ovulation, menstruation and fertile periods. Many want to
know whether it’s possible to ovulate without menstruation, or
menstruate without ovulation or whether they can get
pregnant if they have sex during menstruation. Many also want
to know about fertility.
This post answers all the follow-up questions to your questions on this topic. Please read this post and share because it
will help all women.
1. Don’t women ovulate on the 14th day after their period starts?
Unfortunately this is a myth that many still hold on to,
including healthcare professionals. The day of ovulation differs
from woman to woman and can even be different from month
to month. The “14th day” thinking appears to come from either
taking the average of when all women ovulate or from
someone just dividing the 28 day cycle in half. However this
myth got started, it is not an accurate way to calculate
ovulation, because many women do NOT ovulate on the 14th
day of their cycle.
2. During my ovulation time, how many days am I really fertile?
During the time of ovulation, an egg is available to be fertilized
for only about 12-24 hours. But since sperm can live in the
body for 3-5 days and then the egg is available for one day,
your most fertile time is considered to be about 5-7 days. The
most fertile period starts from two days before ovulation and
one day after ovulation.
3. Can I ovulate during my period?
For women who have regular cycles, ovulating during your
period is highly unlikely. Some women have very irregular
cycles, maybe coming once every 3 months or 2-3 times in one
month, and these women can have the odd occurrence of
ovulating during a period or what is believed to be a period.
Still, the chance of ovulating during a period is unlikely. But
note that because sperm can live in the body for 3-5 days,
pregnancy could occur from intercourse that takes place
during a period.
4. Can I ovulate right after my period?
The answer to this is determined by how many days are in
your cycle. For example, if you have a 21 day cycle (from the
beginning of one period to the beginning of another) and you
bleed for 7 days, then yes, you could ovulate right after your
period. This is because we know ovulation can occur 12-16
[average 14] days before your next period begins, and this
would put you ovulating at days 6-10 of your cycle.
5. Can I get pregnant during my period?
Pregnancy can occur from intercourse that takes place during a
period. This is because sperm can live in the body for up to
five days, and if a woman ovulates soon after her period, then
conception could take place from intercourse that occurred
during her period. This is especially common with women with
short cycle.
6. Can I ovulate without detecting the stretchy white cervical fluid?
Ovulation can take place even if you do not notice the “stretchy
egg-white” fluid that we assume accompanies ovulation. Every
woman can experience her own type of cervical fluid, and not
all are the same. Ovulation is assumed to take place on the
day a woman has the most amount of wet fluid.
7. What does it mean if I have the stretchy cervical fluid on more than one day?
Many women can experience ovulation fluid a few days before
ovulation actually takes place and can even have it after
ovulation has finished. When women are studying their fluid to
determine ovulation, they are looking for the 12-24 hour
period that they had the greatest amount of wet fluid as the
time that an egg is available for fertilization, although
intercourse that happens on the few days before this can also
result in pregnancy.
8. What are signs of ovulation?
The signs of ovulation can be any of the following, although
many women may only notice one or two of these:
• Change in cervical fluid
• Change in cervical position and cervical firmness
• Brief twinge of pain or dull ache that is felt on one side of the abdomen
• Light spotting
• Increase in sex drive
• Elevated level of the luteinizing hormone which can be
detected on a test
• Body temperature chart that shows a
consistent change
• Breast tenderness
• Abdominal bloating
• Heightened sense of vision, smell or taste
9. Can a woman ovulate more than once during each cycle?
A woman cannot ovulate more than once during each cycle,
therefore she cannot get pregnant more than once during a
cycle. Multiple ovulation can occur and is when two or more
eggs are released in a single cycle. Both eggs are released
during one 24 hour period and are responsible for the birth of
fraternal twins. It is believed that this may occur in as many as
5-10% of all cycles but does not result in that many twins due
to a type of miscarriage referred to as the “vanishing twin
phenomenon.”
10. Sometimes I see my menses twice in a month, Am I
normal?
You can see your menses twice a month if you have a short
cycle and you see it early that same month. For example, a
lady with a cycle length of 23days who sees her period on the
2nd of the month can also have menstrual flow by say 25th of
same month. Another reason why many people have menses
twice a month is when they use oral contraceptives. These
products induce withdrawal bleeding.
11. Can I ovulate without having a period?
Since a woman releases an egg 12-16 days before her expected
period, it is possible for women to get pregnant without having
periods. Women who are not menstruating due to a certain
condition (i.e.…low body weight, breastfeeding,
perimenopause) risk the chance of ovulating at any point. For
those who want to conceive, the lack of periods could make it
more difficult to know the timing of ovulation if you are not
charting temperature and cervical fluid changes. But if you are
not having periods and wanting to prevent pregnancy, a form
of contraception should be used since there is no way to know
when ovulation will occur.
12. Can I have a period without ovulation?
Having a period does not necessarily mean that ovulation has
taken place. Some women may have what is called an
anovulatory cycle, (meaning no ovulation) and can experience
some bleeding which is mistaken for a period, but it is actually
not a true period. This bleeding is caused by either a buildup
in the uterine lining that can no longer sustain itself or by an
estrogen level drop. The main way to decipher if ovulation is in
fact taking place is by tracking the body temperature.
13. I have not seen my period for the past 2, 3, 4 (or more)
months, what’s the problem?
There are many things that can cause delay in your periods,
and may cause you not to see your period as expected.
Examples include Use of Birth Control, Stress, Illness, Eating
Disorders, Being Overweight, PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian
Syndrome), Thyroid Disorder, Premature Menopause, Change
in Schedule. If you have such situation and you are planning to
get pregnant, then you have to see your doctor.
14. How do I calculate when I am ovulating?
The timing of ovulation is complex and can take some studying
of your body and your cycles to figure out. By using a
combination of methods such as studying cervical fluid, taking
your body temperature, and tracking your periods, you can
calculate your time of ovulation.
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