Pregnant in wedding dress...?

[cit06.livejournal.com]

Hi all,

Hope someone can help ease me a bit.  I got engaged on Christmas Eve. My fiance and I got a little carried away and ended up having unprotected sex on January 3. I was on my period (which started on January 1 right before midnight of January 2). He pulled out way before he ejaculated. My cycle ranges from about 26-32 days, but I recently started taking melatonin to help me sleep. I’m wondering if the melatonin could have thrown my cycle off to the point of risking pregnancy? I keep picturing myself pregnant and in a wedding dress! :/ It’s a little ironic that I was taking melatonin to help with stress and sleep, but now the fact that I took it is making me stay up at night.

Thanks for any help!

Comments

[edge-ofthe-sea.livejournal.com]

Melatonin is a naturally occurring chemical in your body. Pretty sure having sex at night (when the most melatonin is produced) has not been shown to up the risk of pregnancy. I've never heard of studies or even anecdotal evidence of it increasing the risk either.

[eexposed.livejournal.com]

Well, based on my knowledge of the fertility awareness method, the likelihood of becoming pregnant on the second-ish/third day of your period is very, very low. Because of the length of your cycle, I would say that it is particularly low - sperm live about 7 days in ideal conditions, and if your cycle is 26-32 days, your ovulation date is almost certainly more than 7 days beyond the 3rd day of your cycle, making it impossible for them to reach the egg when it is released.

My understanding of melatonin is that it would have no bearing on your menstrual cycle, particularly not in a way that would bring ovulation to an earlier day as opposed to a later one - stress could most certainly push your ovulation date back, though, and that would be in your favor if you wish to avoid pregnancy. Based on what you've said about your cycle length, your period is still not due for another 1.5-2.5 weeks, and in fact, you may not have even ovulated yet - meaning, it is basically impossible that the sperm would have survived long enough to fertilize the egg. This, combined with the fact that you used withdrawal, which is 96% effective when used properly, renders the possibility of pregnancy so incredibly low that I would probably be chalking it up to immaculate conception if you found you were pregnant. :p

[geminigirl]

One reasons I stopped taking Melatonin when I started trying to get pregnant is that for some people it can lower estrogen levels and raise progesterone levels which can throw off your cycle though not, as far as I know, increase your pregnancy risk.

That's not me guaranteeing that you aren't pregnant, but letting you know that melatonin can alter the menstrual cycle for some people. If you used no form of contraception at all, and are concerned about pregnancy (which is unlikely if I'm understanding correctly that you had sex while having your period) then testing at least 14 days after, but ideally 19 days after you last had sex without any contraception is likely to yield an accurate result on a pregnancy test.

And congratulations on your engagement.

[archangelbeth]

While period sex is not 100% safe... Well, nothing is, and the timing suggests that you are unlikely to regularly ovulate so close to the end of your period that there'd still be live sperm.

And that's if there were any sperm at all -- withdrawal's perfect use percentages are comparable to perfect use condoms! (Withdrawal is just really hard to get perfect for many people, and there are some guys who sometimes "leak" semen some 45-30 seconds before ejaculation.) Had he ejaculated recently and not urinated prior to the sex? That's generally the only way (barring medical oddities) that viable sperm get into pre-cum, it's now believed by many (including at least one .gov site).

Between timing and the lack of vaginal ejaculation, I would say you are very unlikely to be pregnant! 19 days after the sex in question, you can take a pregnancy test and the chances are very, very good that you will be reassured.

(Funny story: I was NOT pregnant when I got married, but for various reasons (probably involving my undiagnosed hypothyroidism), I had put on some weight, and all on my tummy. So someone actually did ask me if I was at one point. O:p )

May your marriage be as content as mine!

[cit06.livejournal.com]

Thanks ladies. I've been so stressed out about it and your feedback has helped me calm down a bit. Please keep your fingers crossed. :)

[jenwrites.livejournal.com]

You're probably fine, but it is possible to get pregnant when you have your period, especially if you're irregular. I'd say how I know, but it's not my story, and the person in question probably doesn't want it on the internet. Needless to say, I trust her implicitly on this.

[jeesh.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you'll be okay.

My aunt was 8.5 months pregnant when she got married. Not the most flattering of wedding dresses... but it was a gorgeous wedding. Even though I did have to wear the world's most hideous bride's maid dress. I would gladly have worn one of those 80s dresses with puffy sleeves in fluorescent orange.

[coco1040.livejournal.com]

My closest gf got married in a white dress at 7 month, she looked BEAUTIFUL!!! :)