Common Beliefs About Getting Pregnant: Fact or Fiction?
If you're trying to get pregnant, chances are anyone who knows about it is offering you advice - especially moms and mother-in-laws. But just because it's commonly believed, is it true? Will your mom's advice really help you to conceive faster? Here is some information on commonly believed "facts" about getting pregnant.
Once you stop birth control you can get pregnant right away
This may be true for condoms and other barrier type methods, but not necessarily so for hormonal birth control. Because pills and other hormonal methods of birth control affect your body's hormone levels and natural cycles, it can take your body a bit of time to adjust after stopping the pill - it has to get used to regulating itself again. This doesn't mean that you can't get pregnant right after stopping the pill, but it may take some time for your body to be ready.
The more often we have sex the higher our chances of getting pregnant
Timing is way more important in getting pregnant than frequency. The most likely you are to conceive is when you're ovulating, so it's best to concentrate your efforts during the few days when ovulation is likely to occur. If you miss ovulation, chances are you won't conceive. So, feel free to take a break during the rest of your cycle - it shouldn't make too much of a difference as long as you have sex during your ovulation.
Having sex too much and masturbation can lower your chances of getting pregnant
While technically if a man ejaculates too frequently his overall sperm count in subsequent ejaculate will decrease, meaning less of a chance of a sperm reaching the egg. However, men can replenish their sperm count within two days, and one study found that couples who had daily intercourse had the highest fertility rates. Cutting out masturbation on the part of dad-to-be may be a good idea, but sex every day shouldn't hurt your chances of conception.
You will get pregnant if you have sex 14 days after your period
Unless you have a prefect 28-day cycle (which is unlikely) you won't necessarily ovulate on day 14, which is when you are most likely to get pregnant. Look to your body for physical signs of ovulation rather than looking at the calendar.
Sex is sex - we don't have to change anything
Not true. While the basics of sex will remain the same when you're trying to conceive, you could make some minor adjustments. Don't have oral sex or use regular lubrication, since saliva and lubricant can kill sperm. Lubrication that is safe to use when trying to conceive is available is some specialty stores.
Certain positions are better for conception
Most of the time some ejaculate will fall out, no matter what position during intercourse. However, your cervical mucus when you are ovulating becomes a special texture - one to hold in sperm so chances of conception are greater. Therefore, you don't need a special position to keep the sperm in. However, sperm deposited closest to the cervix will have the best chance of fertilizing the egg, so using positions that allow for deep penetration won't hurt and neither will tilting your pelvis upward.
Both partners need to have an orgasm in order to conceive
Of course dad-to-be must have an orgasm in order to conceive. It's helpful for mom-to-be to have an orgasm since it helps sperm move up the reproductive tract, but it isn't necessary.
Hot tubs, briefs, and douching: all no-no's
As far as hot tubs are concerned, high temperatures kill sperm, so avoid them as well as steam rooms and saunas if you want to get pregnant. But it doesn't matter too much what type of underwear either of you wear. As far as douching is concerned, it should be avoided as well whether or not you're trying to get pregnant since it disrupts the pH balance of your vagina.
We shouldn't have any problems getting pregnant if we're both young and healthy
Health is necessary for fertility, but just because you're healthy doesn't mean you are particularly fertile. Also, while women are at their most fertile before 35, there's no reason to believe a women over 35 will have fertility problems just as there's no reason to believe a woman under 35 won't have fertility problems. Age effects fertility but doesn't determine it.
We should seek help if we've been trying to concieve without success for a year or longer
A couple is considered infertile after and only after they have been trying to conceive without success for over a year. Until then - keep trying and don't worry. About 80% of health couples will conceive within a year.
Our first baby was conceived easily so we should expect the same for our second
Just because your first baby was conceived easily, things could have changed since then. Many couples are diagnosed with secondary infertility, which is infertility after already conceiving a child.
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