect conception.
A woman who wants to become pregnant or, conversely, to avoid an unplanned development of events, should carefully listen to her body. He often gives signals that not everyone is able to recognize.
We are all unique, and therefore do not always fit the description of cases from the scientific literature. Each organism has its own rhythm and pace. To prevent such an important event as pregnancy from happening unexpectedly, choose more reliable means than the calendar method.
