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Make the mistake of telling someone you are trying to conceive and you will immediately learn more old wives’ tales about getting pregnant than you thought possible. Whether it’s culture-specific, like the Chinese one about getting a male baby to jump on the bed, jokes about getting pregnant right after buying an entire new wardrobe, or how to conceive a girl, it would be helpful to sift out the myths from the facts about getting pregnant.
Popular old wives’ tales about getting pregnant
You can’t get pregnant if you have sex on your period
One of the most common myths we hear is that you cannot get pregnant if you have sex on your period. While it’s unlikely, it is possible to get pregnant while you're menstruating. Since sperm can live in your body for 3 to 5 days, if you have a shorter cycle of 21 to 24 days and then have unprotected sex at the end of your bleeding, it is possible for tenacious sperm to overlap with ovulation and incur a pregnancy.
Raise your legs for at least 20 minutes after ejaculation
After trying to conceive for almost two years, Lisa Olsen, went to a fertility clinic, where she was given specific instructions on how to have “baby-making” sex. “Babymaking sex includes missionary position, then the woman not getting up for an hour, and lying with a pillow under her hips,” Olsen shared with Mom.com. While the directions the mom of two received took an hour, it worked. “We got it done on the second cycle and made the first baby. Second baby was conceived 2.5 years later without the clinic, but following the same sex instructions.”
Even though the jury is out, keeping your legs ups does no harm. Just remember, the typical healthy ejalucate contains 1.5 to 5 milliliters of semen. Sperm counts vary from 20 million to 100 million sperm cells per milliliter. That’s a lot of sperm. A little leakage will be OK.
An orgasm will help you get pregnant
While it’s obvious the man needs to orgasm in order to provide sperm, there is also a theory that a woman’s orgasm causes uterine muscles to contract and act like a vacuum, sucking in all the sperm to help with fertilization. Others posit that the release of oxytocin after orgasm helps relax you so that you’re less stressed. While it is true that high levels of stress plays into infertility, it’s unclear whether an orgasm will relieve stress to such a degree that it aids in fertilization. Perhaps someone will eventually volunteer to be studied for science.
Old wives’ tales about what to eat in order to get pregnant
Cough syrup
Some women think drinking cough syrup will aid pregnancy. While there have been no studies confirming this, fertility expert Toni Weschler noted on the BabyCenter site, “Guaifenesin may help you get pregnant by making your cervical fluid wetter and more slippery, which makes it easier for sperm to travel through your cervix to fertilize an egg.” Just make sure you steer clear of cough syrup with antihistamines because that has the opposite effect. Also, proceed with extreme caution: Large amounts of cough syrup can be dangerous and even deadly.
Honey with cinnamon
Honey contains many amino acids that are helpful for ovarian function and can support the reproductive system. A small Columbia University Medical Center study found that for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that results in irregular menstruation, daily cinnamon supplements aided in restarting their menstrual cycles.
Limit alcohol
While drinking occasionally may lead to nights where you engage in unprotected sex (and hence, possible pregnancy), in general, heavy drinking on regular basis will decrease your fertility. In addition to wreaking havoc on your body, excessive drinking may result in irregular menstrual cycles, thus making it harder to get pregnant.
Steer clear of these old wives’ tales
Swallowing semen
Ever have a man insist that swallowing semen helps with fertility? Spoiler alert: It does not. While sperm does contain protein, it will likely do more for conception if it’s inside of your vagina, swimming to your egg — not in your digestive tract.
Vaginal steaming
Despite claims of improving fertility, balancing your hormones, or even cleaning your vagina and uterus, there is no such evidence. In fact, vaginal steaming might increase risks of vaginal infections due to altering the bacterial ecosystem of your vagina. Plus, your vagina cleans itself through natural secretions and stays healthy by maintaining the correct pH balance.
Although many of these old wives’ tales about getting pregnant do no harm, please make sure you consult your physician before embarking on any major diet or physical changes.
