Hormone puts sperm into hibernation?

[Kitty0911]

Did anyone else catch the show on the Discovery channel that was discussing conception. There was a part of the show that was talking about a hormone being released in the female's reproductive tract that would put sperm into hibernation until ovulation occurred. I wish I could remember what the show was called but I can't even get to any of the past programs that played today and the show aired on the 11th. Has anyone read any studies about this? Me and hubby DTD today (pos. OPK) and now I'm wondering if the hibernation thing is true? I am doing my first cycle of temping so I get to see when I really ovulate (since I usually get multiple +OPKs), which is making me nervous... If I was to go off my usual last +OPK there is a good chance I won't ovulate for another 5 days...I hope it's true since hubby won't be back home until next week

[sushikitty]

Yup I learned this too. If my bfp is REALLY a bfp it would make sense on my end. We DTD 27th and didn't OV until the 5th! Since sperm usually lives for 5 days (sometimes longer) in a woman's reproductive tract.

[atomic sagebrush]

Yes, sperm capacitate in waves, so some of them are kept in "stasis" while others lose their little caps to be ready in case an egg shows up. Some sperm can stay dormant and alive for 5 and maybe eve 7 days after intercourse (I would not bet on that happening, however.)

Believe it or not we don't totally know about this process in the human body. They know how to make it happen in a test tube but no one really knows if this is what happens in the body or not. RB&E | Full text | Role of tyrosine phosphorylation in sperm capacitation / acrosome reaction

Given that you get a lot of pos OPKs you may not be able to do the one attempt thing. What I would do is have unprotected sex every 4 days, that way the odds are you'll get in one attempt in your fertile window, and even if you do get in 2 attempts they'll be spaced out pretty far.

[Kitty0911]

Thanks atomic!