Can You Get Pregnant Right After Your Period?

Right. For ten thousand points: can you get pregnant right after your period? We've checked in with embryology expert Navya Muralidhar to find out. The short answer? While not likely (you typically still have to wait a bit for the ovulation process to kick in), it’s entirely possible.

If you’re trying to conceive, the answer to the question when’s the best time to get pregnant after your period? might feel like it’s taking up a whole lot of real estate in your mind.

So to help you get to the bottom of this and other bewildering questions, how about a quick Q&A?

In this article: 📝

When do you ovulate after a period?

So how many days after your period do you ovulate?

This is a hard one to answer because periods – and the cycles of which they’re a part – are all different lengths.

We are, after all, utterly unique. 🦄

That means that ovulation after periods will be different, too.

Not sure whether you’re ovulating?

Check out these 9 Possible Ovulation Symptoms.

Do you ovulate before or after your period?

A general rule of thumb is that you will ovulate 10 to 14 days before your next period.

(Remember the part about your period being the going away party for an unfertilized egg? Yup. That’s how long the egg gets to stick around for until it is not so politely asked to leave.)

If you’re wanting to conceive, it might be a good idea to start tracking your monthly rhythms so that you can feel a little more in the driver’s seat of all of your bodily shenanigans.

Can you ovulate right after your period?

Typically, you don’t start ovulating straight after your period, although some people do have shorter menstrual cycles.

So, some people with shorter cycles might start ovulating 6 days after the first day of their period ‒ and if your period lasts around 3-4 days, you could start ovulating within a couple of days of your period.

But usually, ovulation is said to occur 12-14 days after the first day of your menstrual cycle.

If you want to find out more about your cycle, ovulation tests are the way to do it.

Can you get pregnant after your period?

In a word: yes.

Think of your menstrual cycle starting on day one of your period, and lasting for roughly 28 days (although some people’s cycles can last between 21 to 45 days, as well).

Typically, you’ll start ovulating in the middle of your cycle, around 12-14 days before the next period.

So it depends on how long your period lasts as to whether you start ovulating right after.

Plus, you can get pregnant any time, from five days before ovulation to one day after ovulation.

Considering ovulation usually lasts 12 to 24 hours, that gives you about 7 days during your menstrual cycle that you can get pregnant.

However, there’s no guarantee that you will (or won’t) get pregnant outside of these days.

How soon after your period can you get pregnant?

You can get pregnant straight after your period, although the chances are pretty slim.

However, you’ll likely be at your most fertile (ovulating) about 7-16 days after day 1 of your period (the start of your menstrual cycle).

How many days after your period can you get pregnant?

But just how long after your period can you get pregnant?

Let’s look at the chances of getting pregnant right after period.

Because it is possible to get pregnant after period ‒ it’s actually possible to get pregnant at any time during your menstrual cycle!

Let’s break it down for a ‘typical’ menstrual cycle:

• Day 1: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant (first day of period)
• Day 2: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 3: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 4: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 5: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 6: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 7: Around 3% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 8: Around 6% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 9: Around 9% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 10: Around 18% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 11: Around 27% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 12: Around 33% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 13: Around 42% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 14: Around 20% chance of getting pregnant (ovulation day)
• Day 15: Around 8% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 16: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 17: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 18: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 19: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 20: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 21: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 22: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 23: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 24: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 25: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 26: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 27: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
• Day 28: Less than 1% chance of getting pregnant
  Remember, this is a sample menstrual cycle ‒ yours could last anywhere between 21 and 45 days, which would change when your ovulation day and fertile windows are.

When’s the best time to get pregnant after your period?

So, it’s time for the “how to get pregnant after period” portion of our guide.

The funny thing is, for all the procreating we do as a species – it must be fun or something – women can only get pregnant during a pretty small chapter of every month (doesn't mean we can't practice pregnancy sex positions though).

The fertile window, as it’s called, is a small one.

So if you’re wanting to know if you can get pregnant after your period, yes you can, but typically a few weeks after.

The fertility cycle is about 6-10 days in most women.

If you’re the cookie-cutter textbook 28-day regular cycle case, this would be around days 10-17 of your cycle.

That’s why many couples land up getting a fantastic toolkit of calendars and clocks – and sometimes even canceling important engagements – to, well, get it on.

But of course, in the chimeric world of what is typical, very little is. In fact, in only about 30% of women is the fertile window entirely within the days set out by the clinical guidelines

Can you get pregnant on your period?

While you can generally consider this a pretty safe zone, surprises of all sorts find their way into the fertility story.

It’s a little something like this.

Remember playing tag as a kid? (Bear with us.)

Well, in this popular children’s game, there is typically a safe zone, or “den”, where, as a player, you’re free from being tagged.

Sure, this space is safe.

But remember: there’s always that one “it” who doesn’t play by the rules and tags you anyway.

All this to say: sperm can live inside your body for up to 7 days after you've sex.

So if you ovulate early or have a naturally short cycle, it’s possible.

Because life’s like that sometimes.

In short:

• There’s a window of fertility, and usually, your period likes to hang out in other parts of the month.
• Tracking your own unique cycle may be useful if you’re looking to conceive.
• If you’re looking to stay as far away from conceiving as possible, your period may present a safer zone, but safer is by no means totally safe and should be treated accordingly.
  So that’s all you need to know about whether you can get pregnant right after your period!

Good luck with your very unique journey with your very unique body.

And hey, as unique as you are, you're not alone.

You can always reach out to the community on Peanut for support and advice along the way.