Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Accidentally conceiving from withdrawal method?

64 replies

celandine · 11/01/2004 15:10

Is this so rare as to be not worth the worry? Has it happened to anyone?

I ask because DH and I did this 4 days ago, on the day I was ovulating, and now I'm feeling rather paranoid that I'm pregnant. My symptoms are sore breasts and lots of gloopy discharge, something - eek!- I think I recall from my first pregnancy. Ejaculation was definitely outside the vagina but I know the other fluid emitted before can sometimes contain sperm.

I've got a 5 month old son and we definitely wanted to wait a little longer before another one! I know, dumb not to use contraception, particularly on the ovulation day, but it was actually only the 2nd time we've had penetrative sex since I gave birth due to me not feeling like it, so it all happened a little unexpectedly.

I know I'm probably worrying for nothing, and TBH I personally wouldn't be devasted if I was pregnant, but I know DH would be terrified.

OP posts:
popsycal · 11/01/2004 15:13

Is possible but don't know how common celandine
Someone more knowledgeable will hopefully post to help you

Festivefly · 11/01/2004 15:14

Yes i got Pregnant doing this, it is silly

Original poster
celandine · 11/01/2004 15:16

Festivefly - OMG - you've really scared me now!!

OP posts:
hmb · 11/01/2004 15:21

It is not a recomended method of contraception because it does fail. I have seen failure rates of 24% quoted. It is not a good one to use unless you are happy to fall pregnant.

suzywong · 11/01/2004 15:27

easily done, (I'm in the same boat re: sex after 4 month baby).

Best go wee on the stick when the AF is due and put your mind at rest

Lou33 · 11/01/2004 15:32

Me too FF.

Original poster
celandine · 11/01/2004 15:34

I will definitely test. DH withdraw well before he knew he would ejaculate, but I guess it's still chancy. It was only cos I felt so horny that we even did it, but I guess I felt horny precisely because I was ovulating..

OP posts:
suzywong · 11/01/2004 15:38

mother nature is not dim is she?
we did it for same reasons as you celandine, plus both kids were asleep and in such a small window as that it's hard to fumble about with contraception. We all should know better but .....
I don't know what stage my cycle was at and am in denial about the possibility of it all.

Original poster
celandine · 11/01/2004 15:40

I'm stunned at how many of you have said you got pregnant this way, and I only posted a few minutes ago!! Maybe this is how so many unwanted (particuarly teenage) pregnancies occur. The withdrawal method is actually quoted in one of my old books as being a contraceptive method, if unreliable.

OOps - DH just came in to give me a cup of tea and he peered at the screen to see what I was writing. Not sure if he saw but I really don't want to worry him until I know either way cos he really would be scared and worry so much

OP posts:
suzywong · 11/01/2004 15:42

Celandine, presumabley you are no strangers to this method, and if that's the case I'm sure your dh, like mine, is a pretty good judge of when to pull out.

Even if he has olympic swimmers, he probably knows what he is doing.

Lou33 · 11/01/2004 15:43

I seem to get pg just by looking at dh's willy. Have got pg using various methods, so am sterilised now.

Festivefly · 11/01/2004 15:45

No no no, it doesn't matter if they know what they are doing, don't ever fall for that you will get pregnant.

Lou33 · 11/01/2004 15:46

There are always a few sperm lurking about before the others , trying to catch us out.

Lou33 · 11/01/2004 15:46

Has anyone seen a film called A ma Soeur btw? Classic lines from a bloke trying to convince a girl to have sex with him.

hmb · 11/01/2004 15:47

I remember girls magazines saying that you shouldn't rely on it as a method of contraception. Kids are definatly told that it isn't a good form of contraception today. It is better than nothing, but not much.

Original poster
celandine · 11/01/2004 15:52

Suzywong, we've never actually used this method before because I've either been on the pill, used condoms or wanted to get pregnant. On this occasion, we didn't actually think about anything as a 'method' at all because it all happened quite fast and we didn't really acknowledge we were having sex, it was more like just practicing how it felt to go through the motions again and hoping it wouldn't be painful for me. DH definitely pulled out well before any climax, but it's the 'pre-cum' fluid that may contain sperm that I'm thinking about.

OP posts:
suzywong · 11/01/2004 15:56

Oh dear Celandine,
Just try not to worry and wait until the day of AF, it is as HMB says a small chance, but a chance nevertheless.

Have you decided what method you will be using in future?
We haven't, it's a tough call isn't it?

hmb · 11/01/2004 15:59

Well it is one in four, so not that small a chance. Have some condoms in the bedside drawer, just in case for next time. It isn't a good idea to use it unless you don't mind getting pg.

hmb · 11/01/2004 16:00

Sorry, that sounded abrupt, and I didn't mean it to. I hope things are all OK for you.

Original poster
celandine · 11/01/2004 16:01

Well, we did it again today (can't beleive it, no sex for months then suddenly 3 times in a week!) and used condoms so that will be our method of choice. I don't want to do on the pill again because I want to chart my natural cycle for a few months before trying for another baby.

Actually, the only reason I don't want to be pregnant again is because we really wanted to try for a girl and I know that according to my cycle any baby conceived from a few days ago will be a boy. I'm quite hot on natural fertility awareness. It only took one month of charting before I conceived DS1 so I believe wholeheartedly in what my charts tell me.

OP posts:
suzywong · 11/01/2004 16:02

No you are absolutely right, HMB we should be doing just that.

zebra · 11/01/2004 16:03

It's probably how we got DS. But I don't think you would have any symptoms yet, Celadine. Doesn't it take at least 5 days for implantation(?). 7-10 days more like 'normal'?

Original poster
celandine · 11/01/2004 16:03

Oh dear, that sounded awful about not wanting another boy. Of course if I was pg then I'd love it whatever sex it was, but it's just that there's so many boys in our family DH and I had planned to try to have a girl

OP posts:
Original poster
celandine · 11/01/2004 16:11

Zebra, yes I had thought that 4 days was a little early for signs. I guess you just can't help reading into the slightest thing if you're a little worried though. It hadn't even occurred to me to be worried until my breasts were unusually tender yesterday, then when I got loads of discharge I thought OMG!
Also, I didn't count it as sex really cos it was so brief and hesitant, but we had unprotected sex with no ejac inside me 7 days ago. I know it sounds so silly saying 'I didn't count it as sex'. Feel rather silly now.

OP posts:
zebra · 11/01/2004 16:18

Ah... 7 days. That's a little more possible. The sperm can stay alive inside a woman for... I think it's one week? But are you ultra-fertile? I would get pregnant that easily, but most people don't.