Content
- The possibility of conception before menstruation with different duration of a stable cycle
- Cycle 28 days
- Less than 28 days
- More than 28 days
- The likelihood of pregnancy with an irregular cycle
- Causes of Loop Failures
- Factors affecting the possibility of pregnancy a week before menstruation
- Taking oral contraceptives
- Repeated ovulation
- Increased sperm vitality
- The result of unprotected intimate contact before menstruation
- Doctor's recommendations
- When can the calendar method of contraception be used?
The question of whether it is possible to get pregnant a week before menstruation is relevant for women who want to give birth to a child as soon as possible and for women who are not ready to become a mother. It is necessary to figure out on which days of the cycle the onset of pregnancy is possible, and whether there are chances of conception before the approaching menstruation.
The possibility of conception before menstruation with different duration of a stable cycle
If the monthly cycle is regular, and the regulations come every 21-35 days, you can easily calculate the time interval during which pregnancy is possible.
Every month, three phases are observed in the uterus and appendages:
- Follicular - begins with the onset of menstruation, then follicles mature in the appendages, one of which will become dominant (an egg matures in it, which will then be fertilized). The duration of the phase is from 7 to 21 days, depending on the length of the cycle.
- Ovulatory - a mature egg leaves the follicle, moving to the uterus and waiting there for fusion with the sperm for 24-48 hours.
- Luteal - in place of the bursting follicle, a corpus luteum is formed, which is necessary for the implementation of conception. If it does not happen, the body atrophies, the woman begins her period. The phase lasts from 12 to 20 days.
The cycle of 28 days is not always taken as the norm, fluctuations in one direction or another are not a pathology, if the interval between periods is always the same.
Cycle 28 days
To understand whether it is possible to get pregnant 2 weeks before the onset of menstruation, you should know about the concept of the fertile window - this is the most favorable cycle time for conception. With a standard cyclical duration of 28 days, ovulation will occur on day 14, here the chance of getting pregnant remains from 9 to 15 days. If sexual intercourse occurred a few days before ovulation, sperm, with sufficient survival ability, can fertilize an egg after 2-3 and even 4-5 days. Therefore, the time 2 weeks before menstruation is the most favorable for conception with a standard cycle.
Less than 28 days
The calculation of the day of ovulation with a shortened monthly cycle is done differently than with the standard one. It is a mistake to believe that with a cyclical duration of 24 days, to calculate ovulation, you need to divide 24 by 2. Shortening means that the follicular phase takes less time, while the luteal phase always lasts at least two weeks.
Is it possible for women to get pregnant at the end of the menstrual cycle if it is shortened - the likelihood of this is high. The egg cell in this case matures and goes into the uterus from the fourth to the tenth day, in such conditions, with tenacious sperm, it will be easy to get pregnant on the eve of menstruation.
More than 28 days
The calculation of ovulation days with a long cycle is the same. If 35 days occur between menstruation, the fertility window will fall on days 16-22, since ovulation occurs on days 21. The longer the cyclical duration, the less chances for girls to become pregnant on the eve of critical days.
The likelihood of pregnancy with an irregular cycle
When menstruation occurs on the same date, it is not difficult to calculate the days favorable for conception - such women have little chance of conceiving at the end of the cycle. The likelihood of conception before the onset of menstruation increases for patients in whom they come out of order, and not with regular frequency - the reasons for this are not only serious health problems, but also physiological factors:
- The time interval up to one and a half to two years from the onset of menarche (first menstruation) - during this period occurs adjustment of the reproductive system, the hormonal background is unstable, because of which the cycle remains unpredictable. Parents should monitor the girl and, if necessary, show her to the doctor.
- Postpartum period - at the stage of recovery of the body after delivery, menstruation can begin immediately if the young mother does not practice breastfeeding, or after several months.
- Approaching menopause - the periods between menstruation are shortened, the discharge becomes scanty and smearing, the hormonal background changes dramatically.
Secondary cycle disorders in women develop with frequent stress and changes in climatic zones, physical and mental overload, diseases of the reproductive system, including hormonal disruptions.
An irregular cycle implies the unpredictability of ovulation - it can come earlier or much later than the term, therefore, having sex a week before the expected period leads to pregnancy, there is nothing amazing.
Causes of Loop Failures
Even if there is a regular monthly cycle for several years in a row, there is no guarantee that it will remain so further, and the cyclical phases will not shift in time. How many days before the onset of menstruation you can no longer protect yourself - depends on the presence or absence of factors that can provoke hormonal failure and the occurrence of late ovulation.
