Whether you're trying for a baby or want to protect yourself from getting pregnant, there's often some confusion around the question - can you get pregnant on your period? When trying for a baby, one of your main preoccupations is knowing when, during your monthly cycle, you're at your most fertile, as well as being aware of when you're not. So, getting clear about this grey area is important, and we're here to clear a few a things up with the help of certified life coach, hormonal health expert and the author of Period Power and Perimenopause Power - Maisie Hill.
The short answer: Can you get pregnant on your period?
Yes, it's possible to get pregnant if you have unprotected sex while on your period. However, it is unlikely, although this doesn't mean you should be careless if you don't want to get pregnant.
Lloyds Pharmacy Online Doctor says; "Many people think that periods work like contraception, and that it’s impossible to get pregnant while you’re having your monthly bleed. However, this isn’t true – according to the NHS, there’s actually no “safe” time during your cycle when you can have completely unprotected sex."
Keep reading to find out how it's possible to get pregnant, and what the chances of getting pregnant while on your period are. We also answer this common question - Can you get pregnant last day of your period? As well as the other ways you could get pregnant while on your period.
What are the chances of getting pregnant while on your period?
If you've had sex during menstruation, you probably want to know what the likelihood of you getting pregnant really is. It's common to assume that when you have sex during your period, then surely, if your womb lining is breaking down along with your unfertilised egg, there is no chance of falling pregnant? Unfortunately, it's not as simple as this, and if you're not looking to get pregnant, it's easy to make the mistake of thinking you're safe not to use contraception during menstruation.
Maisie Hill says; "Conceiving as a result of having sex whilst on your period is unlikely, but it is possible." She goes on to explain that; "If you have a short cycle, for example, 21 days, you could be ovulating around days 6-10 of your cycle, which would mean that sex towards the end of your period could result in conception."
Can you get pregnant last day of your period?
If you have a shorter menstrual cycle it's possible to get pregnant if you have had sex on the past day of your period. This is because you will ovulate sooner and sperm can stay alive in your body, potentially fertilising your egg when it is released a few days later. Keep reading, as we explain this further below, along with the other ways you could get pregnant while on your period.
Ways you could get pregnant while on your period
There are a number of ways you could mistakenly get pregnant while on your period:
You're bleeding but it's not your period
Just because you see blood around the time your period is due, it doesn't necessarily mean that it's menstruasl blood. It's common for women to mistake vaginal bleeding for the beginning of a period. It's also possible that the blood was caused by ovulation, so if you think you're safe because it's your period and you have unprotected sex, you could actually be having sex when you're at your most fertile, which wouold increase your chance of becoming pregnant! This sometimes happens when you've mixed up your dates, or it may just be one of those things, sometimes our bodies don't work according to the rules.
You have a shorter cycle
The ovulation cycle for most women is somewhere between 28 and 30 days. This means that if you have sex while on your period, you won’t likely ovulate until several days later, which lessens the chance that you'll get pregnant. But everyone's cycle is different and may vary from month to month. This means that if you have a shorter cycle that month, you won't have the same amount of time between having your period and ovulating, therefore increasing the chance that you might get pregnant if you have sex while you're menstruating.
Sperm lives inside of you for several days
Don't forget that after ejaculation, sperm doesn't just die off straight away. It can hang around inside of your body and live for up to five days! This means that if you have sex towards the end of your period and you have an early ovulation that begins just a few days later, there is a possibility that you could conceive, even if the chances are pretty low. For this reason, if you hope to fall pregnant, there are better times on the month to go for if you want to maximise your chances for success.
When is the best time to try to conceive?
You're most fertile at the time of ovulation (when an egg is released from your ovaries). This normally happens around 12-14 days before your next period.
"The best time to try to conceive is the week preceding ovulation and the 24 hours after it because in the presence of fertile quality cervical fluid, sperm can survive for up to five days and will be hanging out in your fallopian tubes, waiting for an egg to be released at ovulation," says Maisie.
"If you’re just having sex on day 14 of your cycle, then you’re missing out on the majority of your fertile window - the length of time in every cycle when conception is possible - and not only that, but you may ovulate earlier or later than that. It all depends on the nuances of your cycle which is why being aware of thesigns and symptoms of ovulation and getting to know your cycle is essential."
Try our free ovulation calculator
You can find out when you're ovulating with our easy and free ovulation calculator tool. It's a handy tool that can help if you're trying to get pregnant or if you're trying to avoid getting pregnant, and it works by helping you to know your menstrual cycle better so you can plan safer sex or your most fertile time to conceive.
Meet the expert
Maisie Hill is highly qualified and sought-after women’s health expert with over a decade of experience as a practitioner and birth doula. She is the author of best-selling novel Period Power.
Proud aunt to her teen niece, Zara Mohammed is a Digital Writer for Mother&Baby. She has 10 years freelance writing experience creating lifestyle content for various platforms, including pregnancy, women’s health, parenting, child development and child mental health, plus lots of fun seasonal family articles and celebrity news.