If : If a couple has intercourse about three days a week evenly spread out, then there is no need to specifically time intercourse. This is because sperm live for up to 6 days in the fallopian tube. If frequent intercourse is a problem then using an over-the-counter urine ovulation predictor kit and timing intercourse on the day it turns positive and the day after it turns positive is a good way to time intercourse. The best thing to do is to have intercourse every other day starting the day you start the ovulation predictor kit (the kit explains when to start) and then have intercourse again the day and the day after the kit turns positive. The point here is that it is never a good idea to abstain from intercourse until the kit turns positive. This is because the egg is only fertilizable for 24 hours after it comes out of the ovary. If your kit is off by just one day, you can miss your opportunity. That is why it is best to have the "troops on the field" so to speak, waiting for the egg to come. This issue of missing the first day can happen if a person is testing very early in the morning. Some studies have shown that the majority of lh surges happen around 3 to 4 in the morning. If a person is using their first urine in the morning and that is at 5 - 6 am, the lh surge in the blood might not have made it to the urine maximally by them. I tell my patient to test between 10 and 11 am for this reason. Hope this helps!
Answered 9/26/2014
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Have : Have intercourse at least 2-3 times a week when not on your period. If you have regular cycles days 10 - 18 are the most fertile time and you can have sex every other night. If you are regular, you can also use an ovulation predictor test and have sex for the three days starting with a positive test. If you have irregular cycles using the ovulation predictor kit is not a good idea, it is better to find out why you are irregular and fix any treatable cause (see below). Don't douche after intercourse. Nearly all lubricants like KY jelly are harmful to sperm but are not a major factor for most couples, but if you usually use lubricant switch to pre-seed (see link below). I am not affiliated with the makers of pre-seed. If you have regular periods, you can try for up to a year if you are under 35, six months if 35 or over, before seeing a fertility specialist (reproductive endocrinologist). If you are irregular, or if you are 40 or over, see a reproductive endocrinologist soon. Best wishes.
Answered 10/4/2016
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