One way to improve your chances of getting pregnant, and often one of our first suggestions, is to try timed intercourse. This means having sexual intercourse near the time of ovulation — generally a few days before ovulation and on the day of ovulation. Since sperm can survive roughly five days traveling through the vagina, uterus and fallopian tubes, the goal is to narrow down the days when a sperm is most likely able to find and fertilize your or your female partner’s egg.
Your doctor can help you understand how to track the menstrual cycle and identify your target window for timed intercourse. Some common options include using a calendar or an app that estimates when ovulation may occur, or using an ovulation predictor kit.
To further increase your chances of getting pregnant through timed intercourse, your doctor may also prescribe fertility medication to help the ovaries mature more eggs and/or trigger the ovaries to release the egg into the fallopian tube.