How to Get Pregnant After a Period

I’m so glad you found your way to this blog. If you’re here, I’m assuming you’re somewhere on your trying to conceive journey, and you’ve come to the right spot.

If you’re wondering how to get pregnant after a period, I’m going to pretend like we’re sitting together in a coffee shop, you with your favorite drink of choice and me with an iced latte with whole milk and honey. I’m going to walk you through everything I know and everything I recommend when it comes to your trying to conceive journey.

Understanding Your Fertile Window

When we talk about the menstrual cycle, the period tends to get all the press. But really, ovulation is queen, especially when you’re trying to conceive.

Your fertile window is based on when ovulation occurs. Sperm can live in the female reproductive tract for up to five days before ovulation, while an egg can be fertilized for about 12 to 24 hours after ovulation occurs. This means your fertile window includes the five days leading up to ovulation and up to 24 hours after ovulation.

It’s also important to understand that ovulation is a singular event that occurs during your cycle. It is not a phase of the menstrual cycle. Knowing when that event happens is a huge piece of understanding your fertile window and timing intercourse when you’re trying to conceive.

When Ovulation Happens After Your Period

This one is a big one because it is truly different for every person and every body.

Only about 20% of women ovulate on cycle day 14, even though day 14 is what many algorithm-based period trackers will predict as your ovulation day.

Instead of thinking about when ovulation happens after your period, I want you to reframe it and think about when your period happens after ovulation.

After ovulation, the corpus luteum is formed. If the egg is not fertilized and pregnancy does not occur, the corpus luteum has a lifespan of about 12 to 14 days. This means your next period will typically begin around 12 to 14 days after ovulation.

This is why simply counting a certain number of days after your period isn’t necessarily the best way to determine when you’re ovulating. Your ovulation day can vary, so understanding when you actually ovulate is much more helpful when you’re trying to figure out how to get pregnant after a period.

Best Time to Try to Conceive

The best time to try to conceive is during your fertile window, which includes the five days prior to ovulation and about 12 to 24 hours following ovulation.

The tricky part is figuring out when that fertile window actually is. Because ovulation doesn’t happen on the same cycle day for everyone, knowing what to watch for can help you better identify when you’re approaching ovulation and when your fertile window is occurring.

How to Track Ovulation

There are a few different ways you can track ovulation.

The first is cervical mucus tracking. Around ovulation, your cervical mucus will become more like an egg white consistency. It will be stretchy, and you’ll typically notice that there is plenty of it.

Second, you can use LH strips or ovulation predictor kits. These can give you a signal that you are approaching ovulation, which can be really helpful when you’re trying to identify your fertile window.

You can also use basal body temperature tracking to confirm ovulation. Your temperature will be lower prior to ovulation and then rise after you ovulate because of the progesterone coming from the corpus luteum.

The important distinction here is that basal body temperature tracking is confirmation that ovulation has occurred, whereas ovulation predictor kits can give you a signal that you are about to ovulate.

Timing Sex During Your Fertile Window

For reproductive purposes, I recommend having sex every other day during your fertile window.

Remember, your fertile window includes the five days prior to ovulation and about 12 to 24 hours following ovulation, so this is the window you want to focus on when timing intercourse while trying to conceive.

What Can Affect Ovulation Timing

There are several things that can affect when ovulation occurs. Medical diagnoses such as thyroid disorders, PCOS, and PMS can impact ovulation timing.

Lifestyle factors can also play a role, including inadequate sleep, overexercising, and not consuming enough calories.

This is another reason why your ovulation day may not look exactly like what an algorithm-based period tracker predicts. When you’re trying to figure out how to get pregnant after a period, identifying when your body is actually ovulating is much more helpful than relying on a predicted cycle day alone.

Ready for More Guidance on Your Trying to Conceive Journey?

If you are on your trying to conceive journey and would like some additional guidance, we would love to work with you through our Analysis & Action Plan.

You’ll complete an intake form that allows us to take a deeper look at where you are in your journey. Once you’ve completed it, we’ll review everything and send you our analysis along with an action plan outlining the things you can do to move forward and what your next steps can look like.

After that, you’ll have two months of follow-up consultation with us. This gives you the opportunity to ask questions as you start implementing your plan and allows us to make sure you’re actually putting those recommendations into practice.

You can find more information about the Analysis & Action Plan and sign up here. We would love to help you as you move forward on your trying to conceive journey.