A distinctive feature of the normal menstrual cycle is regularity. A change in the cycle of one to three days still remains within the normal range, but when the number of days between menstruation varies significantly, problems arise with the planning of conception. Can I get pregnant with irregular periods? If the cause is not a disease, then usually the only difficulty is the correct definition of ovulation.
Causes of menstrual irregularities
The reasons for the irregular cycle of menstruation can be varied. Such a violation is observed in young girls (a variant of the physiological norm during puberty), with sharp weight loss or weight gain, climate change, stress, during lactation, in the premenopausal period. Chronic fatigue, taking or canceling certain medications, gynecological and general diseases can affect the regularity of menstruation.
What are the chances of pregnancy in the first planning cycle
How to get pregnant faster? After the start of planning, the woman begins to closely monitor her well-being, looks for early signs of pregnancy and is very upset when the next menstruation occurs. All this negatively affects the psycho-emotional state and can also interfere with conception.
In no case should you worry if two bars on the test did not appear in the first planning cycle. Even if everything is in order with health, and the menstrual cycle is regular, in the first cycle the chance of getting pregnant is only 20%. These are relatively low odds.
With the duration of regular attempts at three months, 50% of couples get pregnant, and in 75%, pregnancy occurs after six months of planning. If the expectant mother does not have health problems that may interfere with conception, then in a year of trying, pregnancy occurs in 90% of cases.
How to get pregnant with an irregular cycle
Planning must begin responsibly. Can I get pregnant with an irregular cycle? Pregnancy is possible if ovulation occurs, the tubes are passable, and the endometrium is normal. But to determine the favorable time for conception in this case is more difficult. First of all, you need to see a doctor who will offer the optimal planning algorithm.
The gynecologist will prescribe a comprehensive diagnosis to determine the presence or confirm the absence of diseases that may interfere with pregnancy. Usually, hormonal background testing, infection testing, pelvic ultrasound, folliculometry are performed. If necessary, narrow specialists are involved, for example, an endocrinologist or a psychologist.
According to the results of the study, appropriate treatment will be prescribed. The doctor will determine why there are meager periods if the cause is any disease. Perhaps, after a course of therapy, the situation with the cycle of menstruation normalizes and it will become easier to determine ovulation.
Many women resort to non-drug methods of stimulating ovulation under the supervision of a doctor, which can be combined with the main treatment. This is the use of injuries (plantain, boron uterus, sage, red brush), massage with essential and natural cosmetic oils, healing mud, seaweed wraps.
Can I get pregnant with an irregular cycle? If everything is in order with health, then in order for conception to take place, you need to correctly “catch” ovulation. In the standard cycle (28 days), the egg matures by approximately 13-14 days from the first day of menstruation, and with unstable periods it is very difficult to determine ovulation by the calendar method.
Sometimes other reasons interfere with pregnancy: stressful situations, physical overwork, psychological discomfort (for example, too strong a desire to have a baby and too much stress at the next unsuccessful attempts), excessive thinness or excess weight. Regular sex is important. If you make love just for the sake of pregnancy, it can adversely affect the psycho-emotional state of both partners.
Several ways to calculate ovulation
How to determine ovulation if menstruation is irregular? The most accurate way is folliculometry, that is, monitoring the state of the egg by ultrasound in dynamics. To do this, you will have to regularly see a gynecologist for several months. At home, you can use special test strips for ovulation, determine favorable days by graphs of basal temperature, secretions and the condition of the cervix.
Ultrasound tracking ovulation in dynamics
If irregular periods, what to do? In this case, to determine a favorable period for conception, a method such as folliculometry is used. During the study, the gynecologist can determine the exact time of onset of ovulation and generally evaluate the reproductive system. The method allows you to establish the reasons for the delay in an irregular cycle, to track the work of the ovaries when using reproductive methods.
Folliculometry is performed using a transvaginal sensor. In order for the study to be as informative as possible, on the eve of the procedure, you need to abandon the use of products that can cause increased gas formation. Before the ultrasound, you need to empty the bladder. Folliculometry is done several times during one cycle. The minimum number of procedures is 2-3, the maximum is determined individually.
Using Home Ovulation Tests
Is it possible to get pregnant with irregular periods, if the day of ovulation is correctly determined? In this case, the chances are significantly increased. To determine the favorable period at home, you can use the ovulation test. Testing should be started approximately 17 days before the expected start of the next menstruation. With an irregular cycle, to calculate the day of ovulation, you need to choose the shortest for the last 3-6-12 months (depending on the observation period).
Ovulation tests are used every day at the same time for five consecutive days. For testing, any portion of urine excreted during the day is used, unless otherwise specified in the instructions. To evaluate the result, the control line is compared with the received one, if any. If the result line is the same as the control, this means that ovulation will occur within 1-1.5 days.
With home testing, you can get false-positive results after injections with hCG, with a sharp transition to a strict diet, vegetarianism or a raw food diet, immediately after discontinuation of hormonal drugs, with renal failure, hormonal dysfunction or ovarian exhaustion syndrome and other disorders. A positive test result does not guarantee that ovulation has taken place, because a sharp increase in the concentration of luteinizing hormone can be caused by other reasons.
Graphing basal temperature
With proper decoding of the charts for several months, you can get a clear idea of the work of the female reproductive system and identify some violations, if any. The graph will allow you to determine the time of onset of ovulation and the period when the probability of pregnancy is minimal.
Basal temperature should be measured within 5-7 minutes immediately after waking up at the same time. The procedure is informative if performed after a minimum of six hours of sleep. For measurements, it is better to use one thermometer. The results are recorded in a special template, and then evaluated.
Before ovulation, the schedule is usually smooth or there may be slight decrease in indicators (by 0.1-0.2 degrees). With the onset of time favorable for conception, the temperature rises. The beginning of the second phase of the cycle is characterized by a temperature increase of at least 0.4 degrees Celsius.
Cervical Monitoring
During the menstrual cycle, the cervix changes under the influence of the hormones produced. At the very beginning of the cycle, it is lowered low, firm, closed, and closer to ovulation it softens and rises. On the day of ovulation, the cervix is high, releases a large amount of mucus, softens, after which it hardens and lowers again. Can I get pregnant with irregular periods? Observing the cervix, you can determine the day of ovulation, but this method is suitable only for those women who know their body well.
Regular and full sexual life
Can I get pregnant with irregular periods? This is entirely possible (especially if there are no other health problems). To increase the chance of conception, you can try to determine the day of ovulation, but usually it’s enough just to have sex regularly for several months. Regularly does not mean daily. In this case, sperm activity may decrease. The optimal frequency of intimate contacts is in a day or two.