Day 1: Timing Sex Is (Almost) Everything

Six Days to Better Baby Making Sex Online Health Course

By Rachel Gurevich, About.com Guide

Updated August 17, 2011

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

See More About:

Course Quick Links: Email Sign Up Page | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6

In this free online health course, 6 Days to Better Baby Making Sex, you’ll learn how to increase your chances of conception, avoid TTC (trying to conceive) sex burn out, and how to spice things up in the bedroom. This course is available on the web or via email.

With the exception of those dealing with certain cases of infertility or special medical issues, the basic way to make a baby is through sex. But when can that happen? Does position matter? Are lubricants good or bad for baby making sex? What can you do if the passion dies, after trying for too long? You’ll learn all this in our 6-day course.

There are homework assignments for each lesson, and the last lesson has a quiz to test what you’ve learned. Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom so you don’t miss anything. Enjoy!

What you’ll learn in this lesson:

When is the best time for conception sex
Why having sex every day, or only just before ovulation, is not a good idea
How often should you be having sex

When Can Sex Lead to Pregnancy?

The ovum, or female egg, lives about 24 hours. Sperm are pretty hardy, though, and can live within the female reproductive system for up to five days. Theoretically, then, if you have sex five days before ovulation, you could get pregnant – maybe, but not likely. The two days before ovulation are when sex is very likely to lead to pregnancy.

We’ll talk pinpointing these days in the next article in this series, but first, let’s talk about whether or not you should only aim for the best days.

Ready, Aim, Fire Vs. Spreading the Wealth

There are a few problems with aiming only for your most fertile days. For one, sperm are healthier when sex happens regularly. Another advantage is the stress will be less. Predicting ovulation can be tricky.

My suggestion? Track ovulation (if it doesn’t stress you out too much), so you can have sex on the days that you are most likely to conceive, and also have frequent sex all month long, to keep sperm healthier and ensure you don’t miss your chance.

Plus, sex isn’t just for making babies. Sex is also a way of connecting intimately with the love of your life. Sex is also good for your health and may reduce stress. All good reasons to enjoy it often!

Quick Tip! Using an Ovulation Calculator

An ovulation calculator can help you approximate ovulation, but it will not tell you anything specific about your body. It may be more accurate if you have regular cycles and know what your luteal phase is, and it can still help you get an idea of when you may be most fertile. Try out our ovulation calculator.

Homework for Today’s Lesson:

Part 1: Read today’s recommended articles, which give you more information on detecting the best days for conception sex. You’ll also learn about a common myth regarding ovulation.

Part 2: How often have you been having sex while trying to conceive? Is this more or less often than you were before you started trying to get pregnant? Come share your answer here, and see what other readers had to say.