So How Does Pregnancy *Actually* Happen?

How Does Pregnancy Work?

Ever wondered what exactly goes on when you get pregnant? What actually HAPPENS between the sex part and the pregnancy part? How long does it take to get pregnant? 

Spoiler alert: there are no storks or baskets involved. But there are eggs. And sperm. And a lot more beyond that! It actually takes up to 2-3 weeks after sex to become officially pregnant. 

Get the TL;DR on what goes down during the whole wild process in this video:

Whether you’re here because you want to know if you’re pregnant, want to get pregnant, want to prevent pregnancy, or you’re just brushing up on your biology knowledge, we’ve got tons of other helpful info and resources:

If you just had unprotected sex but still want to prevent pregnancy, you may have options. As we just learned in this super-informative video, pregnancy doesn’t happen right away. So it’s still possible to prevent pregnancy up to 5 days after unprotected sex with emergency contraception (AKA the morning-after pill). But it usually works better the sooner you take it, so it’s important to act fast. Our emergency contraception quiz can tell you whether you have time to use emergency contraception, and what kind would be best for you.

If you think you might be pregnant and you’re wondering what to do next, we’ve got you covered there too. A pregnancy test is the only way to know for sure if you’re pregnant, but our "Am I Pregnant?" blog can help you figure out what to do next.

We also have a series of sexual health explainer videos over on our YouTube channel, and tons of info on pregnancy, sex, birth control, infertility, and more here on plannedparenthood.org.

If you have any other questions, you can chat with a live sex educator on our free and confidential Chat/Text line. Chat online or text "PPNOW" to 774636 (PPINFO) to get answers.