9 Insane Fertility Myths Debunked
Eating yams will give you twins, swallowing semen will boost your fertility, and being on the pill harms your chances of becoming a parent… If you are trying to conceive, you might have come across these ludicrous myths. When it comes to pregnancy and reproductive health, there are lots of perplexing beliefs or “old wives’ tales” that many people still follow to this day and age. We are setting the record straight by addressing the craziest and most common fertility myths.
- You can get pregnant any time you have sex
School teachers scared many of us by claiming women could get pregnant any time they had sex. But this couldn’t be further from the truth! First of all, to get pregnant, you need to have sex during the 5 to 6 days around ovulation. Once the egg is gone (within a day of ovulation) you can’t get pregnant until around ovulation of your next cycle.
- Women are responsible for fertility issues
When it comes to fertility, all the attention is on women. But it takes two to make a baby. In fact, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, men are the main cause of infertility in 40% of cases. There are several factors that affect men’s fertility including medical conditions, hormonal imbalance, lifestyle choices, and age-related issues.
- Swallowing semen boosts your fertility
Let’s recap… Pregnancy is only possible when semen comes into contact with an egg. If someone swallows semen, it will end up in the digestive system like anything else they drink or eat. The digestive system doesn’t connect to the female reproductive system and sperm cannot live in the digestive tract.
- You can choose your baby’s sex! Just do X thing
The only way to “select” your baby’s gender is through the preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) technique, which has inspired many ethical debates. Previous (and inaccurate) research made people believe that having sex closer to ovulation would result in a boy, whereas intercourse further from ovulation would conceive a girl. A potassium-rich diet could also increase the chances for a boy. None of these are true! Instead of worrying about gender, why not focus on welcoming a happy and healthy child into the world?
- Being on the pill harms your fertility
You hear this one so often that is surprising when you learn it is not true. After ditching your contraceptive methods, your cycle will stabilize fairly quickly and you will start ovulating within a few weeks. Studies show that 21.1% of women who had been on the pill for seven years conceived after their first fertile month. 79.4% were pregnant after one year. So nothing to worry about!
- Eating yams will give you twins
The number of online articles claiming that eating certain foods will boost your fertility or give you twins is astonishing. But, to date, nothing has been proven. A study found that the Nigerian city Igbo-Ora had the highest rates of twin births in the world. The reason? Researchers noted that the inhabitants of Igbo-Ora mostly ate yams, inspiring many parents-to-be to add this vegetable into their diets. However, as this is not yet official, you shouldn’t go too crazy about yams.
- Orgasm will help you conceive
Just think about it. Around 75% of women don’t orgasm from penetrative sex. So, if this particular myth were true, the population would be significantly smaller. While it’s true that orgasms contract the uterus, helping sperm travel to the fallopian tubes quickly, this is not essential for conceiving.
- Lifting your legs in the air for 20 minutes after sex
In nearly every corner of the world, people believe that certain sex positions or post-coital activities will improve the chance of becoming parents. A recurrent myth is for the woman to lift her legs in the air for 20 minutes to help sperm reach the egg. Sperm naturally travels to the egg after ejaculation, which produces between 20 to 80 million sperm. Don’t make your legs go numb! Simply focus on having sex or trying to conceive during your fertile window.
- Just relax and breathe
“Just relax and you’ll be pregnant in no time”, “you haven’t gotten pregnant because you are trying too hard or are not trying enough”. These are some of the friendly, yet misleading advice many to-be-parents get. At Beginning.com, we are committed to helping women have happy and stress-free pregnancies.
While chronic stress might contribute to fertility issues in both men and women, we understand that infertility is not merely a psychological issue. As science and contemporary medicine have demonstrated, there are lots of medical factors that influence reproductive health. All these factors require professional treatment, which you should consider.
If you are looking forward to relaxing and boosting your well-being around your pregnancy or for your everyday life, Beginning.com is here for you! Listen to our immersive sound journeys to calm your mind and optimize your well-being for pregnancy and beyond.