We hear many things when a couple is trying to conceive. This is especially true of you are newlyweds and everyone is waiting for some ‘good news’. Here we list down myths vs facts when trying for a baby. The questions are unbearable and embarrassing, but along with these questions, comes a flood of free advice. Some seem to make sense while some are downright absurd. As the months roll on and you still haven’t conceived, you will think and rethink on all that free advice in the hopes that something might work.
Please do not be misguided by anything you hear. Know base facts and make smarter decisions by learning the difference of these myths vs facts. In this article, we have listed down some common things you might have thought or heard about baby making. The following verdict will tell you whether what you heard was a myth or a fact, followed by some free (and useful!) advice from us that will do you a ton of good! Keep reading on and keep getting smarter with our amazing Infertility series.
The length of a cycle is measured from the first day of your period to the first day of your next period. A normal regular cycle can vary anywhere from 21 to 32 days. Cycles shorter than 21 days or longer than 32 days might need some looking into in case you have been trying unsuccessfully for some time to conceive. Other than that, a cycle is said to be regular if it comes after a set number of days each month. If the length of your cycles vary largely, then you are said to have irregular periods.
Having regular cycles alone does not guarantee that you will be able to conceive easily. A lot goes inside our bodies. The state of your periods also say a lot about your reproductive health. For example, if your periods are light, your body might not be producing enough estrogen, if they are very heavy, the progesterone might not be enough to balance your estrogen levels, or if you complain of very painful period, you might suffer from endometriosis. There are many cases where a person suffering from endometriosis may not have any pain or symptoms. This is just to explain how anything could be going inside the body so regular cycles alone cannot guarantee reproductive health and fertility.
A normal, healthy couple takes at least one year of active trying to conceive. If you still have not conceived after one year, it might be a good idea to visit a doctor. If you are above thirty-five years of age, then visit a doctor if you have not been able to conceive after six months of active trying. It is important to mention that if you are trying to conceive, then stressing about it will be only be counteractive and harmful.
For best consultation results, the husband and wife should both go to visit the doctor. It is wrong to assume that the problem lies only with the female. The male spouse can contribute to the cause of infertility as well and there is nothing wrong to admit that. Knowing these myths vs facts will help you narrow down the issue much faster.
There is a growing evidence that our population is suffering from vitamin D deficiency because of inadequate sun exposure and nutritional deficiencies. Vitamin D is very important for both male and female fertility whose lack thereof, is causing increasing fertility issues in people. That is the reason why all basic fertility screening includes a vitamin D blood test also. New mothers who have recently delivered are at a greater risk of vitamin D deficiency as a pregnancy drains all kinds of vitamins and minerals from the mother’s body that is needed for the baby. Depending on your blood levels, you may require supplements only or may be prescribed ampules. If your vitamin D levels are within normal range, it is always a good idea to try and maintain it by getting some sun exposure and adding some physical activity in your daily routine.
This proves counteractive in most cases. Having intercourse everyday may deplete male sperm reservoir and you both will easily reach a “burnt out” state. Not only is this impractical month after month, this also affects male sperm quality and supply. Most doctors agree that having intercourse every other day is a better approach. It gives male body the chance to replenish its sperm supply and its quality. Sperms can live up from five to seven days inside the female’s reproductive tract so skipping a day does not lower your chances of conception.
This is one of the most important points in the myths vs facts list of trying to conceive. A woman’s fertile window starts five days before ovulation actually continues up to the day after ovulation. When a sperm enters the female body, it goes through a series of changes before it can fertilize the female egg. This process is called ‘capacitation’ of the sperm and it can take up to 8 hours. Since a female egg is viable for only 12 hours, you may easily lose your chance of conception if you plan intercourse only on the day of ovulation. Secondly, until now, medical science has been unable to pinpoint the exact moment of ovulation. Therefore, your best chances are to have intercourse before your expected ovulation.
Every woman’s body is different and not all women have a 28 day cycle. Ideally, ovulation occurs 14 days prior to your next period. But there are cases where women either ovulate early or late. If you have been trying to conceive for a while and have not been successful, it is a good idea to get yourself checked as a doctor will determine whether there is a healthy ovulation going on or not, and may guide you about your estimated ovulation dates based on your test results.
Making a baby takes two so this is a fact that husbands also need to get ready for that. Just like women, there are certain vitamins and minerals that may boost male fertility in this regard. Secondly, if there are some fertility issues expected, then the husband also needs to be checked to rule out any problems.
Stress wreaks havoc in our bodies. It has adverse effects that have a myriad of implications, both fertility related and otherwise. If we talk about only fertility, stress creates an imbalance in the body as the body goes into panic mode. A hormonal imbalance can either make it difficult to get pregnant or it can affect your ovulation drastically. In many cases, stress halts ovulation altogether. On the other hand, during stress the human body goes into defensive mode, prioritizing only the body functions that are crucial to survival. The body knows that during times when survival is the need of the hour, one of the bodily functions that need to take a backseat is reproduction; hence, it will pull back proper blood flow to the reproductive organs. This affects fertility, as proper and healthy blood flow is crucial for sperm production in men and healthy egg maturation in women. Also, blood flow is crucial for women to help a baby implant in the uterus and maintain pregnancy. Here are a few tips to manage stress: How To Manage Stress While Trying To Conceive.
During intercourse, the sperm will shoot into the female body at a very high speed. Chances are, before you realize it, they are already on their way to where they should be. You can follow this practice if it gives you peace of mind, but there is no medical evidence that lying down after intercourse or hanging your legs up in the air has any definite advantage. This is one of the most common myths vs facts points to discuss because while it may sound somewhat logical and is handed down as old wives’ tales, it is a myth with absolutely no backing from science.
This is more of a coincidence and good luck. As we discussed before, stress is one of the biggest hurdles when it comes to trying to get pregnant. It is possible that when a couple adopt, their mind shifts from the pressure of conceiving to actually enjoying the new bundle of joy in their homes. This lets nature takes it course. The absence of stress relaxes the whole body, especially our hormones so you may happen to get pregnant without even trying. Please bear in mind, adoption should not be used as a means to get pregnant because when you adopt a child, it should be for sake of that child alone. It is a serious commitment and anything short of that is wrong. The cases where couples got pregnant after adoption is more of a lucky chance. There is no medical evidence to prove it.
Very often it happens that we go see a gynecologist for a specific issue, for example, for a routine check up. If you have some questions regarding your fertility or regarding your inability to conceive despite trying, make sure you bring it up with your doctor. It is widely possible that a doctor will offer you his or her services for whatever reason you visited for; they may not look into the bigger picture either as a principle or as a way of respecting the patient’s privacy. Make sure to explicitly discuss and bring up any issue you want to be addressed.
