Do I need to have sex every day to get pregnant?

“Have sex every day.” You’ve probably heard this advice at some point if you’re trying for a baby and wondering how to get pregnant fast. But how true is it? Does having sex more often really increase your chances of getting pregnant?

Planning sexual intercourse

There are many situations in which couples meticulously plan their sexual intercourse, with the mistaken belief that this is the only way they will achieve pregnancy.
It has always been thought that you should only have sex on the most fertile days of the cycle, because outside those days conception is unlikely.
It is true that there are days of higher fertility during a woman’s cycle, which correspond to the ovulation period. This is when the egg, once matured, is released from the ovary into the fallopian tube, along which it travels towards the uterus.
Fertilisation takes place in the first third of the fallopian tube, and the egg’s survival time without fertilisation is around 24 hours. This means that when the egg reaches that point, sperm should already be there waiting or about to arrive.
However, some studies show that it is difficult to pinpoint the exact day of ovulation in a woman, as well as how long sperm remain in the cervical mucus after intercourse. In addition, constantly talking to couples about “ovulation days” is precisely what ends up putting pressure on them.
For this reason, it is better to advise couples not to focus on specific days, but instead to have sex regularly, and try not to organise their whole lives and relationship around conception attempts, as this adds extra pressure during the process of trying to get pregnant fast.

What should I do after having sex to get pregnant?

Immediately after having sex with the aim of conceiving, there is no specific action you need to take to increase your chances of pregnancy.
Remember that it is advisable to have regular sexual intercourse, but always taking care of the relationship. The most important thing is not to treat sex as an obligation, and to continue enjoying intimacy as a couple.

And what happens with the sperm?

Regarding sperm, some studies suggest that the more frequently a man ejaculates, the better the sperm quality. This is based on the fact that, once produced, sperm are stored in the epididymis waiting to be ejaculated. A long waiting time can reduce their motility and increase sperm DNA fragmentation (breaks in their genetic material).
However, it is not that simple. On the other hand, very frequent intercourse reduces the total number of sperm in each ejaculate, making it more difficult for them to reach the egg.