4 Fertility Myths – Debunked

4 Fertility Myths - Debunked

When it comes to baby-related and fertility issues, there is a lot of misinformation out there. I have heard plenty of crazy stories like you the old, “you can’t get pregnant in a hot tub.” (This is false). To help all of you out there who may be thinking of having a baby or are trying to conceive, I am going to debunk 4 fertility myths for you with the help of First Response

Don’t worry, this information is not coming from me – I have a B.A. after my name, not an M.D. I was able to meet Dr. Dave (Greenberg) a few weeks ago in Toronto. He has been in the medical practice for 25 years and is also a consultant for First Response. He really knows his stuff!

First Response

Myth #1 – Fertility is the women’s issue

As the saying goes, it takes two to tango. 50% of fertility is affected by the male and 50% by the female. It really is a teamwork situation. This is true no matter how you try to conceive (through traditional methods, or with a sperm and/or egg donor).

Myth #2 – You just need to relax

Dr. Dave says the worst thing you can tell a person when they are trying to have a baby is to relax. Let’s face it, the first thing you do when someone tells you to relax is, well, not relax. Instead of relaxing he suggests just taking some time off and avoiding actively trying to get pregnant. At the same time, do not take steps to prevent pregnancy by using contraceptives such as condoms. Which brings us to myth number 3.

Myth # 3 – Birth control will affect your fertility

I will admit I was duped by this one. I always thought that if you take birth control pills, you need to stop taking them a few months before you start trying to get pregnant to allow all of the ‘medicine’ to leave your body. Dr. Dave says this is not the case. As he explained it, you can get pregnant if you miss one pill, which is why you need to take one every day. So, if you want to try to get pregnant just miss a day – that’s it. No more waiting. It completely made sense to me as soon as he said it like that. I kind of feel silly now. 

Myth #4 – If you are over 40 (and a woman) you are automatically high-risk 

If you are a woman over 40 and try to get pregnant, it doesn’t mean you will automatically have a high-risk pregnancy full of complications. That being said, it may be harder for you to get pregnant. As women, we are born with all the eggs we will have throughout our life (unlike men who produce sperm on a constant basis). Each time you have your period you essentially ‘lose’ an egg. The older you get the less eggs you have which does affect the odds of getting pregnant but does not make you high-risk. 

If you are trying to get pregnant there are a few things you can do:

  • Do not actively prevent pregnancy. This means do not use or take contraceptives prior to having sex. Dr. Dave recommends having sex every other day on days 10-20 of your menstrual cycle when you are trying to conceive. (Doctors orders!) 
  • Do not put pressure on your partner. Stressing out about getting pregnancy is not good for either party.
  • After ejaculation, the woman should lay on her back for 20 minutes with her pelvis tilting up. 

Tips for men:

  • Wear boxers rather than briefs.
  • No hot tubs, whirlpools, or very hot showers.
  • Do not bike or ride motorcycles as the pressure/heat can reduce sperm count.

Tips for women:

  • As soon as you start trying to conceive start acting like you are pregnant, which means no to alcohol, smoking, and caffeine, and yes to prenatal vitamins.
  • Know when you are ovulating so you can take advantage of the dates you will most likely become pregnant.

If you do not know when you ovulate, you can pick up a First Response ovulation kit. The FIRST RESPONSE™Ovulation Test is over 99% accurate in laboratory studies in detecting the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge in your urine. The LH surge indicates when you’re most fertile and likely to conceive.

The ovulation test is also very easy to use. 

https://youtu.be/ves2KIYLaoI

Get pregnant sooner with FIRST REPONSE®. Introducing the FIRST RESPONSE® Digital 20ct Ovulation Predictor Test. It’s the only ovulation test that actually detects and tracks your personal daily baseline levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) to detect your personal LH surge, unlike other ovulation tests that use a preset “average” level to determine an LH surge. It’s over 99% accurate (at detecting LH surge in laboratory studies), and unmistakable YES+/NO- results are clear and easy to understand: YES+ means try to conceive in the next 24-36 hours; NO- means continue to test daily. Discover more at 1stresponse.ca.

bloggerfirstresponseDisclosure: This post was brought to you by Church & Dwight via Mode Media Canada.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Church & Dwight.

Did you enjoy this article?
Signup today and receive free updates straight in your inbox. We will never share or sell your email address.
I agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( more information )

Add Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.