Hello, my boyfriend and I are trying to get pregnant. I normally get my period twice a month. I started it for the 2nd time in December on the 26th, and its been tappering off slowly since that night. We had sex on the 31st. My calendar says on the 1st I was ovulating and on the 31st I was very fertile. Is there a good chance that we could get pregnant?

Are you tracking your basal temperature? That s a much better indication of fertility than a calendar.

Sorry but no one can estimate your chances of pregnancy based on the little info you have given us. If you want to conceive you should start with a discussion with your OB/Gyn. If you can't afford to see one, how are you going to afford a child?

Conception can occur first time out or it can take years. You don't say how long you have been trying but if you are just starting, relax and enjoy the process rather than worry about it.

You have about a 20-25% chance of becoming pregnant in any given cycle. As ScottGem said, it can happen early on, or it can take quite a long time.

Here are some basics that you might find helpful.......Most women will ovulate about 12-16 days before a period regardless of the length of their cycle... this is your luteal phase of your menstrual cycle. The length of the luteal phase stays pretty consistent for each individual woman with occasional fluctuations (for women with irregular cycles, taking days from the shortest and from the longest cycles are needed to have a starting place). This is because that is approximately the length of time it takes after ovulation for changes in hormone levels to build the lining of the uterus in preparation for a pregnancy. If no pregnancy occurs, hormone levels drop quickly and you have a period. It is important to note that many women will naturally ovulate a bit sooner or a bit later than the norm, and you can have an occasional off ovulation...or luteal phase, which is why periods are sometimes off. Since you are trying to become pregnant, use your calendar as a starting place, but to be even more effective, add to it other ways to determine possible ovulation even more. Sometimes shifting the timing you thought ovulation would most likely occur, even by a couple of days, can make all the difference.

Basal body temperature charting... basically you take your temp each morning before getting out of bed and start a line graph on the chart (you can purchase kits that include charts or you can download them online). As you graph your temps (start on first day of a period) you will likely see a slight dip and then a rise (progesterone levels rise after ovulation and stay up to help prepare the uterine wall for pregnancy). When you notice the dip is likely when ovulation occurs. If temps stay up after about 18 days, there is a good chance it is due to pregnancy... this is again where the ovulation about 12-16 days before a period comes in. This is also where testing for pregnancy about two weeks after ovulation comes from. It can take a few months of charting to see a pattern.

Ovulation predictor tests... similar to pregnancy tests (in fact a pregnancy is sometimes picked up by a ovulation test). They generally have you start testing about 7-9 days prior to suspected ovulation.. . with irregular cycles it can help to buy two kits and start testing a bit sooner and continue using them a bit longer. You urinate on them as you would a pregnancy test. As ovulation approaches, you usually will get a rise in the lutenizing hormone (LH) When you get a positive result on the test... needs to be as dark or darker than the indicator line, you generally will ovulate about 12-36 hours after. Definitely start trying if you see a positive result and continue trying for several days.

Changes in cervical mucus... this is often very telling for many women and when used in conjunction with either of the first two, it ups the likelihood even more. Cervical mucus changes throughout your cycle. Sometimes it will be nonexistent, sometimes dry, sometimes creamy, sometimes more fluid. As your body prepares for ovulation, it becomes more fluid, clear, stretchy, and abundant, and will often last for several days... although some women notice it for only a couple. This sort of mucus allows sperm to survive for a number of days waiting for an egg to be released and helps them move more easily to get to the egg. Having frequent sex when you notice this change can increase the odds that you have sperm waiting when ovulation occurs.

Changes to the cervix... many women will check for changes to their cervix to get an idea of when ovulation is close. Just as cervical mucus changes, so too will the position and feel of your cervix... again to allow for better odds of sperm making their way to an egg. S.H.O.W... cervix will be soft, high, open, and wet. With clean hands, you can easily check with a couple of fingers.

Now none of these guarantees an egg is actually released, but if you have regular cycles, it is assumed that you will be ovulating on a regular basis as well. Also, timing is only part of it, albeit a major part since the egg can only be fertilized for about 24 hours. Most couples, who are actively trying, will become pregnant within the first year of trying, but many healthy couples will find that it takes a longer.

Generally, if you are under 35, you would want to look into fertility testing after a year of trying. If over 35, after 6 months of trying. Men should have fertility testing done as well if pregnancy doesn't occur, as often there can be a male component for fertility difficulty.

Good luck!!