Women who are planning to conceive a baby or, conversely, are puzzled by the issues of preventing an untimely pregnancy, often ask questions about the likelihood of pregnancy on different days of the menstrual cycle. Is it possible to get pregnant 3 days before ovulation is one of the most common questions.
When is conception possible?
Misunderstandings and questions usually arise due to the fact that there are some difficulties with the wording regarding the probability of conception. From the point of view of medicine and science, conception is possible only when there is a mature and ready egg cell. And conception itself (the fusion of gametes and the exchange of DNA information) occurs only during the ovulatory period, which includes the day of ovulation itself and the day after it. The fact is that the egg cell lives no more than 24-36 hours after it leaves the follicle on the surface of the ovary, and only during these hours is it possible to merge with the sperm.
But pregnancy can really occur even if the sexual intercourse itself was not performed on the day of ovulation, but several days before it. This is because male germ cells have a great vitality, and they are always ready to merge. On average, a sperm cell lives from 3 to 5 days, sometimes up to 6 days, and therefore unprotected intercourse, carried out 3-4 days before the expected ovulation, may well lead to pregnancy, just sperm will have to "wait" for the release of the female gamete from the follicle. The hardiest can do it.
For successful conception, not only two mature and active germ cells are important, but also some accompanying factors. If a woman has abundant cervical discharge on the eve of ovulation, then the acidic environment of the vagina becomes less aggressive due to the alkaline environment of cervical mucus. In this case, a larger number of male germ cells will be able to get to the fallopian tubes and there calmly wait in the wings.
After the egg has left the follicular cavity, it can be fertilized in two situations:
- if spermatozoa are already in the genital tract, and they remain viable and mobile;
- if male reproductive cells reach the ampullar part of the fallopian tube within 24-36 hours from the moment of ovulation.
In this way, the time of 3-4 days before ovulation fits well into the beginning of the fertile period, when unprotected sex and interrupted intercourse can lead to pregnancy.
Percentage odds
Of course, the closer to the day of ovulation, the higher the probability of conception, and from this point of view, the prospect of conceiving a baby with sex 1-2 days before the release of the oocyte is much higher than with sexual intercourse 3-4 days.
The likelihood that partners will become parents increases if they are young and healthy. Indeed, with age, the quality of germ cells decreases in both men and women.
In women, with age, the frequency of anovulatory cycles in which ovulation does not occur at all increases, and therefore the likelihood that after 35 years a woman will become pregnant the first time during coitus three days before ovulation is significantly lower than the chances of a 25-year-old woman in similar circumstances ...
Reproductologists estimate the maximum probability of becoming pregnant exists in young and healthy women upon contact on the day of ovulation. It is estimated at 33-34%. If unprotected intercourse took place 3 days before ovulation, then the probability can be estimated at about 16%. If a woman has crossed the age limit at 35 years old, then the probability is no higher than 7%, and for women over 40 years old - no more than 1%. The age of the man also plays a role. The younger and healthier a man is, the higher the likelihood that his sperm will be able to "hold out" in the female genital tract for 3-4 days.
You can get pregnant not only with direct ejaculation into the genital tract, but also with interrupted sexual intercourse. Since male germ cells suitable for fertilization can be contained in certain quantities in the precoital physiological lubricant, which is produced in men at the time of sexual arousal. The ingress of sperm on the external genital organs of a woman can also cause pregnancy, but at the same time fewer germ cells enter the genital tract, and the chances that they will survive to ovulation are rapidly decreasing.
Useful tips for planning a pregnancy
If it is not possible to have sexual intercourse at a different time, then 3 days before ovulation is a good time. Simple tips will help increase the chances of conception:
- do not use lubricants during the act;
- after sex, you need to lie down quietly for about 40 minutes, throwing your legs higher so that as many male reproductive cells as possible can reach the fallopian tubes (usually this path takes about 40 minutes);
- do not douche after intercourse.
The best way to increase your chances of conceiving is to have repeated intercourse the day before ovulation, on the day of ovulation, and a day later, or at least every other day.
Contraception recommendations
Interrupted intercourse is not a very reliable method of protection, and pregnancy, even if intercourse was three days before ovulation, may become unexpected and untimely news for partners. During the fertile window of more hope, barrier methods of contraception or the use of oral contraceptives, which suppress the ovulation process in principle, and make it impossible for the egg to escape.
If intercourse with an insufficient degree of protection still occurs, then within 24-48 hours you can take a hormonal agent intended for postcoital contraception, for example, "Postinor". There is no guarantee that there will be no pregnancy, because even when taken on the first day after intercourse, the effectiveness of the drug is only 90%, and after 72 hours such funds may be completely ineffective.
Postcoital contraceptives often cause menstrual irregularities, hormonal imbalance, and therefore should not be used on a systematic basis.
