Can I get pregnant before ovulation? Pregnancy planning

Not all girls know if it's possible to get pregnant before or after ovulation. This is exactly what will be discussed in the article.

Ovulation - what is it?

The female reproductive system works like a clock, repeating the same processes in a circle. The average cycle lasts a month (28-35 days, depending on the characteristics of the organism). Approximately in the middle of the period in one of the ovaries a viable egg ripens, which breaks the follicle and enters the uterine tube, completely ready for fertilization. This point, in fact, is called ovulation. It can be conditionally called the date of X, since in this period the risk of conception is the most increased. On the day of ovulation, you can get pregnant with almost 100% guarantee, so women who do not want to have a baby should be more careful.

The main signs of ovulation

Without using any methods, a woman can determine the most suitable time for conceiving a baby. Thus, ovulation can be independently identified by the following symptoms:

• Hardly noticeable drawing pain, concentrated in the lower abdomen.
• Increased sexual desire.
• Change in the amount and consistency of vaginal discharge. During the maturation of the egg, they become more abundant and dense.
• Breast sensitivity.

However, it is worthwhile to understand that all these are only subjective signs that do not always accurately indicate the arrival of the date of X. In some cases, pregnancy may occur after ovulation, which occurred in the middle of the cycle. This is due to the fact that sometimes during one menstrual period two eggs mature. For example, the first ovulation can occur on the 15th day of the cycle, as expected, and the second - on the 20th.

Relationship of ovulation with pregnancy

After the matured egg enters the fallopian tube, it begins to hunt sperm. And the latter is not so easy to get to your goal. Getting into the uterus, most spermatozoa die in an acidic environment, and only a few reach its tubes.

The life span of a ripe egg is very short: it is literally a few days. Spermatozoa remain active much longer. That is why the answer to the question of whether it is possible to get pregnant before ovulation, rather, is positive. A sperm that enters the fallopian tube a couple of days before the X-date can easily wait for the egg to then fertilize it.

Methods for determining ovulation

If you do not want to rely on the will of the case, then it's better to plan your pregnancy with proven methods. The answer to the question of whether it is possible to become pregnant before or after ovulation will not, but it will allow us to determine the dangerous days. Each woman gives preference to the method that is most convenient for her. You can determine the time of onset of ovulation in such ways:

• Calendar counting of dangerous and non-dangerous days.
• Ovulation test.
• Systematic measurement of basal body temperature.
• Ultrasound.
• Lab tests.

Each of these methods has its own advantages and the attendant disadvantages. It is desirable to use several methods at once, because pregnancy and ovulation are closely interrelated and it is extremely difficult to make conception without precise determination of the date of maturation of the egg.

So, most ladies prefer to do the test, since this procedure is performed at home. The same can be said about the measurement of basal temperature, although the process itself is not pleasant. As for ultrasound and laboratory tests, these methods give an accurate result only after several visits to the doctor during the menstrual cycle. The calendar method is considered the simplest, but not enough reliable, since pregnancy and ovulation are physiological processes that do not always follow a certain schedule and can deviate from the norm.

Ovulation test

This method allows you to determine the desired date with high accuracy. Tests for ovulation are very similar to strips for determining pregnancy. The difference is in the substance to which the control strip reacts. A day before the onset of the X and directly at its time, a higher release of luteinizing hormone occurs in the woman's blood, which is easily monitored in the urine. Doctors recommend couples perform sexual intercourse if the passed test shows a positive result, because it is high probability to get pregnant the day before ovulation.

The peculiarity of the method is that it must be used daily to accurately track the date of X. Since the maturation of the egg can fluctuate, it will not miss the jump of luteinizing hormone in the blood.

Measurement of basal temperature

In a sense, this method is quite laborious. To use it to track the date of X, it is necessary to rectally measure body temperature from the first day of the menstrual cycle every morning. In this case, you should keep lying down. So, about a day before the release of the egg, ripe for fertilization, the body temperature is somewhat reduced from the follicle. After ovulation, it rises to 37 degrees and above.

