We know that sexual intercourse can lead to conception, but many people wonder how soon after sex can you get pregnant. The answer is, “it depends.” Many factors affect how soon after sex you can get pregnant. Conception may occur within minutes, it may take days, or it may not happen at all.
Keep reading to find out how long it takes for fertilization and implantation to occur after intercourse, and how to maximize your chances of getting pregnant.
How soon after intercourse does pregnancy occur?
Conception occurs when a sperm fertilizes an egg in the reproductive tract. Conception can occur within a few minutes or up to 5-6 days after intercourse.
The reason for this difference is that sperm can survive within a woman’s reproductive system for up to five days, while eggs can survive for 12-24 hours after being released from the ovaries. Fertilization can occur any time within this six-day fertile window.
This means that the day you have sex is not necessarily the day you will get pregnant. For example, if you have sex on a Monday and ovulate on a Thursday, sperm may still be present in your reproductive tract and pregnancy may occur.
But what if you have sex during ovulation, and an egg is already present waiting to be fertilized? In this case, fertilization can occur just minutes after intercourse. Research shows that on average, it takes between two and ten minutes for sperm to travel from the cervix to the fallopian tubes where they meet the egg.
Concept term
- Ovulation : The 24-hour period in the middle of the menstrual cycle during which an egg is released.
- Fertilization : A few minutes to 5 or 6 days after sexual intercourse, sperm combine with an egg in the fallopian tube and become a fertilized egg.
- Fertile window : The period from 5 days before ovulation to 1 day after ovulation during which sperm can survive in the reproductive tract and fertilize an egg.
- Implantation : The blastocyst, a rapidly developing mass of cells that forms from a fertilized egg, implants in the wall of the uterus between 5 and 15 days after intercourse.
- Embryo : A blastocyst that has implanted into the wall of the uterus, representing the first stage of pregnancy.
How soon after intercourse does implantation occur?
After fertilization, the fertilized egg (called a zygote) travels from the fallopian tube to the uterus. During the journey, the zygote’s cells divide rapidly and become a blastocyst.
You’re not technically pregnant until the blastocyst has firmly attached to the uterine wall, where it begins to develop into a fetus. Implantation typically occurs 6-12 days after fertilization (or 5-15 days after intercourse). Some people notice signs of implantation, like light bleeding or cramping, but most people have no symptoms.
How quickly can you get pregnant while trying to conceive?
Many people think they will be able to conceive as soon as they start trying, when in reality, some people are successful after a month, while others need to try for several months.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), couples in their 20s or early 30s have a 25 to 30 percent chance of conceiving each month, and this number decreases with age.
Infertility is the inability to become pregnant within six months (or within a year if you’re over 35) even with regular, unprotected sex. If you’re experiencing infertility, see a fertility specialist who may be able to help treat the problem.
Can I increase my chances of getting pregnant?
Want to increase your chances of getting pregnant? First, understand your menstrual cycle and your fertile window. To increase your chances of success, it’s important to have sex around ovulation (the 24-hour period when a mature egg is released from the ovaries). There are a few ways to determine when you’re ovulating, including:
Having sex two or three days before ovulation increases your chances of conceiving , but it’s also possible to get pregnant up to five days before the egg is released from the ovary.
Does lying down immediately after sex increase your chances of pregnancy? Probably not. Some people lie down or put their legs up in the air as a way to guide sperm to the cervix, but there’s no scientific evidence to support this theory. (It can’t hurt to try, though!)
The best thing you can do after sex is to avoid stressing out. As long as you’re trying to conceive around the time of ovulation, you’ve already increased your chances of conceiving.
Recognizing Early Pregnancy Symptoms
Whether fertilization occurs within minutes of intercourse or a few days later, some people wonder if they’ll feel pregnant when they do . The answer is probably no. Early pregnancy symptoms can begin as early as one to two weeks after fertilization, when the embryo begins to develop.
Besides missing your period, other common symptoms of early pregnancy include:
Some women may not experience any noticeable symptoms during early pregnancy, and this is normal.
What is implantation bleeding?
Some women may experience light bleeding once the blastocyst attaches to the uterine wall. This “implantation bleeding” usually occurs around the time that you would expect your period. The bleeding will be light, pink to dark brown, and will not contain any clots. You may also experience mild cramping.
When to take a pregnancy test
Remember that home pregnancy tests cannot detect pregnancy at the moment of fertilization, or even on the day of implantation, because your body must produce enough hCG (the pregnancy hormone) to give a positive result.
For the most accurate pregnancy test results, wait until your period has arrived, otherwise you may get a false negative result (one that says you’re not pregnant when in fact you are).
If your pregnancy test result is negative but you still think you might be pregnant, wait a few days and try again. If you have any questions, ask your healthcare provider.
Preventing Pregnancy with Emergency Contraception
Some people who have questions about conception or implantation are trying to prevent pregnancy . If you have had unprotected sex or believe your birth control method has failed, you can prevent conception or implantation by taking action right away.
One option is emergency contraception: Most types work by preventing or delaying ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovaries), but are not effective if ovulation has already begun.
For best results, emergency contraception should be used immediately after unprotected sex, but it may be effective if taken 3 to 5 days later. If you’re already pregnant, be aware that emergency contraception will not harm your unborn baby.
