Questionmy husband and i have been trying to have another child for the past year and half. we thought some thing was wrong with him, but his sperm count was above average and i already have two children from a past relationship.what i might think is the problem is that i only have a period about two to four times a year. actually last year was one real period. we had sex for twenty days straight after my period and nothing happened. so can you give me some other tips or advice on how we might be able to conceive?
AnswerDear Crystal,
Data from studies suggests the best timing of intercourse in order to conceive is day 10, 12, 14 and 16 (to allow for variances in ovulation day) of a 28 day cycle OR days -4, -2, 0, +2 in relation to expected ovulation in the case of cycles different than 28 days. For couples who are really struggling, I usually suggest having sex every other day from days 10-21 (Day 1 being the 1st day of the period).
Having sex every other day allows the man's body time to build back up his sperm stores. If you had sex for twenty days straight from the time of your period, your husband's sperm stores may have been a bit depleted by the time you actually ovulated.
However...since your periods are SO irregular, we don't know if you are actually ovulating every month as we would expect. Have you tried using an ovulation predictor kit? It can help you determine when/if you are ovulating. They are fairly easy to use and available at most pharmacies or places like Walgreens or other large chain stores or online.
Paying attention to your cervical mucous also helps. When you are about to ovulate, your CM tends to become more abundant and has an "egg whites" consistency.
Making sure that you are staying down immediately after sex for about 20-30 minutes will also help. Obviously, getting up right after sex allows some semen to leak out. So staying lying down will allow the semen to stay put. Placing a pillow under the hips can also help with gravity in getting those sperm cells where you want them to go. :-)
I hope this information has helped you and answered your question. I wish you fantastic luck.
Brenda
