Nishmat's Women’s Health and HalachaIn memory of Chaya Mirel bat R' Avraham

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Reducing clean days?

3 March, 2006

Question:

We are 32 (wife) and 43 (husband) years old, somewhat older than most frum couples first trying to conceive; thus we feel a sense of urgency about it. We have been married two and a half years, and for various reasons we needed to wait until this past month to start trying – I have been off oral contraceptives for about five weeks. I also have thyroid problems, which means that it could take a while for my cycle to become stable now that I’m off the pill. Is there any possibility of my not keeping the full 7 clean days, so as to give ourselves a few more days — so that I don’t end up going to the mikveh during or after ovulation? I would only want to do this for one or two months, until my cycle hopefully stabilizes (or until G-d willing I become pregnant – whichever comes first!).

Thank you so much for this great service.


Answer:

We empathize with your sense of urgency about conception.

Halachically, it is clearly prohibited to immerse in the mikveh before the end of the shivah neki’im. Sometimes, however, women spend more time in niddah than necessary before beginning the clean days. Please don’t assume a hefsek taharah or bedikah is unacceptable without consulting with a halachic authority.

In the best of circumstances, it often takes several months to conceive. In your case, it is very important to consult with your physician about stabilizing your cycle and tracking ovulation. Should it become clear down the road that your mikveh immersion consistently precedes ovulation, please get back in touch with us for halachic guidance.

You may also find it helpful to consult a Yoetzet Halacha Fertility Counselor. (This is a free service, details here.)

This response was updated on 12 November, 2020.


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