anyone get pg during a non-fertile time? (how long DO sperm live anyway?!)

[jee'smom]

hi! was just wondering if anyone got pg during a non-fertile time? i have 3 children, and we are done having anymore. we use the withdrawal method (has worked for 17yrs!) and on CD6, my dh... well... you know. completely out of the blue! i was shocked he did that, as he is DONE having anymore children!!! so of course now, i'm counting days and realize that technically, i suppose i could get pg. but how likely is it really?

i'm 40yo, so i know my cycles may not be as predictable, and so could ovulate at any time, although i am always on a 26day cycle. I got pg with #1 and #2 on the 13th day of my cycle, and #3 on the 15th day of my cycle, so i'm figuring its unlikely.

and how long can sperm live in there anyway? i am an anatomy and physiology college professor, and the textbook says 3-4 days, but i thought i heard longer.

any advice/BTDT stories would be greatly appreciated! tia!!!

[CookAMH]

Sperm live for a matter of hours if there is no cervical fluid to keep them alive. If you didn't feel any cervical fluid during that time, I highly doubt you'd get pregnant. I have 28 day cycles and consider CD6 to be a pretty reliable infertile time.

[jee'smom]

oh yah... didn't think of that. the next day i had some ewcm. i remember thinking "wow, that was a bit early!"
 

[Peony]

Highly unlikely BUT my "bonus baby" (#4!) was conceived on day 7. Definitely thought I was safe there. 

[dayiscoming2006]

I got pregnancy the first week after my period with my first. I remember because we agreed to no condoms the first week after my period and went back to using them after that. I read that in ideal conditions, the sperm can live for up to 7 days. 3-4 is about average. So, I think it is possible, especially if you push too close to when your fertile time happens.

[skycheattraffic]

My cycles were a little irregular but not hugely so due to my toddler nursing. I got pg around cd25! It was one time of being spontaneous and I was expecting my period in a few days and thought I was completely safe! Luckily we do want a second but aim to stop there so I told DH he has a choice: no glove no love or the big V... I admire the mamas who are so in tune with their fertility but after this baby I'm way too paranoid to try charting. My vote is there's always a chance!

[LLQ1011]

Unless you chart temps there is no for sure way I got pregnant with my son on CD27 I have 30 to 33 day cycles.

[jee'smom]

wow! that's incredible! i guess anything's possible! we shall see in 2 weeks!

thanks!

[askew]

My current pregnancy was conceived on cd7. I usually have a long cycle. Should have been safe. Didn't feel any signs. By ultrasound sperm lived 5 days. (Dating fetus age vs my conception day) now 16 weeks pregnant with baby girl. 

[jee'smom]

WOW! in that case, i suppose i could get pg from it!

isn't it weird how we dtd 3 times on the day i ovulated and never got pg (that was years ago), yet i could pg from something like this?! makes you realize that it will happen if it's meant to happen, huh?

[Serafina33]

I got pg ten days before ovulation. TEN. Yes, I'm really sure. No other sex that month happened and I was charting and thought I was safe.

[jee'smom]

[jee'smom]

well then... LOL! i guess in that case... ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE!!!!!

like i mentioned before, i find it fascinating that sometimes it just "works" and sometimes it doesn't. go figure! it took me 9mo to get pg with #1. 2mo with #2, and a drunken oops AFTER ovulation to get pg with #3. when it's meant to be... i guess it just happens... idk...

[Pandme]

Me. I got pregnant maybe CD 7? Unexpected to say the least. I had zero symptoms of ovulation and usually I have a lot of symptoms.

[HappiLeigh]

I was totally surprised by my current pregnancy. DTD on CD7, with NO fertile signs, ovulated on day 14. I'm 36 and we tried for several months each before conceiving our other children. I felt like everything I'd ever read about cervical mucous must have been a lie! I mean, we're thrilled to be expecting and if it had been that important we'd have used BC rather than risk it on CD7 anyway, but I was still pretty shocked! Hope whatever answer you get makes you happy.

[kristenburgess]

DTD on CD9, ovulated on CD14 is the biggest gap for me :)
 

[jee'smom]

wow.

happpileigh~ i agree that sometimes i think everything i know about ovulation is a lie! i'm an anatomy and physiology college professor and i teach about this stuff!!! i always tell them "this is what the textbook says... and THIS is the truth!" LOL!!!

[OrmEmbar]

Although books often say sperm live only a few days, my understanding is it is more like 3 to 5 days as an average.  There are always numbers outside of that average range.  I have a friend who conceived her daughter because the sperm lived 9 days, so I decided that the only really "safe" times are at least 3 days after ovulation.  Now I'm re-thinking even that with the poster who said they conceived late in their cycle.  : )

 The human body is soooo amazing!  We can produce fertile mucus and ovulate outside of our normal pattern in response to the presence of sperm, or sweetie's pheromones.  Perimenopausal hormones often mean a burst of fertility just before we stop our cycles all together.

[Pandme]

Hm, I'd choose a word besides amazing. Like frustrating. I just never, ever wanted another child. Looking back I can't believe how hard I had to try to conceive my son. I guess when the lightbulb goes on, it goes on.

[OrmEmbar]

Pandme - Yes . . . frustration can come from amazing (startling, surprising, astonishing) things.  I didn't mean "wonderful" when used the word "amazing".  : )

I'm so sorry you suddenly have the possibility of another child to consider.  I hope you and your sweetie can find some time to talk about it.