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Do Females Ovulate When They're Pregnant

Everyone knows that periods and pregnancy are related; after all, missing a period is one of the first indications that you might be pregnant. However, what exactly is the relationship between ovulation and pregnancy? A basic understanding of ovulation, menstruation, and pregnancy can help answer often-misunderstood questions about female reproduction.

  1. Ovulation

    • Ovulation occurs when your ovary releases an egg, which then travels down one of your fallopian tubes in preparation for fertilization.

    Menstruation

    • According to the American Pregnancy Association, if a mature egg is not fertilized by sperm within 12 to 24 hours of leaving your ovary, then your body sheds the unfertilized egg (along with the thickened lining of your uterus) in the monthly event called menstruation, or your period.

    Pregnancy

    • If the mature egg gets fertilized during the 12 to 24 hours that it is available, then conception has taken place. The fertilized egg then travels to your uterus and attaches to its thickened lining.

    Your Body After Conception

    • Conception causes a chain reaction of events in your body, including the massive production of various pregnancy hormones, such as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and progesterone, which transition your body to start providing for the unborn baby while also inhibiting your body from ovulating. Therefore a woman does not ovulate while pregnant.

    Misconceptions

    • Many women experience vaginal spotting six to 12 days after conception which they falsely assume is a normal period following ovulation. The American Pregnancy Association states that this spotting (called implantation bleeding) is typical bleeding that takes place when the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of your uterus.

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