#139 | Common Sex Advice That’s Killing Fertility—What to Do Instead to Get Pregnant Faster

Is the way you're timing sex actually sabotaging your chances of getting pregnant?

If you’ve been told to wait for your LH peak or cram in sex every single day, you could be unknowingly hurting your fertility. In this episode, Dr. Katie Wood breaks down why both too much and too little sex can backfire—and how to reset intimacy so it's not just timed, but truly supportive for conception.

In this episode, you'll...

– Learn the ideal sex frequency during your fertile window to boost conception chances

– Discover how stress, performance pressure, and "fertility sex burnout" can impact hormone balance and sperm quality

– Get practical ways to reduce tension, reconnect with your partner, and bring joy back into intimacy while trying to conceive

Hit play to discover the fertility sweet spot for sex frequency—and how to make conception feel more aligned and less like a chore.

👉🏽Take the Ultimate Fertility Blueprint Quiz HERE⚡

🌟Follow and connect with me on Instagram @the_wellness_pharmacist to fast-track your fertility so you can finally get and stay pregnant naturally!⁠

Finally Get Pregnant Naturally is your go-to TTC podcast for holistic fertility support to help you get pregnant naturally by addressing the root cause of unexplained infertility, secondary infertility, and recurrent miscarriage. Hosted by Dr. Katie Wood, a pharmacist and holistic fertility practitioner, this show offers natural fertility solutions for those on a fertility journey struggling to conceive, navigating miscarriage, or dealing with endometriosis, PCOS, low sperm count, or failed IUI or failed IVF. Whether you're trying to conceive, increase egg quality, optimizing sperm health, or healing after a miscarriage, each episode delivers practical guidance to support your fertility journey. Learn how to improve fertility, balance hormones, regulate your fertile window, and conceive naturally through root cause healing, emotional wellness, and mind-body tools—because true fertility starts from within.

DISCLAIMER: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use it as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. This podcast offers information to help the listener cooperate with physicians, mental health professionals or other healthcare providers in a mutual quest for optimal well-being. We advise listeners to carefully review and understand the ideas presented, and to consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. Under no circumstances shall Pharm to Wellness LLC, any guests or contributors to the Finally Get Pregnant Naturally podcast, or any employees, associates, or affiliates of Pharm to Wellness LLC be responsible for damages arising from the use of the podcast. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Episode Transcript

Katie (00:00):
In today's Get Pregnant Now, quickie, we're gonna be talking
about a potential fertility saboteur,and that is how often your having
sex and its impact on conception.
Welcome to the finally GetPregnant Naturally Podcast.
The podcast helping women identifythe real reasons you haven't
conceived or stayed pregnant, soyou and your partner can finally

(00:23):
grow the family of your dreams.
I'm your host, Dr.
Katie Wood.
Let's dive in, shall we?
So in this episode, we're gonna be breaking down why frequency of sex and not
just timing matters more than you think.
How too much or too little sex canactually sabotage your fertility
without you realizing in simplestrategies to reduce stress and

(00:46):
increase connection while trying toconceive so let's unpack this together.
If you're trying to conceive, thenchances are you've gotten some version
of advice to track your ovulation time.
Sex perfectly hit that LH peak window.
Or maybe you were told to have sex.

(01:07):
Every day I've heard of people beingtold to have sex every single day
in their cycle, or to have sex everysingle day in their fertile window,
and that's so they don't quote unquote,miss their opportunity to conceive.
So what can happen is.
You are pushing yourself as anindividual and as a couple, and

(01:29):
maybe that's actually not the bestthing for you and your fertility.
So here's the problem.
When you only have sexduring your LH Peak.
Or maybe once or twice in yourfertile window, you may be
missing an opportunity here.
So let's break it down.
Sperm health and survival matter.
And guess what?

(01:50):
Sperm can live inside the femalereproductive tract for up to
five days, so that means that.
Regular sex in the days leading upto ovulation can give you better
odds than just waiting to get thatpositive LH peak where maybe the timing
of when you are able to be intimatewith each other after that peak.

(02:14):
Perhaps you've missed thatwindow but at the same time.
Too much sex, like daily or multipletimes every day, or masturbation
as well can reduce sperm countand quality, especially if there's
already a mal factor issue at play.

(02:35):
So what's ideal?
I mainly recommend for my clients toaim for every other day in the five
to six days leading up to ovulationand day of ovulation or your LH Peak.
This is why cycle tracking and knowingyour fertile window is imperative
while also knowing your naturalovulation signs to look out for.

(02:59):
And if you're someone whohas irregular cycles, then.
Having a comprehensive cycletracking system is a must, and I
don't just mean tracking with ageneric app or using LH strips.
Plus, I would highly recommendfiguring out the root cause of your
irregular cycles so you can addressthat and help your cycles become more

(03:22):
predictable, which is going to helpconception happen a lot faster for you.
So that really just comes down tobeing about three to four times per
cycle in your fertile window, whichin reality is not too much and not
too little because here's the thing,sometimes when you're trying to get
pregnant for months and months andmonths or years and years and years.

(03:45):
Timing, sex and having too muchsex can have a toll on you,
your body, your relationship.
Maybe it starts to feel like achore for you and your partner.
Maybe you're exhausted, youbecome disconnected, and sex
just isn't spontaneous and funfor you anymore, which we don't.

(04:07):
Want that for your fertility journey.
So this pressure and performancefocused sex can actually backfire.
And when it feels like a clinicaltask, instead of connecting with
each other, it can spike, cortisolpartners can begin to feel resentful.
It can shut down oxytocin, and itcan pull your nervous system into a

(04:32):
stressed mode and not a fertile mode.
So here's.
Something that we want to be aiming for.
We want intimacy to be, regularbut joyful and not just functional.
We want it to be more about connectionand less about pressure, and know that
regular relaxed intimacy is more fertilethan a perfectly timed stressed filled.

(04:57):
Sexual encounter with each other.
Okay, so let's recap.
Timing matters, but so does frequency.
You don't want to wait just foryour peak day and you don't wanna
be doing it too much either.
So aiming for sex about every otherday during your fertile window.
Too much sex can lower sperm qualityand too little can miss the window.

(05:20):
It's about finding that middleground there and connection is
going to fuel your fertility.
Journey.
So shift the energy aroundsex from have to to want to.
This can help regulate hormonesand support your body's
readiness to conceive as well.
And maybe something you and yourpartner can work on is improving

(05:41):
your communication, doing somedate nights with each other, just
making it fun and reminding eachother why you're trying to create.
Life and a child and expand and createthe family of your dreams to begin with.
So if sex has started to feel likeanother item on your fertility

(06:02):
to-do list, take a breath.
You are allowed to enjoy this.
You are allowed to relax and to trust andlet this be your permission slip to reset
your intimacy, not just for conception,but for the relationship you are
building with your future baby already.
Thank you so much for listening.
I hope you have a fantastic day,and I'll see you on our next episode

(06:25):
released every Tuesday and Thursday.
Are you ready to finally discover why youhaven't been able to get or stay pregnant?
The Ultimate Fertility Blueprint is aquick, insightful quiz designed to reveal
your overall capacity to conceive and helpyou discover potential root causes and
areas to address to improve your fertilityso you can finally get and stay pregnant.

(06:51):
You will find the link in theshow notes as a quick reminder and
disclaimer, this podcast is foreducational purposes only and is
not a substitute for medical advice.
Always consult your doctor orhealthcare provider before starting
any new supplement or protocol,especially if you're actively trying
to conceive or undergoing treatment.