Myths About Conception

While old wives tales can, at times, be fun to listen to and enjoy, they can also drive a woman trying to conceive, or one who is pregnant, crazy! It's often hard to know what to believe and what to ignore. When your mom tells you that eating too much spicy food while pregnant will create a wild, red head, it's hard to ignore her. Here, we try to explore some of these old wives tales about conception and put some of them to rest.

Myth - Lubricants Help

Fact - Some people think that using a lubricant during intercourse helps to guide the sperm and makes it easier for the sperm to slide inside. Not only is this not true, and not helpful advice, but it is actually harmful. Most lubricants have the ability to change the pH balance inside the vagina. This may affect sperm motility and may prevent, or reduce, the chances of pregnancy occurring.

Myth - Boxers Help with Pregnancy

Fact - Some people have the misconception that boxers, in and of themselves, will help to create fertility. They've heard that wearing boxers is better for the man than wearing briefs, and they assume that this one change will immediately help to create conception. While it is possible to harm sperm by constantly exposing them to undo pressure and heat, such as you would find in a hot tub, on a bike seat, with a laptop, etc., it is not likely that simply changing to boxers is going to cause conception. If the husband does many of these activities, at great lengths, which constrict the sperm, then this may influence fertility. Simply changing from briefs to boxers, however, is not going to make a difference.

Myth - Pregnancy after the Pill

Fact - Some women have heard that it's dangerous to try to get pregnant shortly after stopping the pill, and that hormones from the pill could hurt the fetus. Doctors do recommend that you have one normal menstrual cycle when you stop using the pill, prior to trying to conceive; this recommendation is not for health reasons, however, but to make it easier to properly date the pregnancy and the baby's development. The steroids in your body from the pill usually are out of your system within about a week, so this is not something to worry about.

Table of Contents
1. Conception Myths
2. The Waiting Game Myth
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