Expert: Catherine Beier MS CBE - 3/12/2009

Question
I gave birth to twins (via invitro) 11 weeks ago and still have not got my period.  I bled for 5 weeks after giving birth and I'm also very thin.  I had unprotected sex once at 6 weeks and 1 at 8 weeks thinking it was safe since I hadn't gotten my period yet.  I've recently been told thats not true.  I'm too afraid to take a pregnancy test.  What are the chances I could become pregnant that soon? and is it unusual to not have gotten my period yet.

Answer
Kerry,

No, it's not at all unusual for your cycle not to have returned yet.  Typically, your cycle does not resume until your body is ready to sustain another pregnancy.

Since you had twins, it can take quite a while for your body to return to its pre-pregnancy hormonal levels.  Also, if you're breastfeeding or pumping, it can take even longer for your cycle to resume.

While its true that unprotected intercourse can result in pregnancy at any time, it's unlikely that you had ovulated yet at this point.  However, since your cycle hasn't resumed, there is a small chance you could have ovulated and become pregnant.

But, considering that you used in vitro to conceive, which indicates prior fertility issues, it's unlikely you became pregnant on your own this close to giving birth.


So, while the chances are slim, the only way to know for sure is with a pregnancy test.  However, it's probably too soon to get a positive result if your last encounter was 3 weeks ago.  Wait another 2 weeks, take a test and don't ever have unprotected intercourse if you don't want to get pregnant.


Best,
Catherine