Basically, it works like this: the menstrual cycle is divided into two phases. The first phase begins on the first day of your period, and lasts until ovulation. This is called the follicular phase.
The second phase starts on the day of ovulation, and lasts until the next day of your period. This is called the luteal phase.
The follicular phase -- the time between the start of a period and the next ovulation -- can vary quite a lot. Many things can happen to delay ovulation (stress, changes in schedule or diet), and sometimes it just takes longer to reach ovulation for no apparent reason.
The luteal phase, however, can vary in time between individual women (usually about 12-15 days), but in any given woman's cycle, it rarely or never varies... so if your luteal phase length is 13 days, it will almost always be 13 days. Once ovulation has begun, it sets in motion a series of events that will inevitably end in menstruation after a set period of time.
The problem with attempting to gauge ovulation by counting forward is that it doesn't account for changes in follicular phase length. Unless you're actively tracking your body for fertility signs, there's no way to know for sure if you're ovulating.
That said, Cycle Day 14 is very likely to be within a fertile window. (Which includes the 5-7 days prior to ovulation, as well as the day of ovulation and the day after.)
If you're certain no ejaculation occured in the vagina, then it is unlikely that you are pregnant. Not impossible of course -- whenever there's male-female genital-genital contact there's a chance of pregnancy -- but it's not nearly as high as if ejaculation had occured in or near the vagina.
You may just be having better PMS symptoms than normal. Or your follicular phase may have been extended, you didn't ovulate until later, and your period isn't due for longer than you're aware of now.
At this point, there isn't much you can do except wait -- a test should show accurately in about 3-4 days, so you can give it a try then if you're still concerned.
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Date: 2008-09-06 07:22 pm (UTC)Basically, it works like this: the menstrual cycle is divided into two phases. The first phase begins on the first day of your period, and lasts until ovulation. This is called the follicular phase.
The second phase starts on the day of ovulation, and lasts until the next day of your period. This is called the luteal phase.
The follicular phase -- the time between the start of a period and the next ovulation -- can vary quite a lot. Many things can happen to delay ovulation (stress, changes in schedule or diet), and sometimes it just takes longer to reach ovulation for no apparent reason.
The luteal phase, however, can vary in time between individual women (usually about 12-15 days), but in any given woman's cycle, it rarely or never varies... so if your luteal phase length is 13 days, it will almost always be 13 days. Once ovulation has begun, it sets in motion a series of events that will inevitably end in menstruation after a set period of time.
The problem with attempting to gauge ovulation by counting forward is that it doesn't account for changes in follicular phase length. Unless you're actively tracking your body for fertility signs, there's no way to know for sure if you're ovulating.
That said, Cycle Day 14 is very likely to be within a fertile window. (Which includes the 5-7 days prior to ovulation, as well as the day of ovulation and the day after.)
If you're certain no ejaculation occured in the vagina, then it is unlikely that you are pregnant. Not impossible of course -- whenever there's male-female genital-genital contact there's a chance of pregnancy -- but it's not nearly as high as if ejaculation had occured in or near the vagina.
You may just be having better PMS symptoms than normal. Or your follicular phase may have been extended, you didn't ovulate until later, and your period isn't due for longer than you're aware of now.
At this point, there isn't much you can do except wait -- a test should show accurately in about 3-4 days, so you can give it a try then if you're still concerned.