For sex, Christmas outdoes Valentine's Day

SAN DIEGO, March 4 (UPI) -- For sex, Valentine's Day cannot compete, at least statistically, with Christmas -- the time of year couples have the most sex, U.S. fertility experts said.

Fertility Specialists Medical Group in San Diego said with Valentine's Day, cold weather ideal for snuggling and school vacations, many think that February is the month when most babies are conceived -- resulting in more births around November than any other time of the year.

However, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta showed more births take place in September than any other month of the year -- making December the month with the highest fertility rates.

December is a month when couples spend more time together, have more days off and eggnog, champagne, mistletoe and the holidays enliven thoughts of children, the fertility experts suggested.

But for those wanting to conceive, Fertility Specialists Medical Group suggested:

-- Daily sex increases the odds of conceiving to about 37 percent. The chances decrease to 33 percent for couples who are intimate every other day. Weekly sex cuts the odds by more than half, to 15 percent.

-- The most critical factor in getting pregnant is not the frequency of sex, but the timing. Fertility clinics train couples to detect a woman's fertile period, which usually lasts six days -- the day a woman is ovulating and the five days before.

-- Avoid alcohol and tobacco during fertile periods.