Did you also learn in school that you can’t get pregnant during your period? That’s not entirely true! Here we explain why.
When am I fertile?
ince an egg can only be fertilized within 6-12 hours (max. 24h) and sperm lose their ability to fertilize after about 5 days, you have 6 fertile days in the cycle on which you can become pregnant: 4 days before ovulation, the day of ovulation itself and the day after. The probability of conception is highest 2 days before ovulation. According to popular opinion, the fertile days would be cycle day 10-16 for a standard cycle of 28-32 days.
Why can you get pregnant during your period?
This is mainly due to the variability of the cycle! We were able to show that 70% of all women do not conform to the standard model. Their cycles are shorter or longer and yet perfectly healthy. Ovulation also occurs, just on a different day and almost never in the middle of the cycle. If you have short cycles with early ovulations, you could get pregnant if you have unprotected sex during your period! The female cycle starts with the first day of menstruation and ends with the day before the onset of the next bleeding. For example, if you have your period from cycle day 1-5 and ovulate on cycle day 10 (or even earlier), you can get pregnant if you have sex at the end of your period. In this case, the fertile phase starts on day 6 or earlier. This is because the sperm can survive up to 5 days in the woman’s body and the egg can fertilize for 6-12 hours (maximum 24h). So women with short cycles and early ovulations can definitely get pregnant with unprotected sex during their period! Here, the period and the fertile phase merge, so to speak.
With short cycles you can get pregnant even during your period
What are short cycles characterized by?
Short cycles are characterized by a cycle length of less than 25 days. Short cycles are also usually healthy and have ovulations, only these occur very early and usually before the middle of the cycle. In this case, the fertile phase often begins as soon as the period subsides and the ovulation day varies between the 8th and 12th day of the cycle. Only 8% of all women have short cycles. Are you one of them?
How do short cycles happen?
In cycles < 25 days, the first cycle phase, i.e. the egg maturation phase, is usually very short. Here, ovulation still occurs and a natural pregnancy would be possible. Sometimes, however, short cycles can also be caused by luteal insufficiency. Here, too little progesterone is secreted and pregnancy could not occur. Once detected, this is easily treated.
Getting pregnant with short cycles during the period
If you have short cycles with very early ovulation and want to get pregnant, you need to know exactly what your fertile days are! Most women still assume that they have a standard cycle and ovulate around cycle day 14. However, if you have short cycles with ovulation on cycle day 10 or even 8, you will miss your fertility window and pregnancy will not occur. To get pregnant, if you have short cycles with early ovulation, you may need to have unprotected sex as early as cycle day 5.
Natural contraception when short sycles keep your period
If you have shortened cycles and want to use hormone-free contraception, you must already use contraception during your period, e.g. with a condom, or be abstinent. To support natural contraception as part of natural family planning, we recommend that you take OvulaRing daily and transfer data until the app tells you that the fertile days for that cycle are over. Only when your fertile phase is over can you have unprotected intercourse again.
OvulaRing is also suitable for short cycles!
OvulaRing can help you to determine your ovulation exactly, even with short cycles, and therefore get to know your body better. With OvulaRing you can find out exactly whether your short cycle is healthy or whether there are signs of a hormonal cycle disorder. OvulaRing detects ovulation with an accuracy of over 99% and can give you clarity as to whether you ovulate regularly and if so, at what time. Your cycle is measured automatically and completely unnoticed.
What type of cycle are you?
We would like to encourage you to get to know your cycle better, because it is clear to us that the female cycle is also a mirror of a woman’s health. Every woman has her very own, individual cycle! On the one hand, the length of the cycle varies from woman to woman – from very short to extremely long. On the other hand, a woman’s cycles can also vary greatly from woman to woman. Use OvulaRing to find out which cycle type you are and what makes your cycle tick. You can use this knowledge to get pregnant, to support natural contraception or to live a cycle-conscious life.
Source (German): Natürliche Familienplanung Heute
