It depends on when you ovulate. Women who are regular ovulate about 2 weeks before the start of their cycle. If you have a shorter cycle, then of course this number goes down. If you are irregular, you could be ovulating at different times, so you would need to chart your cycle out, or get an ovulation predictor kit.
A period means that you are not pregnant the majority of the time. If you miss a period, you can take a test to see if the reason why you are missing your period is pregnancy. You can have a late, early, or missed period because of stress, so a missed period is not always a sign of pregnancy either.