Timing Intercourse For Pregnancy

Is it really important to time intercourse in order to conceive a baby? Well, the answer is a yes and no. If you consider all the women throughout the ages who conceived and had no idea as to when conception took place or wasn’t even trying – then the answer is no. But the truth is, there is actually only a small window of opportunity for conception to happen each cycle.

The truth is the time of ovulation is the only time in which an egg(s) is released. The egg only lives from 12 to 24 hours. Sometimes – though rare – another egg will be released from the other ovary within 24 hours of the first egg. Because of this small window of opportunity – it is important to time intercourse to best achieve conception. It is also important to chart your cycle – that way you will know exactly when ovulation occurs and can benefit from having intercourse at the right time.

On the other hand, sperm can live up to 72 hours and if there is good quality cervical fluid they can live up to 5 days. So, for example, if you ovulate on day 14 of your cycle – technically your egg(s) will live for only 12 to 24 hours beyond day 14. Having intercourse on day 12 – day 15 would greatly increase your chances of conceiving. However, if your cervical fluid is of good quality – you can have intercourse on day 10 and possibly conceive. Remember this is based on a woman ovulating on day 14 of her cycle. It’s important to know exactly when ovulation should occur. You can learn this by charting your fertility signs – basal body temperature, cervical fluid and cervical position. See my articles on charting for instructions on how to chart effectively.

Whether or not you need to have sex everyday in order to conceive depends upon a few things. If it has been determined that the man has low sperm count – it would be best to practice the every other day intercourse – or to wait until the day before the expected ovulation. If there are no problems with sperm count – it would be perfectly okay to have intercourse every day. This depends on your stamina, preferences and determination. If you pretty much know when ovulation occurs every month – it’s only important to have intercourse the day before or the day of and the day following – in case there is another egg released. However it may increase your chances of conception to do so more often.

In timing intercourse be sure to keep the romance alive. Most men prefer the “unexpected” or “whim” of the moment – rather than perfectly timed moments. There are ways around this – as the woman who knows when ovulation is occurring can make an extra effort to add”spontaneity” to the mix. There are many good ideas about how to spice up your sex life – if the timing of intercourse becomes an issue. It can be extremely stressful to both the woman and the man if the pressure of “performing” causes things to wane. Just remember to keep a lighthearted attitude and to relax and have fun.