{"id":106466,"date":"2024-02-08T11:53:06","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T09:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/?p=106466"},"modified":"2024-02-08T17:01:28","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T15:01:28","slug":"can-you-get-pregnant-after-ovulation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/can-you-get-pregnant-after-ovulation\/","title":{"rendered":"Can you get pregnant after ovulation?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Yes, <strong>you can get pregnant after ovulation, but only for a short time. <\/strong>You are more likely to get pregnant if you have sex before ovulation. This might be contrary to the picture you had in your mind of a passive egg \u2018waiting\u2019 to be fertilised by a sperm. More often it\u2019s the other way around. How does this work? <strong>This article explains the rhythm of ovulation and how you can calculate your fertile window each month<\/strong> by monitoring your ovulation patterns.<\/p>\n<p>To help you, we\u2019ve set out details of the various ways that you can predict ovulation, from keeping a simple menstrual diary, to keeping a temperature chart, investing in a more high-tech fertility monitor, or keeping track of changes in your cervical mucus.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_68_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/can-you-get-pregnant-after-ovulation\/#How_does_ovulation_work\" title=\"How does ovulation work?\">How does ovulation work?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/can-you-get-pregnant-after-ovulation\/#The_fertile_window_to_get_pregnant\" title=\"The fertile window to get pregnant\">The fertile window to get pregnant<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/can-you-get-pregnant-after-ovulation\/#How_many_days_after_ovulation_can_you_get_pregnant\" title=\"How many days after ovulation can you get pregnant?\">How many days after ovulation can you get pregnant?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/can-you-get-pregnant-after-ovulation\/#How_can_I_predict_my_ovulation_days\" title=\"How can I predict my ovulation days?\">How can I predict my ovulation days?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/can-you-get-pregnant-after-ovulation\/#Keeping_a_menstrual_diary\" title=\"Keeping a menstrual diary\">Keeping a menstrual diary<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/can-you-get-pregnant-after-ovulation\/#The_cervical_mucus_method\" title=\"The cervical mucus method\">The cervical mucus method<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/can-you-get-pregnant-after-ovulation\/#Tracking_your_basal_temperature\" title=\"Tracking your basal temperature\">Tracking your basal temperature<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/can-you-get-pregnant-after-ovulation\/#Ovulation_predictor_kits\" title=\"Ovulation predictor kits\">Ovulation predictor kits<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/can-you-get-pregnant-after-ovulation\/#Fertility_monitor\" title=\"Fertility monitor\">Fertility monitor<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/can-you-get-pregnant-after-ovulation\/#Contact_us_at_IVI\" title=\"Contact us at IVI\">Contact us at IVI<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_does_ovulation_work\"><\/span><strong>How does ovulation work?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To better understand <a href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/difference-left-right-ovary\/\">how ovulation works<\/a>, let&#8217;s first take a closer look at the menstrual cycle. This is the time from the start of one period to the start of the next. <strong>It lasts 28 days on average. But anything from 21 to 35 days is still within the range of normal<\/strong>. The cycle is divided into four phases:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The menstrual phase, during which you have your period<\/strong>. This starts when an egg from the previous phase goes unfertilised, causing a drop in the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. The womb lining, no longer needed in the absence of pregnancy, is shed in normal menstrual bleeding. This phase lasts three to seven days on average.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The follicular phase also starts on the first day of your period<\/strong>. The hypothalamus sends the pituitary gland a signal to begin production of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). This triggers the ovaries to produce around 5 to 20 follicles, each containing an immature egg. The developing follicles stimulate an oestrogen surge which thickens the uterus lining. This phase lasts from 11 to 27 days, 16 being the average. It ends with the ovulation of one, occasionally two eggs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The ovulation phase results when your pituitary gland is triggered by rising oestrogen levels to produce luteinising hormone (LH) which starts the process of ovulation<\/strong>. The released egg begins its journey down the fallopian tube to the uterus. This is the only time in your cycle when you can get pregnant. If the egg is not fertilised by a sperm, <a href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/womans-egg-after-ovulation\/\">it will disappear within about 24 hours.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>The luteal phase begins after ovulation.<\/strong> The empty follicle becomes a corpus luteum which releases mainly progesterone to keep the uterus lining thick and prepared for an embryo to implant. If this doesn\u2019t happen, the corpus luteum shrinks and is reabsorbed, oestrogen levels drop and your next period starts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_fertile_window_to_get_pregnant\"><\/span>The fertile window to get pregnant<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The fertile window is that part of your menstrual cycle during which you could become pregnant. <strong>It lasts not just for the 24 hours or so that the egg survives after ovulation, but also for around five days before ovulation<\/strong>, because this is the length of time that sperm can survive in the body. So, it\u2019s that simple: a window of around six days, starting five days before ovulation.