\[ **BT: [[human life cycle#conception/fertilisation]]** ] --- # trying to conceive ## timing of intercourse [[The possibility of conception is limited to the ‘fertile window’—that is, a six-day period ending on the estimated day of ovulation.]][^1] [[The optimal window for fertilisation appears to be approximately 12–14 hours after ovulation.]][^2] [[According to Wilcox (1995), ‘Older women tend to conceive earlier in their cycle’.]][^3] [[The ‘the day-specific probability of conception sharply rises at 7 days after the LMP, reaching its maximum at 15 days and returning to zero by 25 days.’]][^4] [[The ‘true date of conception is not observable and may only be estimated’.]][^5] ## other factors influencing successful conception ### egg age [[Female fertility is highly dependent on age. The decrease in fertility accelerates after thirty-five due to reductions in the ovarian reserve and oocyte quality.]][^6] [[Human oocyte aging is also affected by environmental and behavioural factors, i.e. diet and lifestyle.]][^7] ### sperm age As in, how long the sperm have been in the uterus: [[Per Wilcox (1995), there is ‘no evident relation between the age of sperm and the viability of the conceptus, although only 6 percent of the pregnancies could be firmly attributed to sperm that were three or more days old’.]][^8] ### some more easily solvable causes of infertility - celiac disease - overactive thyroid - teeth problems [[health and wellbeing#Vitamin D deficiency|Vitamin D deficiency]] is a very common contributor to unexplained infertility; it is frequently overlooked by fertility specialists, but fortunately also very simple to address.[^9] #### recommended supplements for those struggling with conception Per *[[Fett, It Starts with the Egg, 2019|It Starts with the Egg]]*. ##### for improving egg quality - prenatal vitamin (containing at least 800mcg of methylfolate or natural food folate) - ubiquinol (CoQ10): 400 mg per day—one 200 mg capsule with breakfast, one with lunch; can go up to 600 mg for trickier cases - additional vitamin C (500 mg) and vitamin E (200 IU). - [[#Vitamin D]], per doctor dosage.[^10] - optional: R-alpha lipoic acid: 200 – 300 mg per day, preferably on an empty stomach but with food if it causes issues - fish oil as below if you don’t get much fish in diet ##### for improving improving sperm quality - daily multivitamin; with methylfolate rather than a synthetic folic acid - CoQ10 (ubiquinol or Bio-Quinon): 200 mg per day with breakfast. Serious issues, 400 mg. - fish oil: e.g. 2 capsules Nordic Naturals DHA Xtra or equivalent to provide at least 900 mg of DHA - R-alpha lipoic acid: 200 – 300 mg per day, preferably on an empty stomach but with food if it causes issues - L-carnitine: 1000 mg, with or without food - methyfolate - Menevit - Co-enzyme Q10 (Swisse) - Swisse Ultiboost Odourless Super Strength Wild Fish Oil 2000mg + see also: [[assisted reproductive technologies]] #### pregnancy tests [[If you get a negative pregnancy test result before 11 DPO, there is still a good chance you might be pregnant.]][^11] #### sex selection [[Per Wilcox (1995), ‘for practical purposes, the timing of sexual intercourse in relation to ovulation has no influence on the sex of the baby’.]][^12] #### ↬ external resources: conception - ↬ [Fertility Friend](https://www.fertilityfriend.com/) ==*highly recommended*== - ↬ [Trying To Conceive Q&A](https://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/) - ↬ [Early Negative Pregnancy Test Before a Positive - Stats Study](<https://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/Early-Negative-Pregnancy-Test-Before-a-Positive---Stats-Study.html>) - ↬ [Time to Conception Estimator](https://datayze.com/time-to-conception-estimator) - ↬ [Get the facts about pregnancy spacing](https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/getting-pregnant/in-depth/family-planning/art-20044072) + see also: [[health and wellbeing#basal body temperature (BBT)]] [^1]: A. J. Wilcox, C. R. Weinberg, and D. D. Baird, ‘[[Wilcox et al., ‘Timing of Sexual Intercourse in Relation to Ovulation’, 1995|Timing of Sexual Intercourse in Relation to Ovulation. Effects on the Probability of Conception, Survival of the Pregnancy, and Sex of the Baby]]’, *The New England Journal of Medicine*, vol. 333, no. 23 (1995), p. 