It's All about Timing
You probably knew that sex for procreation is about timing. When you're trying to conceive there are benefits to timing intercourse; the key is getting the timing right.
Now that you understand the mechanics of ovulation and your cycle, you will know what day you are mostly likely to ovulate. That is the day you are shooting for to fertilize that egg. However, this does not mean that you must have sex on that day.
Remember that the egg is viable for between twelve and twenty-four hours. Sperm can live, however, for much longer in your reproductive tract. You will want to ensure that you have live sperm attempting to reach your egg when you ovulate. You will want to have intercourse before, during, and after ovulation to accomplish this and ensure that all of your bases are covered.
Even in healthy men, sperm count can be lowered by excessive ejaculation. It does not matter how the ejaculation takes place. Masturbation or oral, vaginal, or anal sex can all lead to a decreased sperm count. During the time of month you are ovulating, it's best to wait twenty-four to thirty-six hours between ejaculations.
If you typically ovulate on day twelve of your cycle, you'll want to cover your bases by having intercourse on days eight, ten, twelve, fourteen, and sixteen. This ensures that the day of ovulation is covered, even if you've miscalculated the actual ovulation date.
Notice that you are not having sex every day in the previous example. Having intercourse every day can be detrimental to your goals of achieving a pregnancy. Your partner's sperm count will be lower the more often he ejaculates, so it is recommended that you have sex only every other day to give him a break.
Why do you need to have intercourse on so many days surrounding your ovulation date? You include the days before your cycle to ensure that sperm is present around the egg when it is released. You include the day of ovulation for perfect timing. Then you include the days after your intended day of ovulation to give the sperm another chance to get to the egg before it dies.