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_many_days_after_ovulation_can_you_get_pregnant\"><\/span><strong>How many days after ovulation can you get pregnant?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A number of studies have calculated the odds on becoming pregnant on <strong>key days of this window<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>One day before ovulation: 21% \u2013 35%<\/li>\n<li>The day of ovulation: 10% \u2013 33%<\/li>\n<li>One day after ovulation: 0% \u2013 11%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Although 28 days is the average cycle, with ovulation on day 14, most women are not average.<\/strong> Also, even though the menstrual phases are predictable, they don\u2019t happen at exactly the same time every month.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_I_predict_my_ovulation_days\"><\/span><strong>How can I predict my ovulation days?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s really important to be able to <a href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/how-to-calculate-ovulation\/\">calculate ovulation<\/a>, rather than knowing it\u2019s happened after the event. There are different ways of approaching this all-important prediction.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Keeping_a_menstrual_diary\"><\/span>Keeping a menstrual diary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The simplest of all methods, a diary using good old-fashioned pen and paper, or a downloadable app, keeps track of the day your period starts on each cycle and from data accumulated over a few months you can determine the length of your cycle. This is important because <strong>generally speaking, ovulation occurs not 14 days after the start of your period, but 14 days before the next period<\/strong>. The following chart illustrates:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cycle length of 24 days: ovulation day 10<\/li>\n<li>Cycle length of 28 days: ovulation day 14<\/li>\n<li>Cycle length of 32 days: ovulation day 18<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Once you know the likely ovulation day, you can assume your window of highest fertility is the three days before, during and after ovulation<\/strong>, but that you are also fertile for the five days before ovulation through to the day after.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_cervical_mucus_method\"><\/span>The cervical mucus method<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>As ovulation day approaches, your normal cervical mucus changes to a more slippery, thin and clear consistency<\/strong> which may appear something like egg white. This signals the approach of ovulation and the ideal time to have sex.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tracking_your_basal_temperature\"><\/span>Tracking your basal temperature<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Basal body temperature is the body\u2019s resting temperature and is best tracked by checking each morning before getting up. <strong>During ovulation, you have a small but measurable rise in body temperature<\/strong>. By recording these changes over several months, you can predict future ovulation dates.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ovulation_predictor_kits\"><\/span>Ovulation predictor kits<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Predictor kits work by measuring levels of LH, which triggers ovulation, in the urine. <strong>You would need to take the test for several days running to detect an increased level of LH<\/strong>. When this happens, it\u2019s your signal that you will ovulate during the next 12 to 36 hours.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fertility_monitor\"><\/span>Fertility monitor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A fertility monitor brings together some of these measures, by tracking your temperature, heart rate and periods, as well as levels of oestrogen and LH, to give you a prediction of your ovulation date, and therefore your most fertile period.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Contact_us_at_IVI\"><\/span><strong>Contact us at IVI<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For most women with a regular menstrual cycle, <strong>predicting your fertile window should be fairly straightforward once you understand the signals that your body is giving you<\/strong>. If in spite of this you feel there is something wrong, for example if your cycle is erratic and therefore <a href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/how-to-track-ovulation-with-pcos\/\">unpredictable<\/a>, you may like to browse our website for assisted fertility treatments that may be applicable for you. <a href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/ask-for-an-appointment\/\">Or if you would like to discuss any fertility concerns, just go ahead and contact us at IVI.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Yes, you can get pregnant after ovulation, but only for a short time. You are more likely to get pregnant if you have sex before ovulation. This might be contrary to the picture you had in your mind of a passive egg \u2018waiting\u2019 to be fertilised by a sperm. More often it\u2019s the other way&#8230; <a class=\"view-article\" href=\"https:\/\/ivi-fertility.com\/blog\/can-you-get-pregnant-after-ovulation\/\">View Article<\/a>","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":106467,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[219,167],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Can you get pregnant after ovulation? Which are your fertile days?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Can you get pregnant after ovulation? Yes, you can get pregnant after ovulation, but only for a short time. 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