Ovulation

Updated on July 11, 2008
R.J. asks from Cuba City, WI
17 answers

I am just curious if anyone knows this answer. If you are pregnant is it possible to still ovulate? Or once you are pregnant do you just stop ovulating until after you give birth?

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So What Happened?

I think the general consensus is that normally you "shouldn't" ovulate once you are pregnant. Thank you everyone for the advice!
-R.

More Answers

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K.S.

answers from Minneapolis on

YES!!! It runs in my family and my ob believed me when I told him about my concern to not conceive again when I found out I was pregnant. Most woman will not ovulate after becoming pregnant, but some woman can still ovulate after a pregnancy. My cousin became pregnant and ovulated and became pregnant with a second child two months later. Those children are healthy, however, my family has a history of "twins" in which one of the twins is gestationally younger and not viable at birth.

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C.M.

answers from Minneapolis on

I'm a Grandma, and only once did I hear of a woman that continued menustration after becoming pregnant, which would lead one to believe that she was ovulating. But technically, no. You should then start ovulation only after stopping full-time breastfeeding (no supplemental bottles of formula, water, juice, etc.). If you don't breastfeed, I think it's approxamately six weeks, but good to check with your OByN.

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B.B.

answers from Milwaukee on

You do not ovulate once you are pregnant. Your hormones prevent that from happening. However, once you give birth, you may ovulate at any time, whether you are breastfeeding or not. Breastfeeding "usually" keeps ovulation from happening, but that is not always the case. Ovulation can happen at any time once you have the baby.

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L.D.

answers from Minneapolis on

I'm not sure that it's actually ovulation but some women continue to get periods while pregnant.

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K.G.

answers from Omaha on

Ovulation during pregnacy is very rare but it can happen.

If you are very concerned I would get an appt. with your doc. to discuss your personal health and cycle.

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C.S.

answers from Green Bay on

...it is my general understanding that it is possible to ovulate twice in one cycle (therefore two eggs can be impregnanted immediately after one another, resulting in twin pregnancy), however, once pregnant and the egg has attached to the placenta, the body stops ovulating until after the birth... Don't be fooled by the myth that breastfeeding stops ovulation, either. It is very possible to ovulate while breast-feeding. Don't rely on that for birth control after the baby's born!...

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V.G.

answers from Janesville-Beloit on

Hi R.
great question. When you're pregnant you do not ovulate, the follicle stimulation hormone (FSH), which is responsible for bringing a new egg to maturity for ovulation each month is quite low when you're pregnant and other pregnancy promoting hormones such as progesterone and estrogen, and fetus growth hormones (HCG) takes over. However, some (very small minority)of women ovulate from both ovaries, and can ovulate from the other ovary in early stages of pregnancy during the first Trimester when HCG levels are still low. This can result in another pregnancy, in which case said woman can have Fraternal twins, this is not the usual way twins come about this is very, very rare, but it can happen. There are women who have been known to get pregnant by two different men during the same pregnancy. But most of us don't have to worry about this, we usually ovulate with one egg at a time from one ovary at a time, and ovulation stops when we are pregnant.

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S.P.

answers from Minneapolis on

In almost all cases as soon as you are pregnant you will stop ovulating. Fertilization sends your estrogen levels through the roof, offsetting the progesterone needed for ovulation.

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L.M.

answers from Minneapolis on

I ovulated twice in each month. That is why I had twins who were two weeks apart in gestation, but after that first month of pregancy I was not ovulating again. Does that answer your question?

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D.J.

answers from Minneapolis on

Yes it is still possible to ovulate. I've heard of a case where a woman was pregnant with one child then ovulated again and was pregnant with a second child. They were not twins since the eggs were fertilized about 3 weeks apart. Fortunately both children made it. It is very unusually, but possible.

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L.

answers from Minneapolis on

Once you are pregnant you do not ovulate until several weeks after you give birth if you are not breastfeeding and even longer if you do nurse exclusively.

Hope that answers your question

L.

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C.C.

answers from Cedar Rapids on

It is still possible but very, very, very rare. I have a friend that his twin brothers are really not twins. They are really about a month and a half different in age.. I think, if I remember correctly, they were born a couple days apart but it was confirmed earlier in the pregnancy what had happened..

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A.A.

answers from Iowa City on

You are suppose to stop ovulation as soon as you become pregnant, however I have heard stories of rare times when a second ovulation occurs. Also it is possible to ovulate multiple eggs at once (that's how you get fraternal twins!) and have them fertilized on separate sexual encounters. My health teacher even told us a story of a woman who ovulated two eggs and had sex with two men, one white and one black and had two babies, one white and one black, in one pregnancy of fraternal twins. So it's always possible although it is EXTREMELY rare for it to happen naturally (without some sort of fertility drugs or other treatments of that nature).

R.B.

answers from La Crosse on

normally you stop ovulating. but you can still have your period while your pregnant.. not very common thou. my grandmother had her regular period every month even while pregnant with her 7 kids, my aunt did also while pregnant with her 3 kids. my grandmother said that they don't know why but she did bleed the normal 5 days like always but it wasn't the heavy flow. she never miscarried and the babies were all healthy. like i said i don't think its very common but it does happen.

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J.R.

answers from Minneapolis on

I know that you aren't "supposed" to but there was that Italian lady on the news a while back that had to deliver one baby through c-section because she had gotten pregnant again a few months after getting pregnant with triplets. They delivered the other three a few months later and they were both just fine. I can't imagine giving birth and being home, up all night with a new baby and still being pregnant and so tired with triplets. Here's the story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1651259.stm
I also know that it's possible to be born with two uterus'. Usually the second one doesn't function but it can and you can get pregnant in both of them.
Hope this helps,
J.
Mom to 4, soon 5 through another adoption and hopefully more :o)

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P.K.

answers from Minneapolis on

You do NOT ovulate when you are pregnant. It's the process in which an egg is released and waits in the uterus for fertilization. If there is already an egg in the uterus that is fertilized (pregnancy), then no eggs will drop. Your body knows that you can only care for one pregnancy at a time, so your body knows not to introduce another pregnancy by releasing eggs.

Ovulation triggers a period in which the period would flush out any unfertilized eggs. You DO ovulate while breastfeeding, even though you do not have a period.

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L.P.

answers from Minneapolis on

That's about the way it works! It is supposed to work that way, however, I do know someone who ovulated just a bit after becoming pregnant and has twins concieved two weeks apart.
The hormones you body gives off to sustain a pregnancy stop ovulation. You need the estrogen in the first two weeks to stimulate ovulation, the progesterone levels staying high prevent another ovulation during pregnancy.

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