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10 Notorious Fertility Myths To Help You Get Pregnant – Busted

Trying to conceive? No doubt you’ve heard a plethora of weird and wonderful methods that friends swear WILL help you fall pregnant. But whether they’re all true or not is a whole other matter…

From knocking back cough syrup to keep your legs in the air for 20 minutes after sex, there are plenty of fertility myths out there. But just because they happened to work for your best friend’s sister, it doesn’t mean they’re all foolproof.

We’ve enlisted expert help to separate fact from fiction to get to the bottom of some of the world’s most well-known pregnancy old wives tales.

How many of these fertility myths have you come across? [Rex]
How many of these fertility myths have you come across? [Rex]

The Myth: Keeping Your Legs Raised After Sex Will Help You Get Pregnant
Around 30 per cent of UK couples believe that if a woman elevates her legs after sex, it’ll improve her chances of falling pregnant. But there’s no scientific proof to suggest this is true.

“It is important to remember that each male ejaculation contains millions of sperm so it is simply not possible that all of them would disappear if a woman was to immediately stand up,” says Dr Israel Ortega, from leading fertility clinic IVI.

The Myth: You Don’t Have To Give Up Smoking Until You’re Pregnant
This isn’t the case. While there aren’t an UK-specific figures, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine estimates that up to 13 per cent of female infertility diagnoses are due to smoking.

The Myth: Drinking Cough Syrup Will Help You Conceive
While there is no medical evidence to support this well-known theory, lots of women are big advocates of this slightly odd approach to conceiving.

Cough syrup has no known benefits to aid conception [Rex]
Cough syrup has no known benefits to aid conception [Rex]

“There is one ingredient which is commonly found in cough syrups, Guaifenesin, which some experts claim can thin cervical fluid – enabling the sperm to travel more easily up the fallopian tubes to fertilise the egg,” says Dr Ortega.

“I would not recommend this as an approved technique especially as taking medication when not needed can reduce its effect when required for illness.” Plus, it doesn’t taste particularly nice!

The Myth: If You’ve Had One Baby, You’ll Have No Problem Having Another
What’s known as ‘secondary infertility’ is really common – around a fifth of parents claim they found it harder to conceive a second or third child than their first.

This could be because couples are a little older when trying for their second child or perhaps you were simply unconsciously spot-on with your timing when trying for your first baby.

Having a baby, doesn't mean that a second one comes easily [Rex]
Having a baby, doesn't mean that a second one comes easily [Rex]

The Myth: Wearing Tight Underwear Can Damage A Man’s Fertility
We’ve all heard this one – wearing tight underwear, or even skinny jeans, can lower a man’s sperm count and lessen their chances of making a baby. But this isn’t necessarily the case.

“Many experts have commented that there is a potential link between a raised scrotal temperature and a reduction in sperm mobility, however very few medical studies have been able to back this up with evidence that raising the scrotal temperature has any lasting negative effects on sperm,” says Dr Ortega.

“For those who do tend to wear tighter underwear and are concerned this may be effecting their fertility, I would suggest choosing a slightly looser style that will not only allow the skin to breath but will also help with general personal hygiene.”

The Myth: Only Use The Missionary Position When Trying To Conceive
The theory is that this position will help keep the sperm inside the women better, but in actual fact it doesn’t matter what position you’re in at all.

The Myth: Exercising Can Make You Infertile
While most of us probably wish this was true (hello, less gym time!), this is just another myth.

“If you pay attention to your body and ensure that your menstrual cycle is normal, then there is no reason why this should be the case,” says Dr Ortega. “In fact, many experts actually advise women to carry out regular exercise when looking to conceive. Physical exercise has many benefits, particularly for the hormonal system, which can increase the odds of conception.”

Exercising regularly shouldn't stop you from conceiving [Rex]
Exercising regularly shouldn't stop you from conceiving [Rex]

The Myth: Too Much Stress In Your Life Will Stop You From Conceiving
There are always those women who claim that once they relaxed, they magically got pregnant. And while there are no words more infuriating, this can be true for some couples. But there’s no medical backing to this claim.

“While I would always advise women to try and remove any unnecessary anxiety from their daily life to help them cope with the natural emotional ups and downs of trying to conceive, overall this should not have negative impact on your chances of falling pregnant,” says Dr Ortega.

The Myth: Being Overweight Can Affect Your Chances Of Falling Pregnant
This is true. Being overweight can, and probably will, affect your chances of getting pregnant – and may also affect your baby’s health once you do conceive.

“Too much body weight can cause hormonal imbalances and problems with ovulation, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS),” says Dr Ortego.

“At IVI we recently conducted a study that found that obese women not only have a lower chance of conceiving, but also have a lower IVF success rate compared to women of a more normal weight, as they are likely to develop an abnormal embryo metabolism.

“In addition to this, the odds of the baby being overweight or obese increase.”

The Myth: Acupuncture Will Help You Get Pregnant
Lots of people claim that acupuncture helped them conceive – including celebrities such as Mariah Carey.

Research shows that it may give couples undergoing IVF a helping hand but the verdict is still out on whether it helps boost conception chances in general.

[Trying To Conceive? Get A Refund On Your IVF Treatment If It’s Unsuccessful]
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