Top 4 Conceiving Myths
Sure, you may think you know how to get pregnant ... but do you?
Kim Hahn, founder and editor in chief of Conceive magazine, shares the top four misconceptions about conceiving and helps you get it right about getting pregnant.
MYTH: If you're trying to get pregnant, you should start having sex as much as possible.
REALITY: The biggest mistakes couples make when trying to get pregnant are having sex too often (!) and not knowing their cycle. Determining your most fertile days is the single best thing you can do for success. Then have sex every other day starting about a week before ovulation. Since sperm can live in the female reproductive tract for a few days, having sex every other day will ensure that sperm are present when you ovulate. Too much sex can actually reduce a man's sperm count temporarily.
MYTH: Infertility is almost always a woman's problem.
REALITY: Actually, male infertility is just as likely to be the culprit--in fact, it's about a 50-50 split. When a couple begins trying to conceive, both should have full reproductive screenings to look for any irregularities.
MYTH: There's no way to control whether you have a boy or girl.
REALITY: Many sex selection methods are hit or miss, but according to some doctors, female sperm swim slower than male sperm, so if you are trying for a boy, have sex right after ovulation, and if you want a girl, stop having sex two days before ovulation.
There are also high-tech options that have a much greater chance of influencing the sex of the baby--for example, MicroSort®, a technique that sorts sperm into X-bearing (female) and Y-bearing (male) sperm, done with intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization. If you're doing IVF, you can also determine gender with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)--that is, testing your embryos before they're implanted into the womb. PGD is primarily used to find out whether any of your embryos carry a genetic disorder, but a handful of clinics will do it just for sex selection (rather than medical) reasons. While sex selection using PGD gives you a 100% guarantee, many people believe it brings up ethical issues, including sex discrimination.
MYTH: Trying-to-have-a-baby sex inevitably starts feeling like a chore.
REALITY: When you're trying to conceive, having sex on a schedule can get boring and stressful. But you can keep it sensual by adding some variety to your routine:
1. Skip sex between the days you are most fertile. When the time for baby-making is ripe, the passion will be soaring.
2. Have sex somewhere other than the bed. Try the kitchen countertops or the living room couch.
3. Do it at different times of the day. If you usually make love at night, try going at it in the morning before work, or meet each other at home during your lunch break.
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