If you're trying to get pregnant, you'll probably have found there are many methods that promise to increase your odds of conceiving, with parents everywhere having varying success rates. One method you might not have heard of is SMEP - the Sperm Meets Egg Plan.
What is SMEP?
SMEP aka the Sperm Meets Egg Plan is a method that aims to help you get pregnant faster with ovulation awareness and intercourse timing. The idea is that the method times sex to ensure the sperm and egg have every opportunity to meet each and every cycle, increasing the odds of success.
SMEP method
• To make sure sperm and egg meet, you should have sex every other day starting on the eighth day of your cycle.
• On the tenth day of your cycle, you could begin daily testing using an ovulation prediction kit. Once you have received a positive OPK you should have intercourse three more days in a row.
• Then skip one day and have sex once more.
• If your period has not arrived 15 days after your positive OPK, it's time to do a pregnancy test. Alternatively, many tests can now be taken up to five days before your period is due.
What if I don't receive a positive OPK?
Not receiving a positive OPK can happen for a number of reasons. If this is the case for you, you should try to have sex every other day until your period arrives or you reach cycle day 35.
Does SMEP work?
Like most methods of conceiving, SMEP is successful for some couples but not for others. Couples (who aren't experiencing fertility issues) generally have between a 15 and 25 per cent chance of conceiving each cycle and SMEP helps by making sure sperm and egg have every opportunity to meet.
Ultimately, it's well worth a go if you're trying to have a baby although you'll need lots of energy as it requires a lot of sex!
What are the chances of sperm meeting egg?
A whopping 300 million sperm are typically released during sex although roughly only 200 sperm will reach the egg. While only one sperm is required to fertilise an egg, not every sperm is capable of doing so.
If you’ve been actively trying to conceive for 12 months or more with no luck, or if you have concerns about either you or your partner’s reproductive health during that time, then it’s worth making an appointment with your GP.
Emily Gilbert is the Features & Reviews Editor for Mother&Baby and has written for the website and previously the magazine for six years. Specialising in product reviews, Emily is the first to know about all the exciting new releases in the parenting industry.