How Many Days After Your Period Can You Get Pregnant?

I am going to set up two scenarios to help you understand the process of ovulation and the optimal time to get pregnant after your period.

*This is a broad range of dates for possible ovulation. In fact, when couples plan to have sex based on this range of dates, most men experience performance anxiety (have to have sex this many days in a month). So, there is a better way to calculate your ovulation period and timing of sex.

We are going to look at a woman that has a 21 day cycle and a woman that has a 28 day cycle. We are going to compare those two women as it relates to ovulation after her menstrual cycle (period).

First, let me say that ‘menstrual cycle’ is a bleed, and the first day of your cycle is the day you see any blood, that is called day 1. It means that you did not get pregnant, and you are passing the tissue from inside of your uterus that was preparing for a pregnancy.

Count from that point to day 1 of your next cycle. That is your intermenstrual cycle, which is usually 21 – 35 days for most women, and it is considered a ‘normal cycle’.

Most women follow the same pattern, which means your cycle is predicable. If your cycles are all over the place (21 days then to 48 days, and back to 24 days, etc…), then you are most likely not ovulating. I encourage you to talk to your healthcare provider about a remedy to your inconsistent cycles.

**Read my post about regulating your cycles. CLICK HERE –> https://pearently.com/how-to-get-pregnant-faster-with-irregular-periods/

21-day cycles

The intermenstrual cycle is 21-days. You should ovulate around day 7.

The cycle is 21 days. Subtract 14 days from 21, and that equals day 7. However, that does not necessarily mean that you will ovulate ON day 7. The next step is to subtract 5 days from day 7, and add 5 days to day 7. So, potentially you are ovulating from day 2 up until day 12, and this is your ovulatory period (fertile window)!

28-day cycles

The intermenstrual cycle is 28-days. You should ovulate around day 14.

The cycle is 28 days. Ovulation is calculated when you subtract 14 days from 28, and that equals day 14. Your ovulatory period is day 7 – 21.

DOWNLOAD our FREE guide for more details or if you have a different intermenstrual cycle than the ones listed above.

Now we can talk about the fun part, sex. 

Get together with your husband, and let him know that sex is going to happen every 48-hours starting on day _____ until day _____ (ovulatory period/fertile window discussed above).

It is crucial that intercourse happens every 48-hours, NOT every 2 days. The sperm has a life span of 48-hours, and the egg lives 12-24 hours (I always recommend that you think of the egg only lasting 12 hours for best results). So, 48-hours means that the sperm will be fresh and healthy to meet the egg for fertilization to occur.

Write your days down, or don’t because he won’t forget when the intimacy gets to happen. Try to have fun in this time. I know it can be stressful when you want to be pregnant NOW. But enjoy this time, and it will happen soon. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have further concerns.

I wish you the best on you journey towards pregnancy.

When you get pregnant, delivery day will come fast! I recommend making a plan for a smooth and successful vaginal birth.

Do you want some help making a plan? Download the FREE Natural Birth Workbook. This 4 Step Process is a great start if you are considering a med-free birth. Download below…