When is least likely to get pregnant

The least likely time for you to get pregnant is during days 1 to 7 of your cycle. You usually will be having your menstrual flow during part of this time during the month, and this may be the best time to not get pregnant if you are planning on having intercourse. You can chart your own cycle to find out times that you are the most fertile and the least fertile. There are a few ways to do that:. Basal body temperature can be an indicator. Your temperature first thing in the morning before you get out of bed goes up by at least 0.

You should take your temperature at the same time each morning and put the information on a chart. After the month is finished, you can look at the data and see when you ovulated. After charting your cycle for a few months, you will have a good idea when you normally ovulate and, therefore, when you are the most fertile.

If your cycle is irregular, this method may not tell you when you regularly ovulate. During your cycle, your cervix and cervical mucus undergoes changes that are associated with the stage of your cycle.

When you are ovulating, your cervix shifts upward and the mucus produced by your cervix resembles raw egg whites or is watery. Tracking these changes in your body can also help you recognize when you are ovulating. An ovulation predictor can help. So, even if an oocyte was released, it would have nowhere to implant, making pregnancy much more difficult.

Many birth control pills are available on the market, each with different hormones, doses, and varying side effects. The device stays in the female body from 3 to 10 years before they need to be replaced. IUDs can be made from copper or a flexible plastic and work by preventing the sperm from fertilizing the egg. There are non-hormonal and hormonal IUDs. Condoms are a commonly used form of contraception that not only prevent pregnancy but can protect against sexually transmitted infections STIs as well.

They do this by forming a physical barrier that prevents sperm and sperm fluid seminal fluid from entering the vaginal canal and fertilizing an egg. You can use your fertile window as a way to manage the chances of becoming pregnant. Your most fertile days "the fertile window" are the 5 days leading up to and including the day of ovulation.

Using a calendar, you can track your menstrual cycle over the course of several months. Based on the average length of your cycle, you can somewhat accurately predict your fertile window and plan when to have or abstain from unprotected sex to increase or decrease your chances of getting pregnant.

Remember that there are several factors that affect your cycle from month to month. You should always use contraception when you have sex if you don't want to become pregnant. Page last reviewed: 8 July Next review due: 8 July Home Common health questions Pregnancy Back to Pregnancy. Can I get pregnant just after my period has finished? Some devices also identify days of peak fertility. The following table summarizes a typical menstrual cycle and how fertile a person is likely to be at each stage:.

To maximize the chances of becoming pregnant, a person should time sexual intercourse to occur during the 2 to 3 days leading up to, and including, ovulation. Sex during any of these days may provide a 20—30 percent chance of pregnancy.

Some women may wish to track their fertility to prevent pregnancy. This is known as the fertility awareness method. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC charts fertility awareness-based methods of contraception as having a 24 percent failure rate with typical use.

However, they may still become pregnant if they have ovulated early or late in their cycle, as sperm can survive in the body for several days. Ovulation and the fertile window can change from cycle-to-cycle, but they may also alter with age. Fertility naturally begins to decline in females from 35 years of age onward.

Some medical conditions, such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome, also make conception more difficult. Birth control pills aim to prevent unintended pregnancy. The pill prevents pregnancy by releasing synthetic hormones that stop ovulation from occurring and the uterus lining from thickening. So, even if the ovaries do release an egg, a fertilized egg would be unable to implant in the wall of the uterus.

The pill also thickens cervical mucus, making it harder for sperm to reach an egg. According to the CDC , the pill is more than 99 percent effective with perfect use but only 91 percent effective with typical use. This means that, with typical use, around 9 out of women would become pregnant in a year of taking the pill. Women who track their fertile window with the aim of getting pregnant should see their doctor for preconception planning.

As well as identifying barriers to conceiving, a doctor can advise on the use of folic acid or prenatal supplements to encourage a healthy pregnancy. Women under 35 years of age should see their doctor if they do not conceive after a year of trying.