It is recommended to use barrier contraceptives or take oral contraceptives for women diagnosed with the following health problems:
- diseases and injuries of the organs of the reproductive and genitourinary systems;
- the presence of neoplasms of the appendages and uterus - cysts, polyps, fibroids;
- chronic infectious pathologies of the small pelvis;
- endocrine diseases - a violation of the amount of sex hormones, thyroid pathology, diabetes mellitus, adrenal disease;
- undergoing hormonal treatment;
- chronic stress and lack of sleep;
- unbalanced diet, physical and emotional overload.
If the patient knows about the presence of health problems, is registered with an endocrinologist, notes regular disruptions of the cycle, the answer to the question of whether it is possible not to protect herself before the onset of menstruation will be for her negative.
The attending physician will help you choose a specific method of contraception, taking into account the nature of the cycle shifts and their causes.
Factors affecting the possibility of pregnancy a week before menstruation
Women with stable periods, when ovulation is observed exactly in the middle of the cycle, practically should not worry about whether it is possible to become pregnant 6 or 7 days before the onset of menstruation. Against the background of stable ovulation, conception occurs on the 14-16th cyclical day, if its duration is 28-32 days. But even with such regularity, one should take into account the factors that lead to conception at the end of the cycle, 7-10 days before the first next menstruation.
Taking oral contraceptives
Women who use birth control pills feel confident they cannot get pregnant, but doctors warn - a clear contraceptive effect is achieved if the patient takes the drug strictly the allotted time. If a lady, after taking oral contraceptives for a long time, missed 1-2 times, or abruptly refused the drug, she may develop a rebound effect.
Its essence boils down to the fact that a long rest of the ovaries from the growth of follicles, when the sex cells "sleep", causes the activation of the process.
At the same time, several follicles can mature in the appendages, containing the egg cell ready for fertilization against the background of the onset of superovulation. This situation is atypical, but with the onset of pregnancy in conditions of abrupt cancellation of OK, it is often multiple.
Repeated ovulation
The term re-ovulation refers to the ability of the reproductive system to repeat the maturation of an egg during the same cycle. Eggs can grow in one or two appendages at once, and enter the uterine cavity in order to merge with the sperm at the same time or with a difference of several days.
This phenomenon is rare, in 10% of cases, but the risk of re-ovulation should be taken into account by women who are worried about whether it is possible to become pregnant 10 or 11 days before the onset of menstruation.
Experts have not found out the exact reasons for the multiple ovulatory process during one cycle, but there are several factors that favor this:
- severe stress, which caused a sharp hormonal surge;
- rare intimate contacts - the body is trying to compensate for the impossibility of realizing the continuation of the genus by the maturation of several eggs;
- the use of hormonal drugs - when infertility therapy or preparation for IVF lasts for a long time;
- hereditary factor.
The time interval between the entry of two mature eggs into the uterus can be up to a week. With the usual 28-day cycle, one ovulation will occur on the 14th day, repeated on the 16-21th day, just on the eve of the expected menstruation. Then the onset of pregnancy, in many cases multiple, becomes possible.
Increased sperm vitality
It has been established that even when having intercourse long before ovulation, a woman can become pregnant. Penetrating into the uterine cavity, spermatozoa are able to survive in an acidic environment for up to several days in a row, after which they meet with an egg released into the uterine cavity and fertilize it.
Many facts have been recorded confirming the increased ability of sperm to survive in an acidic environment for up to 5-7 days in a row. as a result, even before the very menstruation, when coinciding with late ovulation, the chances that a woman will become pregnant increase in repeatedly.
The result of unprotected intimate contact before menstruation
The dominant follicle released the egg, the luteal stage starts - at this time, a corpus luteum, which is important for the production of progesterone, is formed at the site of the bursting Graf's vesicle. The body produces a hormone in case of a completed conception, so that the embryo can freely penetrate into the uterine wall and further develop fully.
If conception does not occur, the corpus luteum gradually decreases and atrophies, the level of progesterone falls, the process of detachment of the endometrium in the uterus begins - regulation comes.
Women who are worried about whether it is possible to get pregnant 8 or 9 days before the onset of menstruation should know that the average the duration of the luteal phase is 12-14 days - at this time, the egg moves from the epididymis through the tube and waits fertilization.
In the context of an unprotected intimate act before the onset of critical days, there are two options here:
- The onset of pregnancy. It is noted when the ovulation phase is shifted due to hormonal disruption, when conception occurs a week before the expected menstruation. Often the fact of pregnancy is a complete surprise for a lady, because, according to her calendar calculation of "dangerous" days, it is impossible.
