Some may assume that fertilization and ovulation are the same, but there are some differences between the two. A woman can be fertile ten days after she has gotten her period. She will only start ovulating 14 days after her period, and being fertile means that a woman has a higher chance of getting pregnant. Ovulation is the process wherein a fertilized egg can be released so that a sperm may fertilize it.
The sperm can wait up to 5 days in the fallopian tubes. For example, if the woman had sex on the 10th day, and the egg is released on the 14th day, the sperm that is still alive will fight to fertilize the egg. Some women would experience implantation cramping if the sperm were able to fertilize the egg.