Timed Intercourse
Did you know that it is only possible to get pregnant approximately 6 days out of the month? Sperm can live in the uterus for up to 5 days while an egg that has ovulated can only survive around 24 hours. This is why timed intercourse while trying to conceive is so important!
Timed intercourse is exactly what it sounds like...timing sex to ovulation. If you are NOT undergoing fertility treatments this would mean sex typically begins 4-5 days before expected ovulation and up to one day after ovulation.
If you do not have regular and predictable monthly menses, there is a good chance that you are having issues with ovulation. In this case, most patients will have some form of ovulation induction (clomid or letrozole being the most common) starting on approximately cycle day 3 of their most recent menstrual period. During this time you would be monitored with ultrasounds to track the development of the growing follicle (where the egg grows). Once your follicle is large enough you will take your trigger shot to induce ovulation. Because ovulation typically occurs 36-40 hours after trigger shot administration you will be instructed to have intercourse at that time along with at least 1-2 other times during this period in order to maximize chances of fertilization!
Timed intercourse is an excellent, low cost, non invasive first line treatment plan in couples dealing with anovulatory infertility. However, it is important to note that success is heavily reliant on the absence of male factor infertility (low sperm count/motility/morphology on semen analysis). Because of this, it is important that a semen analysis is done before making the decision to proceed with timed intercourse.
