Timing Intercourse to Achieve Pregnancy
Question
Can you pinpoint the exact time of ovulation? And is it bad to have intercourse everyday, more then once a day when you are trying to conceive? Also, should I be concerned if we have been trying for 9 months, having sex almost everyday, and we still haven’t gotten pregnant?
Kesha
Answer
Last Updated: October 31, 2014
You need not be concerned about having intercourse too frequently during the fertile time if you wish to conceive, but the key is how you are identifying the fertile time. If you have not conceived after 9 months of using fertile days, you either are misidentifying the days of fertility, or must consider the possibility you are experiencing a health problem that has diminished your fertility as a couple.
The first step in addressing both issues (identifying the fertile days, and evaluating fertility) is to learn to chart the bio-markers of your cycle. You can learn to observe the daily signs produced by your body, to tell you not only which days are fertile, but when you are closest to ovulation. As you amass several cycles of charting, you can also consult with the NFP professional guiding you to review your cycles with you, and screen for possible indications of lowered fertility, such as limited mucus or short luteal phases. These charts of your cycles then become a valuable tool if you consult a physician to be evaluated.
Our website, www.canfp.org, has a list of NFP resources in California.
The first step in addressing both issues (identifying the fertile days, and evaluating fertility) is to learn to chart the bio-markers of your cycle. You can learn to observe the daily signs produced by your body, to tell you not only which days are fertile, but when you are closest to ovulation. As you amass several cycles of charting, you can also consult with the NFP professional guiding you to review your cycles with you, and screen for possible indications of lowered fertility, such as limited mucus or short luteal phases. These charts of your cycles then become a valuable tool if you consult a physician to be evaluated.
Our website, www.canfp.org, has a list of NFP resources in California.
Answered By:
Sheila St. John
Sheila St. John is the Executive Director of the California Association of Natural Family Planning, coordinating the non-profit’s education and advocacy efforts throughout the state. Initially attracted to NFP as a healthy, effective method for planning families, drug, device and surgery free, her passion for NFP has grown over the last 42 years as she has journeyed with the over 900 couples she has personally instructed in its use, and been privileged to witness its role in overcoming infertility, women’s health, and the transformation that occurs in lives of men, women, and families, when we embrace God’s design for love and life.