- Failed conception. In a situation where ovulation occurs on time in the current month, fertilization does not occur. At the end of the cycle, the luteal phase is fixed, at the end of it, the production of hormones decreases, and the egg cell loses its ability to be fertilized and dissolves in the uterine lining.
With a serious shift in ovulation, even if the egg has not been fertilized, a woman should not wait for her period to arrive at the expected time. Since the luteal phase has a certain duration, the lady will have a shift in the cycle lasting up to 7-10 days.
Doctor's recommendations
Every month, changes occur in a woman's body, ranging from hormonal surges, ending with stress, physical overload and unhealthy diet, due to which the duration of each cyclic phase may shift, so the answer to the question of whether it is possible to get pregnant a few days before the start of menstruation affirmative. Experts identify several factors due to which a lady can conceive at the end of the cycle:
- False bleeding is noted when there is an already fertilized egg. The woman thinks that she has started full-fledged menstruation and pregnancy came a couple of days after menstruation. Although conception actually occurred 7-10, 3 or 4 days before menstruation, the timing may vary.
- Unstable ovulation date - if critical days do not come regularly, constantly at different times, it becomes more difficult to calculate the date of release of an egg into the uterine cavity. The use of ovulation tests in such cases is not effective, which is why pregnancy can occur both a week or two before the onset of menstruation.
- Ectopic pregnancy - Situations where a fertilized egg grows and develops outside the uterus are not so common, but there is still a risk. Therefore, there is a chance to get pregnant before the onset of menstruation.
- Pathology of the cervix - sometimes immediately after intimate contact or during it, the lady begins to bleed from the vagina. She mistakenly believes that menstruation has gone, therefore, she ceases to protect herself, as a result, conception can occur even before critical days.
Gynecologists advise women, both those wishing to become pregnant and those who are not yet ready to become mothers, to be more attentive to the signals of their body. It is recommended to keep a diary of menstruation, which will reflect the dates of the arrival of menstruation, their duration, you can record your own feelings - pulling pains in the abdomen, chest engorgement etc. So it is easier to control the onset of each phase of the cycle, to notice the approach of ovulation and the moments when intimate contact will be already safe in terms of the risk of getting pregnant.
When can the calendar method of contraception be used?
When asked by patients whether it is possible to get pregnant a week before the expected period with a regular menstrual cycle, doctors answer that this probability is extremely small, since women with a stable cycle ovulate at the same time. If the cyclical duration is equal to the norm, that is, 28 days, the time for the release of the egg into the uterus falls exactly in its middle - 14 days before menstruation. As a result, a week before the onset of menstruation, the egg is already dissolved in the wall of the uterus and is not able to give rise to a new life.
The calendar method of contraception does not give one hundred percent guarantee that pregnancy will not occur immediately after menstruation. or before its arrival, but can be used by women with a stable cycle if they have nothing against the onset conception.
Ladies who choose the safest time for sex, but will carry and give birth to a child in case of pregnancy, are advised to observe the body in the middle of the cycle.
You can determine the onset of ovulation by the following signs:
- Painful discomfort in the lower abdomen or on one side - in the area of the ovary, from which the egg ready for fertilization comes out.
- Vaginal discharge characteristic of ovulation - they have a whitish cloudy color. This is cervical mucus, necessary to maintain the vital activity of sperm and facilitate their penetration into the uterine cavity.
- Change in basal temperature - for women who want to get pregnant, doctors recommend measuring it every morning in the rectum and recording it on paper. During the rupture of the follicle, the basal temperature decreases, and during ovulation, when the egg is already moving to the uterine cavity, it rises.
- Increased sensitivity of the mammary glands, their engorgement and soreness.
- Increased libido - thanks to the hormonal surge, the female body seeks to realize the instinct of procreation precisely in the period favorable for this, that is, the days of ovulation.
It is important to understand that not all women have these symptoms.
Some ladies do not feel anything even at the peak of ovulation, not knowing that they can fly in. Therefore, doctors advise using the calendar method, pay attention to your own feelings and measure basal temperature - use three methods at the same time so as not to miss the moment ovulation.
According to experts, a woman can get pregnant almost any day, taking into account the characteristics of her body, the state of the reproductive system, and hormonal levels. Therefore, preservation by the calendar method does not guarantee that it is impossible to become pregnant a week before menstruation.
To accurately determine the time of ovulation, gynecologists advise using home tests, measuring basal temperature and monitoring follicle changes using ultrasound.