How Much Sperm Does It Take to Get Pregnant? Semen Quality Explained
A common obstacle to fertility is low sperm count or low semen volume. Other sperm abnormalities that can cause infertility include problems with movement (motility) and high numbers of immature, unformed sperm.
How much semen does it take to get pregnant?
Any successful pregnancy starts with two key ingredients: a sperm and an egg. Fertility problems can originate with either the mother’s egg or the father’s sperm meaning both components need to be healthy in order to have a successful pregnancy.
Sperm is released in the semen when a man ejaculates. But exactly how much semen does it take to get pregnant? In this blog post, we cover how much semen is needed to fertilize an egg, and how you can boost your sperm count naturally.
Understanding the composition and role of sperm
Men release sperm cells during the process of ejaculation. The fluid released is called semen, and is made up of sperm cells suspended in seminal fluid. Seminal fluid contains many nutrients that support the lives of sperm cells, including large amounts of fructose.
Pregnancy occurs after ejaculation when sperm from the semen travels through the cervix into the uterus. When a mature sperm joins with an egg, fertilization occurs and an embryo is created. The embryo then implants itself in the uterine lining, resulting in pregnancy.
In order to get your partner pregnant, sperm need to be healthy and strong enough to survive in the vagina, travel to the uterus, and fertilize an egg. The more healthy sperm contained in your semen, the more likely it is that one of these sperm will make it to the uterus successfully.
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A common obstacle to fertility is low sperm count or low semen volume. Other sperm abnormalities that can cause infertility include problems with movement (motility) and high numbers of immature, unformed sperm.
How much sperm is needed to fertilize an egg?
Only one sperm needs to survive in order to fertilize an egg. However, the journey from the man’s testicle to the woman’s uterus is long and arduous.
After ejaculation, a single sperm cell measuring only 0.5 mm needs to swim over 152 mm from the base of the cervix to the egg for fertilization. Not every sperm is up to the task.
For this reason, it’s important to have a healthy sperm count when TTC. You should at least meet a minimum threshold of sperm per ejaculation for optimal fertility.
How much sperm is produced by a healthy male?
Sperm are produced in the testicles and take 60 to 70 days to mature. Immature sperm that are not fully formed cannot fertilize an egg. A normal semen sample should contain at least 50 percent normal, mature sperm.
Semen needs a healthy concentration of sperm for optimal fertility. Fertile semen contains at least 20 million sperm per mL, with a total volume of at least 2 mL.
Sperm volume isn’t the only factor that matters for fertility. Quality is just as important as quantity. Of the sperm released in a typical ejaculation, at least 75% should be alive and viable, and at least 50% should be motile at least one hour after ejaculation, for the best odds of conception.
Can you measure it?
The idea of measuring your semen might seem unusual and we aren’t recommending that you ejaculate into a cup and measure it yourself at home. Your doctor can perform a comprehensive analysis of your semen and sperm counts to let you know if your fertility is normal.
Semen analysis is usually the first test doctors recommend for assessing male fertility. Your doctor will ask you to collect a sample of semen from masturbation or sexual intercourse (using a special cup or condom).
A lab will analyze your sperm sample to learn more about your fertility and send the results back to your doctor. He or she will look at your semen volume, sperm count, sperm concentration, viability, and motility to determine if any factors could negatively impact your fertility.
At least 30%-50% of infertility cases are due to male-factor infertility. If you are having fertility problems and find that your semen analysis comes back normal, however, remember that a healthy pregnancy relies on both partners’ fertility.
Hormone levels are just one way in which women’s fertility can be measured. Your partner can use a digital fertility tracker like Mira or visit the doctor for a blood test to analyze their hormone concentrations and how they affect fertility.
How low is too low?
Your sperm count is considered low if you have less than 15 million sperm per mL of semen or less than 39 million sperm per ejaculation.
Sometimes, semen analysis shows low sperm count despite typically normal ejaculation. If semen analysis shows low sperm count, your doctor will likely want to repeat the test in a few weeks to account for variables like timing and abstinence. You may have made an error during semen collection or ejaculated too close to the day of your analysis.
Your chance of getting your partner pregnant decreases as your sperm count does. However, some men with low sperm count are still able to conceive naturally. Others require the use of fertility medicine or a sperm donor. Assuming there is no female-factor infertility to compound the problem, these solutions are often successful in improving your partner’s chance of pregnancy .
What are some ways to increase your sperm volume?
The good news is that unlike women, who are born with a fixed number of eggs, men are not born with a finite amount of sperm. Men are constantly producing new sperm.
Sometimes, low sperm count is due to genetic abnormalities, but many times it is correlated with controllable lifestyle factors. Men may be able to boost their sperm count by making small changes in their everyday lives.
Read on to discover some simple ways you might be able to boost your sperm quantity and quality at home.
Maintain a healthy weight
Studies show that men with a healthy BMI have more mobile sperm than those who are overweight or obese. If you struggle with infertility, talk to your doctor to see if weight loss could help you conceive .
