There are tons of myths surrounding when and how often couples who are trying to get pregnant should have sex.
For instance, some of these misconceptions include:
- A woman should have sex on day 14 of her menstrual cycle.
- A woman should have sex within three days of ovulation.
- When a woman’s BBT temperature is highest, it’s time to have intercourse.
- Couples should have sex as many times around a woman’s period of ovulation as possible.
So what’s wrong with these commonly-held beliefs? A few things:
- Most women don’t have a standard cycle, which can be a huge problem if they’re trying to have sex at the “right” time. It’s better for them to have intercourse once every three days (about two days less than the average length of time that sperm can live in a woman’s body).
- Tracking BBT can definitely be a good way to try to get pregnant, but it’s not an exact science. Again, if you’re having sexual intercourse regularly, you’ll naturally increase the chances for conception around the time of the highest BBT reading.
- Though there’s nothing wrong with having a great deal of sex, it doesn’t necessarily translate to having a child. Sperm counts may be low, ovulation may not have taken place, etc.
The bottom line? Don’t buy in to all the “information” you’ve heard regarding infertility. Though much of it has a basis in science, it isn’t as accurate (or applicable) as you might be led to believe.