Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice. Ovulation can occur when you experience mid-cycle or ovulatory bleeding. Keep in mind that while you cannot technically ovulate while on a period because sperm can live in the body for 3 to 5 days after sex. Pregnancy could occur from intercourse that takes place during a period. I think this would be a bit tricky. When on the pill you don t ovulate - that s how it works (mostly). Do you know when you normally ovulate? The pill doesn t normally change the timing of ovulation within your cycle. CD1 is the first day of your period. If you have a regular cycle of around 28 days then you likely ovulate around CD 12 to 16. Therefore, if you started the pill on the first day when your partner is away and took it for 18 days, then ceased, you re likly to be CD1 a few days later, say around day 21. Your partner is due back in town on day 28 (ie CD 7) and will be around til CD17, which would give you the opportunity for conception. You could jig the days a couple of days either way. You would then need to wait til the end of that cycle, that is about 10 days after he leaves, to see if you are pregnant. If not, I don t think it would work for the next cycle, because not enough days left to take the pill, then stop it etcetera. But you may be able to do it every second time he is home. Also in some cases, the pills does put their cycle out by a few days and that may end up being a big issue and cause you to miss ovulation. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Tripat Mehta