Can I Get Pregnant On My Period? (And Other Period Myths & Misconceptions)

Usha Anandi. 12| JULY| 2024

I lost my virginity at 16. And growing up in a devout Catholic household… I was terrified out of my mind at the potential consequences.

Even though I had already been on the pill for a full year, I knew next to nothing about my body, and even less about sex…

I hardly knew what “ovulation” meant.

All I knew was that sex = pregnancy, and in my household, pregnancy = I’d be strung up and burned at the stake like the magical witch I am.

…Which culminated in me taking Plan B in addition to taking the pill every day to “stay on the safe side” 🤮

If you’ve ever taken synthetic hormones, you already know the consequences of suppressing your body’s innate cyclical rhythm. I was met with intense cramps, irregular bleeds, and cystic acne, to name a few…

All because sex ed utterly failed me.

I’m writing this blog to right their wrongs.

Because I know I’m not alone in this experience, I want to make sure no more women feel lost or isolated during these big milestones.

Yes, it would’ve been nice to have parents, educators, or elders teach us factual information about our fertility and how it works growing up.

But if you didn’t have that, I want you to stop blaming others.

And start taking the responsibility for your health into your own hands.

That’s why I created my Womb Sciences.

If you’ve ever struggled with hormonal imbalances, painful or irregular cycles, or a general sense of disconnect from your womb, now is your chance to join me for a 6-week immersion committed to teaching you about your body.

Maybe I couldn’t be there for you when you lost your virginity, but with these teachings, you can be that person for the women in your community.

RECLAIM YOUR WOMB HEALTH

Working with women for over a decade, I’ve picked up on a lot of the most common misconceptions women have about their bodies. Let’s debunk some myths, shall we?

True or False: I Can Get Pregnant on My Period

MOSTLY FALSE

By far one of the most common questions I’ve been asked by women with worry written all over their faces is “Can I get pregnant on my period?”.

And honestly, I get it. It’s easy to get lost in an onslaught of information and oh-so-many urban legends, you’re bound to have your doubts…

So here it is, one quick answer to rule them all:

You cannot get pregnant on your period, but you can get pregnant from period sex.

Here’s how: In the Fertility Awareness method, we only consider the first two days of your period to be ‘safe’ days for a male partner to ejaculate inside of you without risk of pregnancy.

This is because everyone’s cycle is different, and in the right circumstances, sperm can stay alive in the vagina for 5 to 7 days! If your unique cycle is short, you could ovulate shortly after your period finishes, leading to a possible pregnancy.

True or False: I Can Get Pregnant Every Day of the Month

FALSE

This is an outright myth. The reality? You can only get pregnant if your egg gets fertilized during ovulation.

One of the biggest lies women are told is that we’re fertile all the time.

This lie fuels the idea that the ONLY form of reliable contraception is synthetic hormones, which simply isn’t the case. Through the Fertility Awareness method (more on that below!), you can practice safe sex without sacrificing how you ovulate.

Here’s a cycle cheat sheet to the 4 phases and which ones can end up in parenthood:

• Inner Spring (Follicular Phase) = UNSAFE!
  For most, having unprotected sex with a male partner in this window is too close to ovulation to guarantee no babies.
• Inner Summer (Ovulatory Phase) = UNSAFE!
  This is go-time if you’re gunning to become a parent.
• Inner Fall (Luteal Phase) = SAFE!
  Once you finish ovulating, you can breathe a sigh of relief.
• Inner Winter (Menstrual Phase) = GENERALLY SAFE!
  As aforementioned, the first two days of your period are considered 100% safe. After that, it really depends on your unique cycle since estrogen starts rising on day three of the period.

Important note: When planning to be intimate with a male partner, don’t forget to consider the lifespan of the sperm (5 to 7 days)!

True or False: Ovulation Only Matters if I Want to Conceive

FALSE

Actually, ovulation always matters! It’s a sign of good health, vitality, and a great way to make sure you don’t conceive.

The hormones produced during ovulation support brain, breast, and cardiovascular health, to name a few. Yup – that means that when you’re on the pill, you miss out on all of these benefits!

True or False: My Period App Will Tell Me When I’m Ovulating

FALSE

This is a BIG misconception that’s continually perpetuated by period-tracking apps… But ultimately, you cannot predict ovulation. You can only confirm that it’s happening.

Most period apps that claim to know when you’re ovulating aren’t reliable, and this is a hill I’ll die on. They use large numbers of users to estimate averages, but no amount of data can predict what’s going on in YOUR body…

Here’s why: Lots of different health issues and other factors can disrupt your ovulation, even if you do get a period. Things like thyroid issues, PCOS, diet, how much sleep and physical activity you get, your travel schedule, and even the climate you live in all play a role!

So please, if you learn one thing from this blog: don’t blindly trust your period app. Look out for these 4 indicators instead:

1. Cervical mucus – When you’re ovulating, your mucus will look like egg whites. It’ll be clear, stringy, and sticky… I explain more in the video below!

2. Cervical Positioning & Feeling – Depending on where you are in your cycle, your cervix moves and changes! When you’re not fertile, your cervix will feel hard, almost like the tip of a nose. When you are fertile, your cervix will feel softer – kind of like juicy, open lips.

3. Basal Body Temperature – Your body temperature increases in the later half of your cycle! In fact, your average temperature before ovulation is 97.6 degrees (or 36.4 degrees Celsius), and as high as 98.6 degrees (or 37 degrees Celsius) after. For the most reliable metrics, take your temperature before you even get out of bed daily, and from the same point (oral, vaginal, or under your arm).

4. How You Feel – When we ovulate, we feel on top of the world! Estrogen is at its peak, and our testosterone also rises – which means we’re open to accepting love, and open to going after what we want. You might feel energized, have a sparkle in your eye, and some bounce in your step.

As women, we’ve been left to fend for ourselves in a world of misinformation and disconnection from nature. By reading this blog, you’ve already taken your first steps to help the women around you reclaim their bodies and live a more fearless life.

To continue your journey, join me for a 6-week Womb Sciences Immersion. I’ll share the in-depth process of reconnecting with your womb, and so much more that I’ve picked up on my own journey. Heal ancestral trauma, learn about your anatomy, and realign with your body starting today.

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