Stop smoking
Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health — and for your fertility. Research demonstrates that men who smoke regularly have a lower sperm count than those who do not.
Reduce exposure to toxins
Environmental toxins like radiation, industrial chemicals, and heavy metals can reduce fertility. Overheating the testicles by wearing tight clothing, visiting a sauna, or working with a laptop on your lap may also kill healthy sperm.
Take supplements
Certain supplements may boost your sperm quantity and quality. Men who took vitamin C every day saw higher sperm counts and increased motility. Testosterone levels, which are important for healthy sperm production, may also be raised by taking vitamin D . Some experts also swear by herbal remedies like tribulus terrestris, ashwagandha, and fenugreek.
Quincy Smith is part of the marketing team at Mira , a fertility tracker that helps women track hormone levels at home.
How Much Sperm Does It Take to Get Pregnant? Semen Quality Explained
Whether you’re trying to get pregnant or want to avoid it, it’s helpful to know the science behind sperm and conception. Keep reading to learn all about how much sperm it takes to get pregnant, along with other characteristics of semen that are important for conceiving a baby.
What sperm characteristics matter for conception?
Different factors determine sperm health and the chances of fertilizing an egg. Sperm quantity, concentration, motility, and shape are all factors that determine if a male is fertile. The amount of sperm and their ability to move are the most important factors for a male to be able to get a female pregnant.
Amount and concentration
When males ejaculate, they release on average around 100 million sperm. It only takes one sperm fertilizing an egg to conceive a child. Millions of sperm die on the journey to reach the egg.
But how much sperm does it take to get pregnant? A fertile man’s ejaculation has at least 15 million sperm up to over 200 million sperm per milliliter (or two teaspoons) of semen. Each ejaculation has around 2-6 milliliters or ½-1 teaspoon of semen. If a man has under 15 million sperm per milliliter or less than 39 million total sperm in one ejaculation, he is considered to have a low sperm count. Some males have zero sperm in their semen, a condition known as azoospermia.
When there is less sperm in an ejaculation, it reduces the probability that you will get pregnant. This is simply because there are fewer sperm available to reach and fertilize the egg. While having a low sperm count makes it more difficult to conceive, it’s still possible to get pregnant.
Motility
Sperm motility is its ability to swim. In order to reach and fertilize an egg, sperm needs to move first through the cervix, then the uterus and finally the uterine tubes. If at least 40 percent of sperm are moving, a man is most likely fertile.
Shape
The structure, or morphology, of sperm are a third factor for conception. A normal sperm is shaped with an oval head and a long tail. These elements work together to propel the sperm forward to swim and find the egg located in the uterine tubes. Having more sperm with this shape increases the chance of fertility.
Lifetime
New sperm are being constantly produced in the testicles and take between 42 to 76 days to reach maturity. After sperm are ejaculated into the female reproductive tract, they stay alive for up to five days. Within this time, the sperm can fertilize an egg. If semen is preserved at freezing temperatures, sperm can live for several decades. When sperm is on a dry surface (like on the bed or clothes), they will die when the semen is dry. In water (like in a warm bath or hot tub), sperm will live longer, but it’s very unlikely that they will make their way through the uterus and result in pregnancy.
Can increasing sperm volume help conception?
Having a healthy sperm count is important for conception. There are a few things males can do to produce healthy sperm and boost sperm count, including maintaining a good weight and eating a healthy diet, practicing safe sex to prevent STIs, keeping stress levels low, and exercising regularly. Avoiding alcohol, smoking, toxins (pesticides, lead, etc.), lubricants during sex, certain medications (steroids, tricyclic antidepressants, calcium channel blockers, and anti-androgens), and keeping the penis cool also helps improve fertility.
How much sperm does it take to get pregnant with artificial insemination?
Artificial insemination (AI) is when sperm is placed inside the uterus. During in vitro fertilization, eggs and sperm are combined outside of the female’s body in a lab and then the fertilized egg is returned to the womb. This can be an option for couples where the male has a slightly lower sperm count or motility and you’ve been trying to get pregnant for at least one year.
Artificial insemination requires a minimum 6.7 million sperm per insemination to be successful. But sperm amount matters less for AI than for natural insemination. Instead, sperm motility and shape play a greater role.
Can you get pregnant from precum?
Precum is pre-ejaculate fluid released from the penis during sex. There is a low probability that you will get pregnant from precum, but it’s still possible. Studies show that the majority of precum either has dead sperm or none at all, but small amounts can still be present. A 2016 study of 42 healthy males found actively mobile sperm in 16.7 percent of pre-ejaculatory fluid.
There are several factors that signal if sperm is healthy and likely to fertilize an egg, including the amount and concentration per ejaculation of semen, as well as motility and structure. Even if a male has a low sperm count, there are some things he can do to take care of his health and improve the chance of getting a female pregnant.
