Which has a better chance of conception, targeting the day of ovulation or having intercourse multiple times a week?

I am a 30-year-old woman and have been married for one year. I'm trying to conceive, but I haven't been to a fertility clinic yet.

I often hear that it is easier to get pregnant if I have intercourse on the ovulation day.

However, which is easier to get pregnant, having sex only on your ovulation day or having sex as often as possible? 

I simply thought that having sex more often would make it easier to get pregnant, but my husband says that having sex every day is not a good idea because it thins the semen.

I have a feeling that it will be harder to get pregnant if semen stays in testes too long, but how often should I have sex (how many times a week) to have the best chance of getting pregnant?

ME

Megan Kelly

5 Feb, 2022


1 Answer


PE

Peter Kim

United States

It is a misconception that having sex on the day of ovulation is conducive to conception. 

Medically speaking, the day before and two days before ovulation are the times when the pregnancy rate is highest. 

Therefore, if you are trying to have intercourse on the day of ovulation, you will have a difficult time conceiving.

Some obstetricians are not aware of this fact, so it is not surprising that the general public is not aware of it. 

Also, since basal body temperature cannot predict the day of ovulation, it is recommended that you have an ultrasound done at a hospital to measure follicles and predict the day of ovulation.

Secondly, it is also wrong to say that ejaculating every day is not good because it thins the semen. 

When sperm are stored, reactive oxygen species are produced, which can damage not only the sperm but also the cells that produce them. 

Therefore, the more sperm he stores longer, the worse they will become, so it is best to ejaculate as often as possible (every day is probably difficult, so try to ejaculate every other day or so).

Medically speaking, there is a six-day window of opportunity for conception, from five days before ovulation to the day of ovulation. 

The fact that the opportunity arises five days before ovulation means that the sperm will be alive in the woman's body for at least five days. For these reasons, having sex several times (about three times every other day) from five days before ovulation to the day of ovulation is the most probable timing method.

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