To be able to clearly monitor changes in the body, it is necessary to draw up a schedule of morning measurements. It notes all the results obtained, in which it is easy to notice any fluctuations in body temperature.

Ultrasound

With the help of a special device, a doctor in a medical institution can track the growth of the follicle in which the egg is. According to the changes visible on the monitor, it is possible to determine with high accuracy that ovulation will occur in the next couple of days. It is recommended to do regular ultrasound, starting from the 10th day of any menstrual cycle. Usually, 5-7 procedures are sufficient, after which the doctor informs the egg is ready to enter the fallopian tube. Given that the probability of getting pregnant before ovulation is very high, a sexual act performed on the day of the last ultrasound may well contribute to conception. By the time the egg leaves the follicle, spermatozoa will be ready to fertilize it.

This method is perfect not only for women planning to become mothers, but also for women who for some reason do not get pregnant. It may be an irregular cycle or a complete absence of ovulation.

Analyzes when planning pregnancy

You can determine the date of maturation of the egg by going to the doctor-gynecologist. The specialist will conduct a proper examination and take all the necessary tests. For laboratory tests on ovulation, mucus from the surface of the cervix is usually taken. Its composition and consistency determine the approach of the date of X. It is known that before the immediate release of the egg into the fallopian tube, the mucus becomes denser and more abundant, while transparency is maintained.

Analyzes when planning pregnancy allow you to track ovulation, although they do not guarantee accurate results. Usually the error is 1-2 days. In addition, with the help of laboratory tests you can not only find out the date of maturation of the egg, but also to reveal hidden infections, if any.

Pregnancy before ovulation

As has been said many times, the female body does not always function according to a clearly defined schedule. Therefore, it is impossible to calculate that ovulation will occur on a certain day of the menstrual cycle. Its date may deviate from the expected for a few days, or it may not occur at all. Sometimes, against the background of stress and hormonal disorders, the menstrual cycle fails, as a result of which the egg never ripens.

That is why, when faced with the problem of conception of a child, many women are wondering whether it is possible to get pregnant before ovulation. Doctors say that this is more than possible if the sexual act occurred several days before the desired date. The activity of spermatozoa can persist for up to 5 days, so even after such a seemingly long period, they remain fully capable of fertilizing the egg.

Pregnancy after ovulation

In principle, in the direct sense of the very process of conception, any pregnancy occurs after ovulation. Until the ovum leaves the follicle, no sperm can fertilize it. But here is the period in which the sexual act was performed, need not necessarily coincide with the very ovulation. Spermatozoa can enter the uterus as before, or later than the onset of the X-day. However, if you get pregnant 3 days before ovulation is quite real, then in the opposite case the chances are very small. This is due to the life of the egg. It retains the ability to fertilize for 24 hours, after which it dies. Therefore, even in spite of the fact that spermatozoa remain active for a long time, there will be no sense from them any day after ovulation.

Probability to become pregnant during menstruation

It is believed that at the time of the monthly bleeding, as well as a couple of days before and after the beginning, the possibility of conception is practically zero. If on the day of ovulation you can become pregnant with a high probability, then during menstruation it is almost impossible. However, the nature of each of the fair sex is so individual that it is sometimes very difficult to scientifically explain how the conception still happened. It is assumed that pregnancy cases during menstrual bleeding are associated with long-term sperm activity and an irregular cycle of a woman.

If ovulation was late, then it is likely that the ovum can be fertilized even on safe days. Therefore, girls with obvious fluctuations of the menstrual cycle should seriously consider the question of contraception. In fact in that case it is impossible to tell or say precisely, for how much before an ovulation it is possible to become pregnant. The irregular cycle is much more difficult to track, since the maturation of the egg can occur absolutely at any time.

If you decide to start pregnancy planning, then try to study the characteristics of your body. So it will be easier to adjust to the fluctuations of the menstrual cycle and direct your efforts in the right direction.