Can I get pregnant if I have irregular periods?

While it’s true that irregular menstrual cycles can be a sign of infertility, that doesn’t mean that every woman with irregular periods is unable to get pregnant. If you have irregular periods, you and your partner may face more obstacles than the average couple, but knowing what those obstacles are can help you plan for and conquer them.

When is my period considered irregular?

While there is no ‘normal’ schedule for menstrual cycles, most women experience them on a 24- to 35-day basis. Every woman has at least a couple of irregular periods over the course of her reproductive years. However, if your periods are so unpredictable that they constantly vary from month to month, you are considered to have irregular periods.

How does menstrual irregularity affect my ability to get pregnant?

Most couples plan their efforts to get pregnant around the woman’s ovulation times, which can be difficult for women with irregular periods for several reasons.

If you’re not menstruating regularly, chances are you’re not ovulating regularly, either. This means that your ovaries are releasing eggs less frequently than it should. Since ovulation already occurs within a small window of time, this can result in you having fewer chances to conceive.

Often, a woman can gauge when she will ovulate by counting the number of days since her last menstrual cycle. However, if you have an irregular period, this method of calculation may not work for you, making it difficult to know when you have the best chance of getting pregnant.

How can I overcome my irregular periods to get pregnant?

Although you may ovulate less frequently, there are ways to determine exactly when you’re likely to get pregnant. Since counting the days since your last period may not work, you can look for other signs of ovulation.

Around the time you ovulate, you may notice a vaginal discharge that progresses from clear and thin to slightly white and sticky. Other signs of ovulation include tender breasts, a small rise in body temperature, and abdominal cramping (known as Mittelschmerz). If monitoring these signs don’t work, you can always use an at-home ovulation test.

Recommendation for getting pregnant with irregular periods

Ovulation tests work by detecting the amount of luteinizing hormone (LH), which your body produces significantly more of just before you begin to ovulate. Because your body is constantly producing this hormone, it is important to test for it on a regular basis so that you can tell when your LH levels have risen.