Ask a doctor on the topic of Gynecology

fertile days after ovulation

November 11, 2012 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Ralf Berg

If you determine the time of the LH surge through an ovulation test and then wait for 5 more days, can you still get pregnant? Because after the LH surge, ovulation occurs 24-48 hours later, the egg survives for 24 hours, plus a safety margin of 2 days = 5 days.

Dr. med. Ralf Berg

Hello,

this is exactly right and calculated with a safety margin.
In over 99% of cases, pregnancy is not possible.

However, there are still residual risks with this method
1. The egg may be released later (+2 days, safety margin is reached)
2. It is (very rarely) possible that a second follicle has matured, and the second egg is released 2 days later as well
3. The egg survives a bit longer (extremely rare +- 1 day and is released 1 day later) etc....

The tricky part is that only the LH surge is measured, and the exact timing of ovulation cannot be measured.

If this has happened to you, do not worry, with almost certainty (risk below 1%), you cannot become pregnant this way.

If you want to practice contraception in this way, you can further increase safety by, for example, also using a condom and measuring the basal temperature (temperature rise, if measurable) additionally.

Conclusion: In principle, you are right. However, there is still a residual risk.

Best regards, Dr. R. Berg