1517, [https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199512073332301](https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199512073332301). [^2]: Katarzyna Galasinska and Aleksandra Szymkow, ‘[[Galasinska and Szymkow, ‘The More Fertile, the More Creative’, 2021|The More Fertile, the More Creative: Changes in Women’s Creative Potential across the Ovulatory Cycle]]’, *International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health*, vol. 18, no. 10 (2021), p. 1, [https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105390](https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105390). [^3]: Julien J. Stirnemann et al., ‘[[Stirnemann et al., ‘Day-Specific Probabilities of Conception in Fertile Cycles Resulting in Spontaneous Pregnancies’, 2013|Day-Specific Probabilities of Conception in Fertile Cycles Resulting in Spontaneous Pregnancies]]’, *Human Reproduction*, vol. 28, no. 4 (2013), p. 1100, [https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/des449](https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/des449). [^4]: Julien J. Stirnemann et al., ‘[[Stirnemann et al., ‘Day-Specific Probabilities of Conception in Fertile Cycles Resulting in Spontaneous Pregnancies’, 2013|Day-Specific Probabilities of Conception in Fertile Cycles Resulting in Spontaneous Pregnancies]]’, *Human Reproduction*, vol. 28, no. 4 (2013), p. 1100, [https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/des449](https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/des449). [^5]: Julien J. Stirnemann et al., ‘[[Stirnemann et al., ‘Day-Specific Probabilities of Conception in Fertile Cycles Resulting in Spontaneous Pregnancies’, 2013|Day-Specific Probabilities of Conception in Fertile Cycles Resulting in Spontaneous Pregnancies]]’, *Human Reproduction*, vol. 28, no. 4 (2013), p. 1100, [https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/des449](https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/des449). [^6]: Toka A. Ahmed et al., ‘[[Ahmed et al., ‘Oocyte Aging’, 2020|Oocyte Aging: The Role of Cellular and Environmental Factors and Impact on Female Fertility]]’, *Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology* vol. 1247 (Dec 2019), p. 1, [https://doi.org/10.1007/5584_2019_456](https://doi.org/10.1007/5584_2019_456). [^7]: Toka A. Ahmed et al., ‘[[Ahmed et al., ‘Oocyte Aging’, 2020|Oocyte Aging: The Role of Cellular and Environmental Factors and Impact on Female Fertility]]’, *Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology* vol. 1247 (Dec 2019), p. 1, [https://doi.org/10.1007/5584_2019_456](https://doi.org/10.1007/5584_2019_456). [^8]: A. J. Wilcox, C. R. Weinberg, and D. D. Baird, ‘[[Wilcox et al., ‘Timing of Sexual Intercourse in Relation to Ovulation’, 1995|Timing of Sexual Intercourse in Relation to Ovulation. Effects on the Probability of Conception, Survival of the Pregnancy, and Sex of the Baby]]’, *The New England Journal of Medicine*, vol. 333, no. 23 (1995), p. 1517, [https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199512073332301](https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199512073332301). [^9]: Rebecca Fett, *[[Fett, It Starts with the Egg, 2019|It Starts with the Egg]]* (Franklin Fox Publishing, 2019), p. 195. [^10]: Consuelo Rivera-Fuentes, ‘[[Rivera-Fuentes, ‘Gender and Hybridity’, 2000|Gender and Hybridity: The Significance of Human/Animal Characters in Magic Realist Fiction]]’, *Animal Issues*, vol. 4, no. 1 (2000), p. 34. <https://hdl.handle.net/10779/uow.27825465.v1>. [^11]: ‘[[Fertility Friend, ‘Early Negative Pregnancy Test Before a Positive - Stats Study’, n.d.|Early Negative Pregnancy Test Before a Positive - Stats Study]]’, *Fertility Friend*, accessed 29 July 2025, <https://www.fertilityfriend.com/Faqs/Early-Negative-Pregnancy-Test-Before-a-Positive---Stats-Study.html>. [^12]: A. J. Wilcox, C. R. Weinberg, and D. D. Baird, ‘[[Wilcox et al., ‘Timing of Sexual Intercourse in Relation to Ovulation’, 1995|Timing of Sexual Intercourse in Relation to Ovulation. Effects on the Probability of Conception, Survival of the Pregnancy, and Sex of the Baby]]’, *The New England Journal of Medicine*, vol. 333, no. 23 (1995), p. 1517, [https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199512073332301](https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199512073332301).