Fertility Window: Probability of Pregnancy 8 Days Before Your Period

Question
7/31/04


I KNOW THERE IS A PERIOD IN EVERY MONTH THAT YOU ARE LEAST LIKELY TO GET PREGNANT.WHAT IS THE POSSIABILITY OF GETING PREGNANT 8 DAYS BEFORE YOUR PERIOD?

Answer
You can only become pregnant around the time of ovulation. A sperm can live for 12-24 hours and an egg can remain viable for 24-48 hours. Therefore, you can become pregnant if you have unprotected sex from one day prior to ovulation up to 2 days after ovulation. If you have a normal 28 day cycle (from the first day of your period until the first day of your next period, ovulation occurs on cycle day #14. You can, therefore, becomoe pregnant on cycle day #13, 14, 15, or 16. You cannot become pregnant on any other day of the month, unless your cycle is longer or shorter than 28 days. If so, then you ovulate 14 days PRIOR TO the first day of your next period (which is hard to figure out). Usually you cannot become pregnant eight days before the first day of your period.