Can You Get Pregnant While Being Irregular?

Many women have a clouded understanding of the relationship between periods and pregnancy, especially irregular periods. Being familiar with basic knowledge about menstruation and your menstrual cycle helps clarify that you still can conceive, even if you do have irregular periods.

Menstrual Cycle

• Your menstrual cycle (measured from the first day of menstrual flow to the day before your next period) is your body's preparation for pregnancy and includes hormonal changes that cause you to ovulate (release a ripe egg) and get your uterus ready for implantation of the fertilized egg.

Menstruation

• Part of your menstrual cycle, menstruation typically takes place when an unfertilized egg disintegrates and leaves your body in your monthly flow of blood. However, according to the American Pregnancy Association, you could technically have a menstrual period that is not accompanied by ovulation.

Irregular Periods

• According to MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, irregular periods occur when you experience menstrual cycles that are shorter than 21 days or longer than 35 days. Even though your periods are irregular, you most likely are still ovulating, just not within a regular, predictable time frame.

Pregnancy

• In order for you to get pregnant, your body must ovulate, releasing a ripe egg into your fallopian tube for fertilization. If sperm penetrates the egg during the 12 to 24 hours in which it is available, then you have conceived and are officially pregnant.

Considerations

• If you experience irregular periods and are trying to get pregnant, know that your irregular periods make it more difficult for you to predict your window of ovulation (the days of your cycle during which you are most fertile), but you still can conceive.