Sure, you will get pregnant after ovulation, so long as you could have intercourse inside about 12 to 24 hours of when an egg was launched. The fertile window can final 5 to six days, from the 5 days earlier than ovulation to the day of ovulation. Your probability of getting pregnant after ovulation is small. One older research discovered that the percentages of conception someday previous ovulation are between 0% and 11% (and no different proof has come alongside to contradict this).
However don’t let these odds cease you from having intercourse! There are just a few causes to have baby-making intercourse even should you assume you already ovulated. First, chances are you’ll be mistaken about your precise day of ovulation. And second, intercourse after fertilization could increase your odds of being pregnant.
The Fertile Window
Ideally, if you wish to get pregnant, you could have intercourse earlier than you ovulate. If you happen to thought intercourse wants to come back after ovulation, you’re not alone. Many individuals don’t understand that the very best time to have intercourse to get pregnant is earlier than, not after, ovulation.
Sperm can stay for just a few days in your cervix and fallopian tubes, however an egg have to be fertilized quickly after it is launched. So your odds are higher if sperm are prepared and ready for an egg they will fertilize, quite than the opposite method round.
There have been a number of analysis research on the percentages of conception at numerous levels of the menstrual cycle. These agree that the very best odds of conception are the day earlier than and the day of ovulation. But it surely’s not 100% clear how probably you’re to conceive as soon as ovulation has handed.
Based mostly on older analysis, your odds of getting pregnant from having intercourse as soon as could also be wherever in these ranges:
- Sooner or later earlier than ovulation: 21% to 35%
- On ovulation day: 10% to 33%
- Sooner or later previous ovulation (1DPO): 0% to 11%
- Two days previous ovulation (2DPO): 0% to 9%
A newer research that regarded on the likelihood of being pregnant from intercourse all through the menstrual cycle discovered the best likelihood on day 13 (someday earlier than ovulation) in folks with common cycles.
These numbers assume that you’ve intercourse simply as soon as throughout your fertile window. When you have intercourse earlier than you ovulate and the day after, your odds might be considerably completely different (higher!) than if in case you have intercourse solely after you ovulated.
How Lengthy After Ovulation Can You Conceive?
This is determined by the way you outline “conceive.” Fertilization of the ovulated egg should happen inside 12 to 24 hours. After that, the egg is now not viable.
However fertilization of the egg doesn’t suggest you are pregnant. As anybody who has gone by in vitro fertilization (IVF) can inform you, having an embryo (which is a fertilized egg) would not assure a being pregnant. You are not pregnant till the embryo implants itself into the uterine lining.
Ovulation Day Errors
Remember the fact that ovulation day errors can happen. You could be unsuitable about while you ovulated. Most strategies of ovulation prediction aren’t good. So even should you assume you’ve got already ovulated, and missed your fertile window, you should still be in that window. It would not damage to attempt!
There are lots of methods to detect your most fertile time, together with:
Physique basal temperature (BBT) charting is usually thought of to be essentially the most correct, however it may be vulnerable to errors in recording and interpretation. In response to one research, BBT charting predicted the day of ovulation accurately solely 22% of the time.
In case you are attempting to pinpoint ovulation day by measuring urinary ranges of the hormone LH (such as you do with an ovulation predictor check), the outcomes may be fairly correct (over 90%). However you do must hold buying kits and/or check strips.
Intercourse After Ovulation Could Assist With Implantation
There’s one more reason to have intercourse even should you’ve already ovulated: It might enhance your odds of implantation. An older research regarded on the impact sexual activity has on being pregnant success and IVF. On this research, one group of {couples} had sexual activity across the time of embryo switch. The opposite group abstained from intercourse.
The preliminary being pregnant charges between the teams weren’t that completely different. Nonetheless, the quantity of people that have been nonetheless pregnant at 6 to eight weeks was important.
Of the group that had intercourse across the time of embryo switch, 11.01% have been nonetheless pregnant at 6 to eight weeks. As for many who didn’t have intercourse round embryo switch, solely 7.69% have been nonetheless pregnant at 6 to eight weeks. The idea is that semen could play a job in embryo well being and growth.
Whereas newer analysis has failed to seek out proof of this impact, a 2020 research reported that having intercourse across the time of implantation (in folks not present process fertility therapies) would not enhance or lower the probability of implantation and profitable being pregnant. This means that having intercourse post-ovulation is unlikely to hurt the possibilities of implantation.
A Phrase From Verywell
While you’re attempting to get pregnant, it may be tempting to fret about whether or not you are having intercourse “on the proper time.” Whereas there are explicit days while you’re extra prone to conceive, intercourse should not solely be about baby-making.
That stated, in case your solely probability to have intercourse occurs to fall after ovulation, it is pure to marvel if it counts. Whether or not you assume you’ve already ovulated or not, have intercourse. You could have miscalculated and assume you ovulated already when you have not… or, even should you already ovulated, it is attainable intercourse after ovulation may assist alongside an embryo.