Did you know that we have ovulatory cycles in almost every menstrual cycle? Now, imagine if every time we ovulated, we got pregnant? The world would be beyond overpopulated, right? That’s why nature found a way to make reproduction slow, gradual, and of good quality.
Of course, ovulating and not getting pregnant can be frustrating, but the physiological act of ovulation does not guarantee pregnancy. That’s because your body and also the circumstances around the situation can interfere. Do you know what can prevent pregnancy even if you ovulate?
First, we need to understand the rhythm at which ovulation occurs. We have two ovaries full of eggs since we were in our mother’s womb, meaning we are already born with a ready reserve1. However, they are slowly matured throughout life, and only the best ones actually become ready to ovulate. When we have our first period it is because we have ovulated a few days before, which is a sign that hormone levels are satisfactory for ovulation to occur and that we already have reproductive maturity.
So as not to cause ovulatory overload, the female body alternates the side of ovulation each cycle, sometimes ovulating on the left side, sometimes on the right. But, of course, in one cycle or another there can be simultaneous stimulation on both sides, especially when some kind of medication-induced ovulation happens – that’s when there’s a chance for twin pregnancy. But naturally, this alternation prevails.
We should also keep in mind that the chance of pregnancy happening is lower with each cycle, and therefore it’s worth emphasizing that ovulation tests are essential for those trying to conceive, as they can provide certainty or a prediction of the day you are ovulating2. They are easy to use and give clear results! You can buy your Famivita ovulation test here in our online store.
Even a woman in her early 20s with perfect health has only a 27% chance of getting pregnant in an ovulatory cycle, and women of more “advanced” age have even less chance of conceiving. Around age 40, the chance drops to below 20%. That’s why when we talk about advanced age, it’s about fertility. Just like you, your eggs will age, and the more time goes by for them, the worse. Quality is key when it comes to getting pregnant. It’s not enough to have a good quantity of eggs if the quality is poor. Poor quality eggs will result in babies with low chances of developing healthily.
Is It Normal to Ovulate and Not Get Pregnant?
Yes! Think about the fact that many unforeseen things can happen along the fertility journey. The first one is when a woman ovulates but does not have intercourse during her fertile days: the so-called fertile period. Know that the egg is available for only 12 to 24 hours in the fallopian tube waiting for a sperm. If there’s no sex during this period, pregnancy does not occur.
There is also the possibility of no fertilization. Not every time there is ovulation and intercourse does fertilization necessarily occur. Even if the fertile day is surrounded by sperm, they may be unable to penetrate the egg’s layer or may not even get past the obstacles they face in the body during their fertility journey.
There are also internal female factors such as, for example, problems like blocked fallopian tubes3 or adhesions. In these cases, the woman may ovulate, have the egg captured by the tube, but will not have much chance of getting pregnant. The egg will be in a place where the sperms cannot reach during their pursuit of the egg. That’s why it’s good to check the condition of your tubes if you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a long time without success.
There’s also another important point to consider. The responsibility for a couple’s fertility is divided equally. It’s 50% for the man and 50% for the woman; neither is more responsible for fertility than the other! So, the couple should undergo tests to assess fertility. Men may not have as good semen quality as they think, even if they already have children. That’s why, semen analysis for him!
Another reason for ovulating and not getting pregnant is natural selection, which is common among couples of childbearing age. Sometimes the woman doesn’t even realize she has ovulated and that fertilization occurred, because fertilization will only be successful if implantation (attachment to the uterus) happens. There is also the possibility of implantation occurring but without success. There may be a problem with the egg or sperm and a baby could be formed with a tendency to have some type of malformation. In these cases, the body reacts by preventing the pregnancy from progressing and ends it as early as possible to avoid greater damage to the woman’s body (and psychology).
One little-discussed factor about ovulating and not conceiving is the length of a woman’s luteal phase. The cycle is divided into 3 stages: the proliferative, ovulatory, and luteal. The luteal phase occurs when the egg has already left the follicle, and the scar that’s left begins to secrete progesterone to keep the endometrium intact for the embryo.
But what few women know is that the zygote (the cell formed after the union of sperm and egg) takes 7 to 15 days after fertilization to reach the endometrium and implant. If the embryo takes 14 days to implant and the woman gets her period 12 days after ovulation, this embryo will not find the necessary layer to settle in and will instead be eliminated with menstrual blood. It’s very important to know how many days your luteal phase lasts! That way, you’ll know if it’s enough for your cycle. This phase usually lasts between 11 and 16 days. If it’s shorter than that, there’s a chance you won’t have enough time to get pregnant.
For this reason and others, it is possible to ovulate and not get pregnant. Get to know your body better so you won’t have doubts when pregnancy does happen!
