How long does sperm live?

[pontipinemum]

I know google says up to 5 days but I can't find a study that gives a figure for the average life of a typical mans sperm.

I don't want to track LH or temp or anything like that, I had an early MC and I was pretty heartbroken by it even though it's my 4th mc. I am thinking sex every 2 days from around tomorrow until my period shows/ doesn't show up again. But with toddler/ work/ etc I'm not sure we will want to every 2nd day! Every 3rd might be more realistic.

My MC started on the 8th so I am counting that as CD1

Sperm lives outside the man for 20 minutes typically. Unless in or around the vagina , which is the other optimal condition. I'd heard of 5 days, with 3 being typical. Hope this helps and good luck

Up to 5 days but in practice it’s often a lot less and decreases with age.

Those Clearblue sticks are pretty great IME (I don’t have shares in them, I promise, although I’ve used so many that I should probably think about taking some out now…). You get a flashing smiley face for high fertility and a solid smiling face for peak fertility.

Perfect it does help a lot. If we DTD every 2nd night in what should be my most fertile time then just every 3rd night at other times we should hopefully be covered.

Makes it sound like a complete chore which isn't what I want! I have really promised myself I am going to stay away from early testing. Now I would have known about this MC anyway as I did miss my period by a week.

I haven't had a mc since I had DS and just assumed everything would be fine this time. I need to really contain my hopes again until I get that 1st scan.

Most of the sperm live up to 48-72 hours, after that they start dying off rapidly. Sperm can actually live up to 7 days but it's rare.

Sex every 2 days is better, but every 3 days gives you a good chance too. Even if you're not using opks your discharge will likely change around ovulation and your sex drive might increase, so having more sex when you feel the urge and/or notice egg white type discharge is a good way to do it if not tracking.

@OneMoreCookie I was looking at those. I used premom opks when I conceived DS and used them this last cycle. I think just all the testing, the anticipation, then early pregnancy testing to end in early MC anyway was very upsetting.

@pontipinemum glad I could help

Why don’t you want to track temperature/mucous? If you have a toddler to deal with it’s far less stressful then having to have that much sex! If you are prone to miscarriages it can also give you an inkling if anything is out in your hormonal cycle that might be causing them.

@volunteersruz
Dh just thinks I put myself under too much pressure with the tracking. Is it/ isn't it rising.

I still have 20 opks maybe I'll use them and be more chill about it and keep my hopes in check. Also maybe i won't tell DH about the opks, like he does want to have another baby just thinks that winging it is less stressful.

Before I used opks each pregnancy took ages to get pregnant. From starting ttc to having ds took 4 years

On average 3 days. Up to 5 days of course

@pontipinemum i can totally understand that, it took a long time for me to conceive my first but i think once i knew that i wasnt ovulating 1 out of every 3 cycles and also that i wasn't ovulating 'til day 20/21 it took a lot of the pressure off and i was able to see a naturopath for some herbal treatment that helped my cycle. i think you have to do what ever works for you both stress wise but as well as my issues my husband had issues with sperm quality so we had other actions to take. best of luck ,have you read Toni Wechslers book "taking charge of your fertility" ? .