The onset of pregnancy on different days of the menstrual cycle is of concern to all women of reproductive age. And it is especially strong for those who plan to conceive or, conversely, try to exclude the possibility of an unplanned unwanted pregnancy. The question often arises whether it is possible to conceive a child the day before ovulation. We will answer it in this article.
Conditions for conception
In order for conception to take place, several important conditions must be met. First of all, we need two living, full-fledged, capable of fusion sex cells - male and female... If a man's sperm are theoretically ready for fertilization absolutely on any day, then a woman's germ cell matures once a month, leaving the follicle on the surface of the gonad (ovary) on the day of ovulation.
Usually it occurs in the middle of the cycle, and in most cases the release of a mature oocyte occurs 14 days before the date of the next menstruation. The egg cell lives for 24-36 hours. And these hours are the most favorable and only possible time for conception.
You heard right - conception occurs strictly within these 24-36 hours, no later and no earlier.
But the catch is that a man's sperm has a longer lifespan, they do not lose their ability to merge even after 3-4 daysheld in the female genital tract, which are considered an environment that is quite favorable for their existence. Thus, after the moment of ovulation, when the follicular membrane ruptures and releases a mature egg, conception will take place if:
- spermatozoa were already in the female genital tract and retained their morphological and functional properties;
- sperm will arrive in the fallopian tube, where the egg is located, within 24-36 hours.
There are no other options for conception.... And if this does not occur in the allotted short time, after one and a half days the egg dies, descends into the uterine cavity and, together with the rejected endometrium, leaves it on the days of the next menstruation. A new cycle of follicle maturation immediately starts, and the body begins to gradually prepare for a new ovulation.
Chances of pregnancy before oocyte release
If unprotected intercourse was performed the day before ovulation, there is a high probability (about 95%) that the sperm will remain active and be able to fertilize the egg. The younger the partners, the higher the chances of conceiving the first time... In women after 35 years, the ovarian reserve decreases, anovulatory cycles occur more often, when the maturation of the dominant follicle and the release of the egg does not occur at all, and therefore the chances are reduced.
The probability of becoming pregnant with sexual intercourse held the day before ovulation in healthy 20-year-old women is approximately 31%, in women over 35 years old - 15%, in women over 40 years old - 3-4%. With sex on the very day of ovulation, the likelihood of pregnancy is slightly higher: 33-34% in women under 30 years of age and less in older women.
The probability is significantly influenced by the health status of the woman and her partner. If a man is much older and has problems with sperm motility and vitality, then pregnancy may not occur either the day before ovulation, or on the day the egg is released... But with minor deviations in the spermogram, the chances that sperm will live a day in the genital tract are very high. In healthy men with a normal spermogram, they are almost 100 percent.
Thus, pregnancy is very likely if the woman the day before the expected ovulation:
- had unprotected sex with ejaculation in the genital tract;
- had interrupted sexual intercourse - sperm could get into the genital tract with male lubricant produced with strong sexual arousal;
- had multiple interrupted sexual intercourse (the likelihood increases due to the fact that after the previous ejaculation, part of the male sex cells could remain in the vas deferens, and then this part is almost guaranteed to enter the female genital tract with lubrication);
- had contact of her hands or body skin with sperm, since with her hands she herself could bring live and motile spermatozoa into her genital tract during washing, going to the toilet, and performing intimate hygiene.
The answer to the question whether there is a chance of getting pregnant the first time, if unprotected or interrupted sex took place the day before ovulation, is unequivocally affirmative. There are chances, and they are very high.
What if conception is not planned?
If a woman wants to become a mother, then the prospect of achieving the cherished goal will only please. One has only to repeat intercourse on the day of ovulation or within a day after it, in order to increase the chances of a successful conception.
Consider another situation - if there was sex the day before ovulation, and pregnancy is not included in the plans. It all depends on how much time has passed since intercourse.
You can use the so-called postcoital fire-fighting contraception, for example, "Postinor". Hormonal drugs have an efficiency of about 85% - it is in this number of cases that pregnancy can be prevented. The highest probability of preventing pregnancy will be if you take the drug within the first day after intercourse. It is at 90%. Further, it decreases, and if you take a pill in the period from 48 to 72 hours after sex, it will be possible to prevent conception only in 58% of cases.
It must be remembered that fire-fighting contraception often disrupts the menstrual cycle, leads to hormonal imbalance, disruption of folliculogenesis for 2-3 subsequent cycles, and contributes to the development of ovarian cystic formations. Therefore, it is worth resorting to them only as a last resort.
In other cases, a woman will be helped by a clear understanding that interrupted sexual intercourse and the calendar method of contraception are not a guarantee of the absence of pregnancy, and a more effective method should be chosen together with a doctor.
For more information on when conception occurs after intercourse, see the following video.
