Does location matter? Can you get pregnant the first time? Here are the 10 myths to dispel collected by Howstuffworks.com and, conversely, the 10 best ways to really promote fertilization suggested by Don Colbert, one of the most famous doctors on American TV
The tricks for getting pregnant
From ancient wolf penis potions to quail heart necklaces, going through kamasutra with acrobatic positions to make sperm penetrate better, from “you can’t get pregnant the first time” to the idea that a woman is not fertile during the menstrual cycle , from the legend that a woman must reach orgasm to get pregnant to the use of cough syrup to “thin” the vaginal mucus making it more hospitable for spermatozoa: since time immemorial rumors of all kinds have circulated to improve the chance of getting pregnant .
Here then are the 10 myths to dispel collected by Howstuffworks.com and, on the other hand, the 10 best ways to really promote fertilization suggested by Don Colbert, one of the best-known doctors on American TV as well as a best-selling writer.
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After fertilization and the implantation of the embryo in the uterine cavity, complex transformations take place that start the path that leads from conception to the formation of the embryo and placenta: the cell undergoes a structural evolution destined to multiply through successive subdivisions, and soon all organs and parts of the body will develop. Growing rapidly, the fetus will soon be the size of a bean and move constantly. The heart is beating fast and the intestines are forming. Just as the earlobes, eyelids, mouth and nose are taking shape.
IN THIS ARTICLE
- 10 myths about conception to dispel
- 10 tricks to help with conception
READ ALSO:10 things to do before getting pregnant
10 myths about conception to dispel
1. Location matters
Acrobatics between the sheets can be a great idea to keep passion from falling into monotony. But putting upside down after intercourse to get the sperms in better doesn’t do much good. According to experts it may be useful to lie down for a few minutes, in order to avoid expulsion of the seminal fluid, but anything beyond it is superfluous. As for the positions, however, that of the “missionary” and penetration from behind can help, which allow the sperm to get closer to the cervix (but only if the woman does not have a retroflexed uterus, in which case the position is indifferent).
2. We need to make love every day
A couple may have a thousand reasons to have sex on a daily basis, but having a baby is not necessary. If the man has very frequent intercourse, in fact, the concentration of spermatozoa in the seminal fluid decreases drastically, as well as their mobility, and this, in theory, decreases the possibility of conceiving. So more than making love every day , it is important to do it frequently during a woman’s most fertile period, which according to a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine is in the six days before ovulation .
3. Ovulation occurs 14 days after menstruation
While this is generally a good enough indication, it is not accurate enough for someone trying to get pregnant (or, conversely, trying to avoid pregnancy). According to a study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, in fact, only 30% of women are fertile in days 10 to 17 of their menstrual period. The only way to be sure when the “fertile window” opens is to use a test to detect the presence of luteinizing hormone (LH).
4. If you are menstruating you cannot get pregnant
Again, the indication may be generally valid but is not always accurate. According to a study by the National Institute of Health Sciences, in fact, it is possible that the woman is fertile already on the fourth day of the beginning of the cycle . And even in women with absolutely regular periods, there is a 1 to 6% chance of still being fertile on the day that menstruation should begin. Considering that sperm can survive up to 5 days in a woman’s body, having intercourse during menstruation does not protect against pregnancy.
5. You can’t get pregnant the first time
This is a particularly dangerous myth which has produced generations of single mothers. So it can be at best a hope for kids who have their first sexual experiences, but definitely not a certainty. Indeed, the numbers play against them: according to experts there is a 15 to 25% chance of getting pregnant the first time with unprotected intercourse. With the probability curve that is much closer to 25% if the woman is between 20 and 30 years old.
6. Interrupted coitus is a contraceptive method
No, it is simply an attempt not to conceive . But according to data from Planned Parenthood, even if you pay close attention, coitus has a 4% failure rate. And if applied superficially, the percentage even rises to 27%. This is because men can have what is called “pre-ejaculation,” meaning a sperm leak even before orgasm.
7. You can determine the sex of the unborn child
“If you want a boy, make sure his testicles are warm before intercourse, and then make love only on even days with your head facing north; if you want a girl, do it only on the odd days after the full moon”. Recommendations that seem incredible, yet some still believe today. But for science they are groundless: the only vague possibility of determining sex has been identified by research from the British universities of Exeter and Oxford. If a woman consumes more calories (about 2,200 versus the standard 1,850) in the days of conception , she can shift the chances of having a boy from 50 to 55%.
8. All lubricants are the same
Because sometimes couples trying to conceive make love “on demand”, it happens that the arousal is not quite at its peak and it is necessary to use a lubricant. However, if chosen poorly, it can make conception difficult. According to the World Health Organization, in fact, the optimal pH of the vagina must be between 7.0 and 8.5. And many lubricants have a pH below 7, which can negatively affect sperm survival.
9. Cough syrup helps with conception
Until the 1980s, the idea was widespread (but has not yet completely disappeared) that using Robitussin, a very popular cough syrup in America, as a vaginal lubricant made cervical mucus easier for sperm to pass through (this is because, according to the belief, as it was able to dissolve the phlegm , the syrup would have been able to thin any type of mucus). A study conducted in 1982 showed that some effect on cervical mucus was indeed there, but thickened mucus represents a difficulty conceiving in only 2% of cases. For which there are much more suitable treatments.
10. To get pregnant you need to orgasm
Although this belief, especially in the past, has not been without merit (but for other reasons, in a totally male-dominated society), female orgasm is not biologically necessary for conception. Although it does, in fact, help: According to a British study from the 1990s, the contractions that occur after orgasm help the woman retain more seminal fluid by pushing it towards the cervix.
