Whether you’re TTC or trying not to, knowing when you’re most likely to ovulate is pretty important. But what if you’re not ovulating, or can’t find out when it’s happening? What’s the deal? Can you get pregnant if you’re not ovulating? Show In
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Can you get pregnant at any time?The short answer? Not exactly. Like learning the steps of a dance, this is all about the timing. The interval in your monthly cycle when you are most able to get pregnant is called the fertile window. Ovulation usually occurs about halfway through your cycle on approximately Day 14—but the length of your cycle and the exact day of ovulation can vary from woman to woman. Your chances of getting pregnant are highest a few days before ovulation and on the day of. During ovulation, your body releases a mature egg from one of your ovaries. The egg journeys down the fallopian tube with the mission of getting fertilized. It hangs out in this area for about 12 to 24 hours—and if there’s an awaiting sperm there ready to do the job, they might decide to join forces. And that’s why timing is everything. If the sperm arrives and there’s no egg, or vice versa, fertilization can’t take place. Can you get pregnant when you’re not ovulating? Sperm can live for up to five days in your cervix, so if you have sex five days before ovulation, it’s still possible to get pregnant. Other than that, it’s less likely—but not totally impossible!—that you’ll get pregnant during other times of your cycle. How do you know you’re ovulating?It’s not always easy to tell if you’re ovulating. Here are some methods that can help: Take an ovulation testOvulation tests detect a rise in the luteinizing hormone (LH) in your urine. This )[hormone](https://www.peanut-app.io/blog/fertility-hormones-to-know rises when your body is ready to release an egg. Track your basal body temperature (BBT)Your BBT is your temperature when you’re totally at rest. Ovulation can cause your BBT to rise. If you track your temperature for a few months, you’ll have some indication of when ovulation usually happens for you. Watch out for ovulating symptomsNot everyone gets them, but it’s worth keeping an eye out. Here are some of the common ones:
Can you still get pregnant if you’re not ovulating?Okay, so what if the above methods are turning up nothing for you? You might have a condition called anovulation, which is when your ovaries don’t release an egg. There are a few different reasons this might happen. Because your sex hormones estrogen and progesterone play such a big role in ovulation, a hormonal imbalance can cause a disruption. And what might cause that imbalance? A few different things:
The bottom line? TTC is hard. And trying not to conceive can be tricky, too! Wherever you’re at, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to your friends, family, and Peanut community. Wishing you all the best. 💡 More from The 411: |