Are there safe days

The days before and during menstruation are the least fertile days of the menstrual cycle. People with a menstrual cycle that is shorter than 28 days could ovulate within days of their period ending.

Menstrual cycles may shorten with age, particularly after the age of 35 years. Fertility increases sharply around 12—14 days before menstruation, so unprotected sex is more likely to result in pregnancy during that time. It is unlikely but possible that conception will occur in the 1 or 2 days following a period since sperm can survive for up to 7 days after sex. For example, a couple may have sex the day after a period ends. If ovulation occurs on that day or within the next 6 days, pregnancy is possible.

People with shorter menstrual cycles are more likely to become pregnant in the days after a period ends because they ovulate earlier. Ovulation is the process of an egg developing within the ovaries and the ovaries releasing the egg each month. It usually happens 10—16 days before the start of the next period, though menstrual cycles can vary in length.

For conception to occur, a sperm must fertilize the egg. Once the ovaries release the egg, it passes into the fallopian tube. If sex has occurred, the egg will meet the sperm. The likelihood of becoming pregnant increases if sperm are already in the fallopian tube when ovulation occurs. For this reason, people are most likely to become pregnant in the days leading up to ovulation.

Once fertilized, the egg travels farther down the fallopian tube to the uterus, where it implants in the uterine lining and develops into an embryo. If a sperm does not fertilize the egg, however, the uterine lining breaks down and leaves the body during menstruation. Fertility awareness methods FAMs are ways that people can track their monthly menstrual cycles and identify their least fertile days. People who do not wish to become pregnant can then plan to have sex on those days.

They may also wish to avoid having vaginal sex or use birth control on the days they identify as particularly fertile. There are different types of FAMs that people can use to identify their most and least fertile days.

Some people use just one, while others use a combination of the following. Tracking temperature throughout the menstrual cycle can help predict ovulation. People who use temperature as a FAM will need to take their temperature every day and track it with a chart or fertility app.

Experts recommend monitoring temperature for 3 months before using it as a reliable FAM. Cervical mucus , or vaginal discharge, changes in color, texture, and volume throughout the menstrual cycle. On their less fertile days, it will be sticky and cloudy. On their least fertile days, there may be little or no mucus at all. Just as with body temperature, an individual can use a chart or phone app to track their cervical mucus. Back to Pregnancy.

Yes, although it's not very likely. If you have sex without using contraception, you can conceive get pregnant at any time during your menstrual cycle, even during or just after your period. You can also get pregnant if you have never had a period before, during your first period, or after the first time you have sex.

There's no "safe" time of the month when you can have sex without contraception and not risk becoming pregnant. But there are times in your menstrual cycle when you're at your most fertile, and this is when you're most likely to conceive. The menstrual cycle is counted from the first day of menstrual bleeding. The follicular phase occurs before ovulation. In this phase, the maturation of the follicles in the ovary takes place.

This phase ends with ovulation. It is in the ovulation phase that a mature ovarian follicle ruptures and discharges an ovum also known as an egg. The time just before and after ovulation is usually referred to as the ovulation phase.

A woman could get pregnant on the days she is ovulating. The luteal phase is the last phase of the menstrual cycle. It is marked by the creation of the corpus luteum and terminates in either pregnancy or degradation of the corpus luteum.

The corpus luteum is a temporary endocrine structure that helps produce oestrogen and progestogen. The body needs oestrogen and progestogen to maintain the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus. The safe days for a woman after a period depend on the lifespan of both the sperm and egg. In most cases, ovulation happens on the 14th day of the menstrual cycle if the menstrual cycle is of average length 28 days. The ovulation time varies for each woman and can occur from the 12th day to the 19th day of the cycle.

A sperm usually lives for 3 to 5 days in the reproductive tract. Therefore, it is possible to become pregnant unprotected sex is had five days before ovulation. The lifespan of the egg is quite short- only about 24 hours. If fertilisation does not occur within that time frame, the egg will die. Here is a quick look at the breakup of safe days and unsafe days which simplifies the calculation for you and explains how to count your safe days:. A thumb rule — If you are having sex, you can get pregnant!

Despite all calculations and theories, there is no definite way to determine when a woman will ovulate, so many factors come into play. Most women ovulate 12 to 14 days before they begin their period, but some women ovulate at a different time. So, figuring out when it is safe to have sex yet avoid pregnancy is quite a guessing game.

Based on their experiences, many women believe that it is safe to have sex and avoid getting pregnant just after their period starts or before it begins. Beware, fluctuating hormones and changing schedules can make these calculations inaccurate. As a general rule, if your cycle is a regular one 28 days , then the seven days before your period should be the safe period. But do not forget that this calculation works only if your periods are regular.

Safe period and ovulation are related because safe days are calculated based on ovulation. According to the popular Safe Period Calculator method, day 1 to day 7 are safe and unfertile in a regular menstrual cycle which lasts 26 to 32 days. This takes into account the premise that the lifespan of the sperm in the reproductive canal is 3 to 5 days.

This method calculates that ovulation occurs onthe 19 th day. Therefore, fertilisation can occur until the 20th day of the cycle. Since all these calculations are an approximation, and the results can vary from woman to woman. Cycle calculators are accurate in most cases. However, many people find these calculators and apps very complex. Also, most of the information that they ask to calculate the infertile period, — for example, months of data about body temperature, cervical mucus and dates of menstruation — may not be readily available with every woman.

Put simply, to use these calculators, you would need data about your periods as well as body temperature handy. Therefore, many people prefer using simpler period calculators like the ones below, which do not ask for months of data but still give accurate results.

Avoid your fertile period. Remember, safe days depend on different cycle lengths. The following table lists the most fertile days for various cycle lengths. If you do not want to get pregnant, you need to avoid intercourse on the following days:.

Use this formula: Subtract 18 days from the total days of your shortest cycle.