“Am I Pregnant?” Five Things You May Not Know

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Whether you are attempting to become pregnant or trying to avoid it, the more you know about your ovulation cycle, the better.

When it comes to birth control, there are so many options. The possibilities can be overwhelming and unless they are permanent, most are not 100% effective. If you are looking for something permanent, you will want to take your time in making the decision. As my husband and I struggled to decide on a long term solution, I was determined to find out my “safe days” and more importantly the “fertile days” to avoid. (This is an extra precaution, in addition to another birth control method.) There is plenty of information on ovulation but not all in one place. Here is some of the research that I found useful.

Five important facts about ovulation:
1. When does ovulation occur? I found conflicting information on this. According to ovulation-calendar.com, “Ovulation, the release of a single egg, usually occurs around day 14 of a 28-day menstrual cycle. In other words, ovulation usually takes place 14 days after the first day of your menstrual cycle.” Pregnancyinsurance.com states, “The estimated ovulation is recognized to occur anywhere between 11-21 days following the last menstrual period (LMP), or 12-16 days from when you expect the next menstrual period to start.” The one thing that I did find to be consistent with all areas of reference was that the day of ovulation differs from woman to woman and may even vary from month to month for the same person. Ovulation tests and calendars could be helpful in determining your true cycle.

2. Once the egg is released, it can live and is capable of being fertilized for 12 to 48 hours before it begins to disintegrate.

3. That 12 to 48 hours is the most fertile period of your cycle and your chances of conception are highest. (Some of the references stated 12-24 hours being the most fertile times.)

4. Sperm can live in your body for approximately 4 to 5 days so your fertile period starts about 4-5 days before ovulation. This also means that you could get pregnant during your period.

5. Ovulation can be delayed by a number of factors, such as stress, increased activity or medication.

This information was provided by the following helpful websites:
www.ovulation-calendar.com
www.pregnancyinsurance.org
www.Americanpregnancy.org

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